Patent ID: 6650998
Filing Date: 2003-11-18
Classification: H04L,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for a server to enable a user of a user terminal to search a data source accessible by the server, comprising the steps of:receiving, from the user terminal, a submission of a search query including a text string component specified by the user and a related first time reference indicating a time of a last prior submission of the search query by the user terminal to the server to search the data source; using, at the server, the text string component of the search query to search records in the data source; comparing, at the server, the first time reference against a second time reference relating to a record in the data source that satisfies the text string component of the search query to determine whether to transmit the record to the user, wherein the second time reference indicates a time when the record was last modified in the data source; and transmitting the record from the server to the user terminal if the step of comparing determines that the record was modified in the data source after the last prior submission of the search query by the user terminal to the server.