Patent ID: 8392949

Claim:
An electronic-program-guide retrieval method comprising the steps of: receiving an input retrieval keyword; accessing a dictionary database based on an input retrieval keyword, wherein the dictionary database is stored in a data server whereby, by providing the dictionary database in the data server, the dictionary database is used in common, and accordingly, in a client having a small data storage capacity in a home server, a HDD recorder 400 , or a PC, storage capacity is not occupied by the dictionary database, and wherein when contents of the dictionary database are updated, maintenance of difference data does not need to be performed by the home server; extracting at least one additional keyword from a dictionary database as a function of the input retrieval keyword, wherein, when the input retrieval keyword is received in the receiving step, the at least one additional keyword is extracted from the dictionary database as a function of the input retrieval keyword in the extracting step, and wherein the dictionary database stores frequently misspelled words as possible misspelled words, and wherein the at least one additional keyword may be extracted after replacing an improperly input keyword with a corrected keyword based on the stored frequently misspelled words, wherein relevant keywords and previously used retrieval keywords are arranged in order of frequency of use increasing retrieval speed, wherein when the input retrieval keyword is the name of a person, the dictionary database refers to a person dictionary, and extracts, as relevant keywords a reading of the person's name, a nickname or informal name, an alias, and a group to which the person belongs; and pre-designating one particular database from among a plurality of databases, including an electronic-program-guide database, a movie information database, and a drama information database, wherein each of the plurality of databases are provided in separate data servers for distributed arrangements at different locations; selecting a route to the one particular database via a routing server comprising: a storage unit for storing information on a path to each of the plurality of databases; and an access unit for accessing each of the plurality of databases; searching electronic-program-guide data from the particular database that is pre-designated as a function of the input retrieval keyword and the at least one extracted additional keyword, wherein, when the input retrieval keyword is input, relevant keywords, extracted by the dictionary database are sent to the routing server, and wherein the routing server accesses one of the databases in a data server storing the particular database, storing desired data by selecting a route to the data server, whereby the desired data is obtained.