Patent ID: 7363222

Claim:
A method for searching data in at least two databases comprising: inputting a search term by speech, processing a sound sequence of the search term to obtain a comparable speech pattern thereof, comparing the comparable speech pattern of the search term with corresponding speech patterns of database entries to determine for each entry of the at least two databases a measure for the matching distance between the compared speech patterns to determine at least that database entry of each database the speech pattern of which matches the comparable speech pattern of the search term best, selecting that database entry the speech pattern of which matches the comparable speech pattern of the search term best from the entries determined previously by searching that measure that indicates the best matching speech pattern of the database entries, and outputting an identifier of that database entry that has been selected previously, wherein the identifier of that database entry is entered as a search term for an alphanumeric search through the at least two databases, wherein on the basis of the entered search term, the predecessor or a plurality of predecessors and the successor or a plurality of successors to the search term and, if available, the search term itself from each of the databases are stored in a search table memory, and the search term, if stored in the search table memory, or that term from the successors stored in the search table memory which comes closest after the entered search term, is displayed.