Patent ID: 7756884

Claim:
An information processing apparatus configured to communicate via a network, the information processing apparatus comprising: a search unit configured to perform an information search process to search for information on the network using input search criteria; a registration unit configured to register the search criteria used by the search unit in the search process; and a first search result retrieval unit configured to retrieve first search results produced by the search unit using the search criteria; wherein the search unit is further configured to perform an information re-search process using the search criteria registered by the registration unit to search the network for information again after the retrieval of the first search results, and the apparatus further comprising: a second search result retrieval unit configured to retrieve second search results produced by the information re-search process, performed by the search unit, using the search criteria registered by the registration unit and used for producing the first search results, wherein the information re-search process performed by the search unit for the second search results is the same process as the information search process performed by the search unit for retrieving the first search results; a generating unit configured to generate first difference information and second difference information from retrieved information by comparing the first search results and the second search results, wherein the first difference information includes information which is included in the second search result but not included in the first search results and wherein the second difference information includes information which is included in the first search results but not included in the second search results; and an output unit configured to output the first difference information and the second difference information generated by the generating unit, wherein the first difference information is output in distinction from the second difference information.