Patent ID: 7200586

Claim:
A searching system for searching broadcasted contents, the searching system having an inputting unit, a searching unit, and a terminal unit, wherein the inputting unit comprises: first storing means for storing information representing at least time at which a content being broadcasted corresponding to a predetermined operation, said at least time is being identified while said content is being broadcasted; and first communicating means for transmitting the information representing time stored in said first storing means to the terminal unit, wherein the searching unit comprises: second storing means for correlatively storing information representing contents and broadcast time thereof; and searching means for searching information representing the contents stored in said second storing means corresponding to the information representing time, and wherein the terminal unit comprises: second communicating means for receiving the information representing time transmitted from the inputting unit through said first communicating means; third communicating means for transmitting the information representing time received by said second communicating means to the searching unit and receiving search results transmitted from the searching unit; and first displaying means for displaying the information representing time received by said second communicating means, the search results by the searching unit, and an indicator for activation at the terminal unit to cause downloading of contents associated with the search results, wherein when the information representing time is received by said second communicating means, a transmission of the information representing time from the inputting unit to the terminal unit is virtually displayed, wherein the inputting unit further comprises: second displaying means for displaying entries of the information representing time stored in said first storing means, and wherein when the information representing time is received by said second communicating means, the virtual display of said first displaying means of the terminal unit is correlated with the display of the entries of the information representing time displayed on said second displaying means of the inputting unit.