METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEARCHING INFORMATION

1 .- 24 . (canceled)

25 . A method, comprising:

receiving a request comprising a search query expression, the search query expression comprising an identifier for a search item;

receiving a data member of the search item;

generating a search result based at least in part on the search query expression and the data member; and

sending the search result.

26 . A method according to claim 25 , wherein:

receiving the data member of the search item comprises:

receiving the identifier for the search item with the data member of the search item.

27 . A method according to claim 25 , wherein:

receiving the data member of the search item comprises:

sending a request comprising the identifier for the search item; and

receiving a response comprising the data member of the search item.

28 . A method according to claim 25 , comprising:

before receiving the request comprising the search query expression, sending a document comprising a description of a graphical area.

29 . A method according to claim 25 , further comprising:

receiving an update request comprising the data member and the identifier for the search item; and

sending a response comprising an update to the search result.

30 . A method according to claim 25 , wherein:

the identifier for the search item comprises at least one of:

a value defined in the request, a value derived from the search item, a value tied to a session determined by the request, an internationalized resource identifier, an universal resource identifier, a universal resource locator, a universal resource name, a universally unique identifier, a digital object identifier, an international standard book number and a member of a unique namespace.

31 . A method according to claim 25 , wherein:

the data member comprises at least one of:

a text document, an image, a photo, a video, a voice recording, a multimedia document, a script, an executable software application, a graphical user interface control, a universal resource identifier, a parameter for inclusion of the search item in the search query, a parameter for relevance of the search item for the search query, a parameter for group membership of the search item, a numeric property, a textual property, a boolean property and a binary property.

32 . A method, comprising:

generating a graphical area for representation of a search query and a search result;

associating, in response to user input, a search item to a search query;

generating a search query expression comprising an identifier for the search item;

sending a request comprising the search query expression;

sending a data member; and

receiving a search result.

33 . A method according to claim 32 , wherein:

the graphical area comprises a query area;

the search query is associated with the query area;

the search item is associated with a graphical symbol; and

associating the search item to the search query comprises placing the graphical symbol on the query area.

34 . A method according to claim 33 , wherein

generating the graphical area comprises:

retrieving a document comprising a description for the graphical area; and

rendering the graphical area based at least in part on the document;

the user input comprises a move operation of the graphical symbol to a position on the query area; and

associating the search item to the search query further comprises setting a data member of the search item to correspond to the position.

35 . A method according to claim 32 , further comprising:

rendering the search result;

sending a search query update request comprising the data member;

receiving a response to the search query update request comprising an update to the search result; and

rendering the update to the search result.

36 . A method according to claim 32 , wherein

the data member comprises at least one of:

a text document, an image, a photo, a video, a voice recording, a multimedia document, a script, an executable software application, a graphical user interface control, a universal resource identifier, a parameter for inclusion of the search item in the search query, a parameter for relevance of the search item for the search query, a parameter for group membership of the search item, a numeric property, a textual property, a boolean property and a binary property.

37 . A method according to claim 32 , wherein:

the identifier comprises at least one of:

a value defined in the request, a value derived from the search item, a value tied to a session determined by the request, an internationalized resource identifier, an universal resource identifier, a universal resource locator, a universal resource name, a universally unique identifier, a digital object identifier, an international standard book number and a member of a unique namespace.

38 . An apparatus, comprising:

a network interface;

a processor coupled to the network interface; and

memory coupled to the processor and having instructions that cause the apparatus to:

receive, through the network interface, a request comprising a search query expression, the search query expression comprising an identifier for a search item;

receive, through the network interface, a data member;

generate a search result based at least in part on the search query expression and the data member; and

send the search result through the network interface.

39 . An apparatus, comprising:

a user input interface;

a network interface;

a processor coupled to the user input interface and the network interface; and

memory coupled to the processor and having instructions that cause the apparatus to:

generate a graphical area for representation of a search query and a search result;

associate, in response to a user input through the user input interface, a search item to a search query;

generate a search query expression comprising an identifier for the search item;

send, through the network interface,

a request comprising the search query expression and

a data member; and

receive, through the network interface, a search result based at least in part on the search query expression and the data member.

40 . An apparatus according to claim 39 , wherein:

the graphical area comprises a query area;

the search query is associated with the query area;

the search item is associated with a graphical symbol; and

the association of the search item to the search query comprises placement of the graphical symbol on the query area.

41 . An apparatus according to claim 40 , wherein:

The generation of the graphical area comprises:

retrieval, through the network interface, of a description document for the graphical area, and generation of the graphical area based at least in part on the description document;

the user input comprises a move operation of the graphical symbol to a position on the query area; and

association of the search item to the search query further comprises setting a second data member to correspond the position.

42 . An apparatus according to claim 39 , further comprising:

sending, through the network interface, an update request;

receiving, through the network interface, a response to the update request comprising an update to the search result; and

generating a results area with the update.

43 . An apparatus according to claim 39 , wherein:

the data member comprises at least one of a text document, an image, a photo, a video, a voice recording, a multimedia document, a script, an executable software application, a graphical user interface control, a universal resource identifier, a position, a parameter for inclusion of the search item in the search query, a parameter for relevance of the search item for the search query, a parameter for group membership of the search item, a numeric property, a textual property, a Boolean property and a binary property.

44 . A computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform:

generating a graphical area for representation of a search query and a search result;

associating, in response to user input, a search item to the search query;

generating a search query expression comprising an identifier for the search item;

sending a request comprising the search query expression;

sending a data member; and

receiving the search result.