Method and system for incremental search with reduced text entry where the relevance of results is a dynamically computed function of user input search string character count

1. A method of processing a search request directed at identifying a desired item from a set of items, each of the items having one or more associated terms, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a query input directed at identifying the desired item, the query input comprising one or more characters input on a text input device;

(b) as each character of the query input is received, dynamically identifying a group of items having one or more terms matching the characters received thus far of the query input, wherein the group of items includes at least one item from at least one class of items of a plurality of classes of items;

(c) processing the query input, used in identifying the group of items in step (b), to compute a number, greater than one, representing how many characters are in the query input;

(d) determining, for the query input, first relevance values of the query input to the one or more terms, the first relevance values being determined according to the computed number;

(e) determining, for each of the one or more terms, second relevance values of the one or more terms to the items, the second relevance values being weighted based on a relevance bias value representing the relevance of the respective class of each item to the query input;

(f) ordering the items in the group of items according to the first and second relevance values; and

(g) transmitting identification of the group of items to be displayed on the device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the query input is a variable size prefix of an intended query.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying the group of items is performed on a different device from the text input device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein, after the identifying the group of items, identifying a plurality of descriptors associated with each item in the group of items.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein, after the transmitting identification of the group of items, displaying on the device a plurality of descriptors associated with a first item in the group of items.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the relevance values are associated with a location relevance value for each of the one or more terms matching the characters.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting identification of the group of items is performed over a network.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processing and the ordering are performed after the identifying the group of items.

9. A system for processing a search request directed at identifying a desired item from a set of items, each of the items having one or more associated terms, the system comprising:

a memory for storing identification of said set of items and associated terms;

a device input for receiving a query input directed at identifying the desired item, the query input comprising one or more characters input on a text input device;

a processor for:

dynamically identifying a group of items having one or more terms matching the characters received of the query input as each character of the query input is received, wherein the group of items includes at least one item from at least one class of items of a plurality of classes of items;

processing the query input, used in identifying the group of items, to compute a number, greater than one, representing how many characters are in the query input;

determining, for the query input, first relevance values of the query input to the one or more terms, the first relevance values being determined according to the computed number;

determining, for each of the one or more terms, second relevance values of the one or more terms to the items, the second relevance values being weighted based on a relevance bias value representing the relevance of the respective class of each item to the query input; and

ordering the items in the group of items according to the first and second relevance values; and

a device output for transmitting identification of the group of items as ordered to be displayed on the device.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the query input is a variable size prefix of an intended query.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the identifying the group of items is performed on a different device from the text input device.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured for, after the identifying the group of items, identifying a plurality of descriptors associated with each item in the group of items.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the device output is configured for, after transmitting identification of the group of items as ordered, displaying on the device a plurality of descriptors associated with a first item in the group of items.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the relevance values are associated with a location relevance value for each of the one or more terms matching the characters.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the device output is configured for transmitting identification of the group of items as ordered over a network.

16. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured for performing the processing and the ordering after identifying the group of items.