Service Access Method And Apparatus

A method of accessing information stored remotely from a user appliance, comprising:

• (a) providing an appliance;
• (b) indicating at least the initial symbols of an input string;
• (c) entering a delimiter key having a service context to provide a request to a service provider and to provide the input string to the service provider;
• (d) transmitting the request and the input string to the service provider specified by the service context of the delimiter key;
• (e) receiving the transmitted input string and comparing the input string to a database;
• (f) identifying entries in the database that match the input string to provide matched entries;
• (g) arranging matched entries in an ordered list;
• and
• (h) transmitting the ordered list to the appliance.

An information system, comprising:

• an appliance having:
• (a) keys used to enter an input string;
• and
• (b) at least one key which when pressed once will cause the input string to be delimited and sent to a service provider computer identified by that key;
• a service provider computer having software running thereon, the software instructing the computer to:
• (a) receive the delimited input string,
• (b) search a database for matches, and
• (c) upon identifying a match, the service provider computer will send the match to the appliance for display to a user.