Apparatus and method for automatically searching for updated information in an internet site and/or a teletext

An apparatus for automatically searching information comprising:

• an extraction unit for extracting an information data from a broadcasting signal;
• an input unit for inputting searching conditions from a user;
• a receiving unit for receiving the searching conditions;
• a server connection unit for connecting a computer to an Internet server under the searching conditions and for receiving and transmitting data of an Internet site;
• an interpreter for judging whether the data respectively received via the server connection unit or extracted by the extraction unit meets the inputted searching conditions;
• a memory for storing a content of the Internet site received via the server connection, its address, and time point information in a file form or storing information received via the broadcasting signal;
• an output unit for transmitting the time point information and the data of the Internet site received via the server connection unit or the information received via the broadcasting signal to the memory;
• and
• a microprocessor for controlling operations of each element, wherein the time point information is based on data received from the Internet site that the content of the Internet site has been changed.

An apparatus for automatically searching information comprising:

• means for storing information data corresponding to a destination of a network;
• means for inputting a search condition regarding the destination;
• means for establishing a connection to the destination by at least one of receiving a broadcast signal and a server connection;
• means for comparing previously stored information data of the destination with information data received upon establishing the connection to the destination;
• and
• means for storing the received information data of the destination if the comparing means indicates that the previously stored information is different from the information data received upon establishing the connection to the destination via the server connection.

A method for automatically updating data received from a destination within a network, comprising:

• establishing a connection to the destination based on a search condition;
• storing a destination update information received from the destination, wherein the destination update information is indicative of whether the data of the destination has changed;
• and
• storing the data received from the destination based on the destination update information.

An information searching apparatus comprising:

• a memory for storing at least one of (1) data related to a content of an Internet site, an address for connection to an Internet site via an Internet connection, and a time point information which is indicative of whether the data has changed and (2) data contained within a broadcast signal;
• an interpreter for at least one of (1) interpreting the data received from the Internet site to determine a received time point information and (2) comparing at least one stored keyword with teletext information contained within the broadcast signal;
• and
• a microprocessor for at least one of (1) comparing the received time point information with the previously stored time point information to allow storage of received data related to the content of an Internet site and the received time point information if the received time point information is different from the previously stored time point information, and (2) determining that data related to the keyword is being received via the broadcast signal if the interpreter determines that there is a match between the keyword and the teletext data.
• wherein the microprocessor provides a notification only when the received time point information is different from the previously stored time point information.