Real-time, cooperative, adaptive and persistent search system

Abstract

Method and apparatus for searching chronologically stored related content objects for at least one requested search definition. The method includes retrieving a search request identifying the related content objects to be searched and the at least one requested search definition to be applied to the related content objects and determining whether any new related content objects have been stored after the searching has begun. If any new related content objects have been stored, one of the new related content objects is selected for searching and, if no new related content objects have been stored, an older stored related content object is selected for searching. The method also includes applying the at least one requested search definition to the content object selected for searching, and identifying which at least one requested search definition is found in the selected content object.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method of searching related digital documents/media stored in a database, comprising:
 receiving a message associated with a user;   indexing the message to form a newly received digital documents/media and storing the newly received digital documents/media with related digital documents/media associated with the user in an object store;   determining whether the newly received digital documents/media was stored in the object store after a marked time at which at least one search processor began chronologically searching the related digital documents/media from the related digital documents/media most recently stored in the object store prior to the marked time to oldest related digital documents/media stored in the object store for at least one requested definition in a search request;   when the newly received digital documents/media was stored in the object store after the marked time, the search processor will next search for the at least one requested search definition in the search request in the newly received digital documents/media, and, thereafter, continue with the chronological search for the at least one requested definition in the search request of the related digital documents/media; and   identifying each at least one search definition found in the newly received digital documents/media.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the message comprises at least one of digital voice recordings, digital video recordings and emails.