A data lookup method and apparatus enables a number of users with portable wireless
devices, such as WAP phones, to conveniently access a sorted data list such as
a telephone directory. The sorted list is divided into a number of sub-lists, and
the user is sent information indicating the range of data in each of the sub-lists.
The user then selects the sub-list that contains the required data item. The selected
sub-list is then divided into a number of smaller sub-lists, allowing the user
to make a further selection, and so on until the number of entries in the selected
sub-list is less than or equal to the number of lines that can be conveniently
displayed on the user device. The user can then select the required item. Thus,
the user does not have to indicate what is being looked for, merely make selections.
