How do I set up a timer to prevent overlapping ajax calls?
<p>I have a page where search resuts are shown both in a grid and on a map (using KML generated on the fly, overlaid on an embedded Google map). I've wired this up to work as the user types; here's the skeleton of my code, which works:</p>

<pre><code>$(function() {
    // Wire up search textbox
    $('input.Search').bind("keyup", update);
});

update = function(e) {
    // Get text from search box
    // Pass to web method and bind to concessions grid
    $.ajax({  
        ...
        success: function(msg) {
            displayResults(msg, filterParams);
        },
    });

}

displayResults = function(msg, filterParams) {
        // Databind results grid using jTemplates
        // Show results on map: Pass parameters to KML generator and overlay on map
}
</code></pre>

<p>Depending on the search, there may be hundreds of results; and so the work that happens in <code>displayResults</code> is processor-intensive both on the server (querying the database, building and simplifying the KML on the fly) and on the client (databinding the results grid, overlaying big KML files on the map). </p>

<p>I like the immediacy of getting progressively narrower results as I type, but I'd like to minimize the number of times this refreshes. What's the simplest way to introduce an N-second delay after the user stops typing, before running the <code>update</code> function?</p>
