How to Attach This Autocompleter to This... [SOLVED]

How to Attach This Autocompleter to This... [SOLVED]

I have a working Ajax/jQuery Autocompleter:

$(document).ready(function()
{
$("#searchterm").keyup(function(){
       //controller's URI
      var theSearchString = $("#searchterm").val();
       var url = '/ajaxsearch';
   
        $("#search-results").load(url, {searchterm: theSearchString},
           function()
              {
                 var htmlStr = $("#search-results").html();

                    if(htmlStr == '')
                        $('#search_results_header').html("<p>Items will appear here when you search. </p>");
               else
                  $('#search_results_header').html("<p><i>Please <b>confirm</b> your selection by clicking it:</i></p>  </p>");
            });
   });
}); 


Now I want to attach a "delayed observer" to it. This is code that will wait for the user to stop typing before it calls the Ajax code and hits my server. This way my jQuery code won't hit my server on every single keypress.

I found this delayed observer code for jQuery at http://www.studio-cdd.com:8080/haineault/blog/17/ .

/*
jQuery delayed observer
(c) 2007 - Maxime Haineault (max@centdessin.com)
*/

jQuery.fn.extend({
    delayedObserver:function(delay, callback){
        $this = $(this);
        if (typeof window.delayedObserverStack == 'undefined') {
            window.delayedObserverStack = [];
        }
        if (typeof window.delayedObserverCallback == 'undefined') {
            window.delayedObserverCallback = function(stackPos) {
                observed = window.delayedObserverStack[stackPos];
                if (observed.timer) clearTimeout(observed.timer);
               
                observed.timer = setTimeout(function(){
                    observed.timer = null;
                    observed.callback(observed.obj.val(), observed.obj);
                }, observed.delay * 1000);

                observed.oldVal = observed.obj.val();
            }
        }
        window.delayedObserverStack.push({
            obj: $this, timer: null, delay: delay,
            oldVal: $this.val(), callback: callback });
           
            stackPos = window.delayedObserverStack.length-1;
       
        $this.keyup(function() {
            observed = window.delayedObserverStack[stackPos];
                if (observed.obj.val() == observed.obj.oldVal) return;
                else window.delayedObserverCallback(stackPos);
        });
    }
});



As a jQuery newbie, I don't yet see how to attach the observer code to the autocomplete code.

What is the correct way to do this?

Thanks very much in advance to all for any info.