Patent ID: 7523210

Claim:
An information providing apparatus that provides an external terminal with multimedia information via a network, wherein said information providing apparatus includes a processor and a memory unit, comprising: a first acquiring unit that acquires a first current time, when a first request, which is based on a predetermined entry address information, is received from the external terminal; an encrypting unit that encrypts the first current time so as to generate an encrypted first current time; a generating unit that generates access information including address information of specific multimedia information corresponding to the predetermined entry address information and the encrypted first current time; a notifying unit that notifies the external terminal of the access information; a second acquiring unit that acquires a second current time, when a second request, which is based on the access information, is received from the external terminal; a determining unit that determines whether the encrypted first current time is included in the second request; a comparing unit that compares, if the determining unit determines that the encrypted first current time is included in the second request, a difference between the first current time obtained by decrypting the encrypted first current time and the second current time with a predetermined reference difference time; and a transmitting unit that transmits the specific multimedia information to the external terminal, if a comparison result by the comparing unit indicates that the difference between the first current time and the second current time is less than the predetermined reference difference time, and transmits information other than the specific multimedia information, if the comparison result by the comparing unit indicates that the difference between the first current time and the second current time is not less than the predetermined reference difference time.