Patent ID: 6978472

Claim:
An information providing apparatus for inputting a remote control signal outputted from a wireless remote control device and switching a display screen in response to the remote control signal to provide various information by selection on a predetermined menu screen, the apparatus comprising: first determination means for determining whether or not a first operation key is operated on the remote control device to designate a state of the first operation key as operated or not operated; screen switching means for switching the display screen from a first display screen to a second display screen if the first determination means determines that the first operation key is operated, the screen switching means operating to display the second display screen while the first operation key is operated; and second determination means for determining whether or not the second operation key is operated substantially simultaneously with the operation of the first operation key, wherein if the second determination means determines that the second operation key is operated substantially simultaneously with the operation of the first operation key, processing based on operation of the second operation key is received and displayed on the second display screen, wherein the screen switching means switches the display screen from the second display screen back to the first display screen, if the first determination means subsequently determines that the state of the first operation key changed from not operated to operated, and wherein said information is a series of video information based on a video signal, and the second display screen is a screen on which index images, for guiding scenes of said series of video information based on a video signal, are an arranged in time series.