Patent ID: 7296055

Claim:
An information providing system constituted of an information providing apparatus for providing a television program over a network and of a first and a second information processing apparatus for displaying images and outputting sounds based on the provided television program; wherein said information providing apparatus comprises: first reception controlling means for controlling reception of a connection request from said first information processing apparatus and for controlling reception of a version request from said first information processing apparatus for a version report regarding a program being executed by said information providing apparatus; judging means for judging whether said information providing apparatus is providing said television program to said second information processing apparatus; and first transmission controlling means which, if said information providing apparatus is judged to be providing said television program to said second information processing apparatus, then controls transmission of information related to a chat program to said first and said second information processing apparatus; and upon receipt of the version report request, controls transmission of version data denoting the version of said second program to said information processing apparatus; wherein said first information processing apparatus comprises: second transmission controlling means for controlling transmission of said connection request to said information providing apparatus and for controlling transmission of said version report request to said information providing apparatus; recording controlling means for controlling recording of function data representing correspondence between said version of said program and functions provided by said information providing apparatus; second reception controlling means for controlling reception of said information related to said chat program from said information providing apparatus and for controlling reception of said version data from said information providing apparatus; determining means for determining the functions of said information providing apparatus based on said function data and said version data; and first executing means which, upon reception of said information related to said chat program, executes a process based on the received information related to said chat program; and wherein said second information processing apparatus comprises: third reception controlling means for controlling reception of said information related to said chat program from said information providing apparatus; and second executing means which, upon receipt of said information related to said chat program, executes a process based on the received information related to said chat program, whereby said first and said second information processing apparatus are able to communicate with one another via said chat program.