Patent ID: 7068190

Claim:
An information providing apparatus comprising: a creation unit configured to create ID data; a storage unit configured to store a number and characters assigned to each key of a plurality of keys of a communication apparatus; and a conversion unit configured to convert the ID data to a character string, on the basis of the number and characters assigned to each key which are stored in said storage unit, such that two consecutive characters in the character string are respectively assigned to different keys of the plurality of keys, wherein said conversion unit comprises a selection unit configured to extract characters constituting the character string one by one and, in a case where a currently selected character is assigned to a key to which an immediately preceding selected character is assigned, to change the currently selected character into a different character assigned to another key, and wherein said selection unit comprises: a dividing unit adapted to divide the number of characters of the ID data by (X-Y) obtained by subtracting the number Y of characters assigned to a preceding key to which the immediately preceding selected character is assigned, from the total number X of characters assigned to the plurality of keys; and a derivation unit adapted to derive a character of an order corresponding to a remainder calculated by said dividing unit from a plurality of characters obtained by removing characters assigned to the preceding key from all characters assigned to the plurality of keys.