Patent ID: 8027965

Claim:
A content providing system comprising: a content distribution server; and a content receiving terminal connected to the content distribution server through a communication channel, wherein the content distribution server includes: a content storage unit in which a plurality of content items are stored, the content storage unit further storing first and second time information in association with at least one of the plurality of content items, the content storage unit further storing first time attribute information indicating a first meaning of the first time information, and second time attribute information indicating a second meaning of the second time information, the second meaning being different from the first meaning, wherein the at least one of the plurality of content items comprises at least one of music, movie, television, news and book, and wherein the first and second time information each comprises at least one of a release date, a ranking date, a performance date, a broadcast date, and a printing date; search means for searching, in response to a content providing request including input time information and accompanying information for specifying a range of content items to be searched by using the input time information sent from the content receiving terminal, the content storage unit for at least one content item according to a search condition based on the input time information and the accompanying information included in the content providing request, wherein the accompanying information comprises input time attribute information associated with the input time information, and wherein searching the content storage unit for at least one content item comprises determining whether the input time information matches the first time information and whether the input time attribute information matches the first time attribute information; and distribution means for distributing the at least one content item searched by the search means to the content receiving terminal; and wherein the content receiving terminal includes: time information input means for receiving the input time information; request sending means for sending, to the content distribution server, the content providing request including the input time information and the accompanying information for specifying a range of content items to be searched by using the input time information; and providing means for providing the at least one content item sent from the content distribution server to a user.