Patent ID: 8707358

Claim:
A metadata providing apparatus comprising: a first receiving device configured to receive a first request for requesting metadata representing a broadcast schedule of a first program to be promoted during viewing of an already recorded second program that promotes the first program, the first request including viewing channel information and viewing time information of the second program; an acquiring device configured to acquire the viewing time information of the second program based on the viewing channel information included in the first request; an issuing device configured to issue a request ID with respect to the first request; a first storage device to store the first request and the associated request ID; a first sending device configured to send a request response including the request ID and a metadata available time range in response to the first request; a second storage device to store metadata; a second receiving device configured to receive a second request including the request ID and to request from the second storage device, only during the metadata available time range, metadata corresponding to the request ID; and a second sending device configured to search the second storage device for metadata which is relevant to the request ID included in the second request, and send such metadata in response to the second request, wherein if the metadata which is relevant to the request ID is not found in the second storage device, the second sending device further sends a response including a location of an alternate metadata server to be accessed for requesting metadata.