Patent ID: 7050945

Claim:
An information providing system including an information processing apparatus and a communication terminal, the information processing apparatus comprising: a plurality of display units for displaying guides about information to be provided; and first wireless communication units located close to the respective display units, for communicating with a communication terminal brought close to one of the first wireless communication units, the information processing apparatus further comprising: first acquisition means for acquiring identification information of the communication terminal brought close to one of the first wireless communication units, by means of first communication performed by the one of the first wireless communication units; first synchronization achieving means for, on the basis of the identification information acquired by the first acquisition means, achieving synchronization for second communication, using a second wireless communication unit different from the first wireless communication units, with the communication terminal; identification means for identifying the one of the first wireless communication units, close to which the communication terminal has been brought; information acquisition means for, depending on the first wireless communication unit identified by the identification means, acquiring information to be provided to the communication terminal; and first providing means for providing, by means of the second communication, the information acquired by the information acquisition means to the communication terminal with which synchronization has been achieved by the first synchronization achieving means, the communication terminal comprising: second providing means for, in response to a request issued by the information processing apparatus, providing the identification information of the communication terminal by means of the first communication performed by a third wireless communication unit operating using electric power generated by means of induction associated with reception of an electromagnetic wave; second synchronization achieving means for achieving synchronization for the second communication, using a fourth wireless communication unit different from the third wireless communication unit, with the information processing apparatus; receiving means for receiving the information transmitted from the information processing apparatus, by means of the second communication the synchronization of which has been achieved by the second synchronization achieving means; and outputting means for outputting the information received by the receiving means.