Patent ID: 7996538

Claim:
An information processing apparatus, serving as a content providing server, for transmitting content, the apparatus comprising: a data transmission and reception unit configured to transmit and receive data; a storage unit configured to store location information of event information corresponding to the content as metadata; and a control unit configured to control transmission of the content and the event information to each client, the control unit including a generation unit configured to generate a session ID corresponding to each client in response to an event issuing request, which specifies location information of the event information, from the client, a sending unit configured to send the generated session ID to the client, an entering unit configured to enter the session ID in a session ID table such that the session ID is associated with the corresponding client, a transmitting unit configured to transmit the content in response to a content request from the client which includes the session ID, and to transmit, simultaneously with the content transmission, the event information identifying specifications of the content and determined based on the location information received from the client in the event issuing request, wherein the control unit further includes a connection unit configured to establish an event issuing connection in response to the event issuing request and establish a content connection in response to the content request, the event issuing connection being established prior to the content connection, and wherein the connection unit continues to maintain the event issuing connection until it is determined that the client is non-responsive.