Information providing method which enables data communication costs to be reduced, and information providing system for implementing the method

An information providing system comprising an information providing apparatus, at least one information receiving apparatus, and data transfer means for use in transmitting data between said information providing apparatus and information receiving apparatus,

• said information providing apparatus comprising
• original information storage means for receiving and storing original information which is supplied from an external source and is periodically updated,
• data editing means for operating on said stored original information to separate said original information into first data and second data,
• data storage means for storing said first data and said second data, and
• data transmitting means for transmitting data to said information receiving apparatus via said data transfer means, wherein said information providing apparatus further includes a data dispatching section which stores a data dispatch record in a dispatch record storage section each time said first or second data is transmitted to the receiver apparatus, and wherein the data dispatch records in the data dispatching storage section are first searched prior to the transmission of said first or second data to the receiver apparatus said data editing means detects an interval between successive updating occurrences of said original information or detects the amount of change which results from updating of said original information
• wherein said first data are obtained from said original information as a part of said original information which satisfies a selection condition that the interval between successive updating occurrences is longer than a predetermined duration, or that the amount of change which results from updating is less than a predetermined amount,
• and wherein said second data are obtained as a part of said original information for which said selection condition is not satisfied;
• and wherein said information receiving apparatus comprises
• receiving means for receiving said first data and said second data transmitted from said information providing apparatus,
• storage means for storing the received first data and second data, and
• data reconstitution means responsive to an externally supplied request for output of a part of said original information for reading out and combining respective parts of said stored first data and second data, to thereby reconstitute said part of the original information
• wherein said original information consists of program broadcast schedule information in which data items identify a specific program and convey attribute information relating to a broadcast of said program, and wherein said data editing means further comprises means for storing said data items in said data storage means of the information providing apparatus as program data records expressing broadcast information for respective programs.