Content providing system, content providing apparatus and method, content distribution server, and content receiving terminal

A content providing method for reading a content item from a content storage unit in which a plurality of content items are stored in association with at least time information concerning each of the plurality of content items, and providing the read content item to a user, the content providing method comprising the steps of:

• outputting a plurality of points on a line specified by an input operation as output time information, the input operation comprising causing, by a user, a cursor to scroll along a portion of the line, the input operation further comprising, for each point of the plurality of points, providing an indication to select the point by suspending the cursor at the point for at least a predetermined period of time while the cursor scrolls along the portion of the line, comprising determining whether the user has suspended the cursor at the point for at least the predetermined period of time, wherein it is determined that the user intends to select the point as part of the output time information based only on the user having suspended the cursor at the point for at least the predetermined period of time;
• searching the content storage unit for the plurality of content items according to a search condition based on the output time information, wherein the plurality of content items comprise at least one of:
• music, video, electronic book, guidance information, web page and program, and wherein the output time information represents a search condition for at least one of release time, ranking time, performance time, broadcast time, and printing time;
• providing the searched content to the user;
• outputting, when the input operation is sequential, the plurality of points traced by the input operation;
• searching, according to a search condition based on time information concerning each of the plurality of points traced by the input operation, the content storage unit to detect at least one content item per predetermined time;
• and
• providing information for allowing the user to identify said at least one content item as a detected result.

A content providing apparatus comprising:

• operation input means for use by a user to perform an input operation for specifying a plurality of points on a line, the input operation comprising causing a cursor to scroll along a portion of the line, the input operation further comprising, for each point of the plurality of points, providing an indication to select the point by suspending the cursor at the point for at least a predetermined period of time while the cursor scrolls along the portion of the line;
• time information output means for outputting the point specified by the operation input means as output time information, wherein the time information output means includes determining means configured to determine whether the user has suspended the cursor at the point for at least the predetermined period of time, and wherein the determining means determines that the user intends to select the point as the output time information based only on the user having suspended the cursor at the point for at least the predetermined period of time;
• a content storage unit in which a plurality of content items are stored in association with at least time information concerning each of the plurality of content items;
• search means for searching the content storage unit for at least one content item according to a search condition based on the time information output by the time information output means, wherein the search means conducts a search by using time information concerning each of the plurality of points traced by the input operation which is sequentially performed through the operation input means, wherein the at least one content item comprises at least one of:
• music, video, electronic book, guidance information, web page and program, and wherein the time information represents a search condition for at least one of release time, ranking time, performance time, broadcast time, and printing time;
• providing means for providing said at least one content item searched by the search means to a user;
• and
• means for detecting at least one content item per predetermined time corresponding to each of the plurality of points traced by the input operation, and for sending information for allowing the user to identify said at least one content item as a detection result to the content receiving terminal.