(12) United States Patent
`US 6,578,072 B2
`(10) Patent N0.:
`Watanabe et al.
`
`(:45) Date of Patent: *Jun. 10, 2003
`
`U5006578072B2
`
`(54) NETWORK PHOTOGRAPH SERVICE
`SYSTEM
`
`(75)
`
`Inventors: Michito Watanabe, Kanagawa-ken
`(JP), Makoto Hara, Kanagawa-ken
`(JP); Takashi Yatabe, Kanagawa-ken
`(JP)
`
`(73) Assignee: Fuji Photo Film, C0., Ltd.,
`Kanagawa-ken (JP)
`
`7/1994 McDonald .................. 358/527
`5,327,265 A *
`9/1996 Shaughnessy ............... 711/100
`5,555,388 A *
`4/1997 Sandstrom et 211.
`5,619,571 A
`5,678,046 A * 10/1997 Cahill et al.
`................ 707/200
`5,760,917 A *
`6/1998 Sheridan ..................... 358/442
`5,761,404 A *
`6/1998 Murakami et a].
`............ 714/15
`5,784,461 A
`7/1998 Shaffer et al.
`............. 707/100
`5,813,009 A *
`9/1998 Johnson et al.
`5,949,551 A *
`9/1999 Miller et a1.
`................ 358/408
`
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`(*) Notice:
`
`This patent issued on a continued pros-
`ecution application filed under 37 CFR
`1.53(d), and is subject to the twenty year
`patent
`term provisions of 35 U.S.C.
`154(a)(2).
`
`EP
`EP
`GB
`WO
`
`0 651 554 A1
`0 830 008 A2
`2 080 072 A
`98/31144
`
`5/1995
`3/1998
`1/1982
`7/1998
`
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`(21) Appl. N0.: 09/224,050
`
`(22)
`
`Filed:
`
`Dec. 31, 1998
`
`(65)
`
`Prior Publication Data
`
`US 2003/0093493 A1 May 15, 2003
`
`(30)
`
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`
`Jan. 14, 1998
`
`(JP)
`
`........................................... 10—005396
`
`Int. Cl.7 ................................................ G06F 15/16
`(51)
`
`(52) US. Cl.
`. 709/217; 358/1.15; 707/10;
`707/100
`
`(58) Field of Search ................................. 358/442, 527,
`358/500; 707/10, 100, 200, 201, 204; 711/100,
`154, 161; 709/217
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`Primary Examiner—Zarni Maung
`Assistant Examiner—Wen-Tai Lin
`
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Birch, Stewart, Kolasch &
`Birch, LLP
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`In a network photograph service which provides digital
`photographic services on a network, only selected images
`are shown only to people that a user wishes to show the
`images, without cost and time upon or after photographing
`the images. Images registered with a database 16 and the
`names of albums having been registered (album 1, album 2,
`and album 3) are shown on a screen of the user’s personal
`computer. The user relates the names of the albums with the
`images and the correspondence set by the user is stored in
`the system. When the album name is specified by a user,
`only the images belonging to the album can be browsed in
`a unit of an album according to the stored correspondence.
`
`5,001,628 A *
`
`3/1991 Johnson et al.
`
`............... 707/10
`
`11 Claims, 7 Drawing Sheets
`
`13%
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`
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`
`LYFT 1050
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`

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`7
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`US. Patent
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`Jun. 10, 2003
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`Sheet 3 0f 7
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`US 6,578,072 B2
`
`FIGS
`
`16
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`LOW RESOLUTION IMAGE DATABASE
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`

`US. Patent
`
`Jun. 10, 2003
`
`Sheet 4 0f 7
`
`US 6,578,072 B2
`
`FIG.4
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`US. Patent
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`Jun. 10, 2003
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`US. Patent
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`Jun. 10, 2003
`
`Sheet 6 0f 7
`
`US 6,578,072 B2
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`FIG.7
`
`qCOMPANY TRIP
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`7
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Jun. 10, 2003
`
`Sheet 7 0f 7
`
`US 6,578,072 B2
`
`FIG.8
`
`SUBBED
`
`E:H:H:H:J
`
`FREE COMMENT
`
`OWNER'S COMMENT
`
`XXXXXXXX
`
`8
`
`

`

`US 6,578,072 B2
`
`1
`NETWORK PHOTOGRAPH SERVICE
`SYSTEM
`
`BACKGROUND OF TIIE INVENTION
`1. Field of the Invention
`
`The present invention is related to a network photograph
`service system which provides a digital photographic
`service, such as printing, on a network.
`2. Description of the Related Art
`As a form of digital photographic services, network
`photograph services have been known. In a network photo-
`graph service system, digital images owned by users are
`stored (registered) in a system of a service provider and
`printing orders or the like are received via a network such as
`the Internet.
`
`10
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`2
`Another method wherein registration is carried out not in
`blocks of images on each film but in any arbitrary unit is
`possible, although it
`is not carried out due to complex
`registration processing. In this method, photographs on 2
`films can be registered and shown at one time, and regis-
`tration of images classified by each person or group to
`browse is also possible.
`However, image registration for each to browse means
`double registration of the same photographs with a system of
`a service provider when the same photographs are seen by
`a plurality of persons, such as the case in the above. In a
`conventional system, double registration doubles the cost
`due to memory space occupied by the images or the man-
`agement
`fee therefor. Therefore,
`the service charge is
`doubled, which is not desirable for both the user and the
`service provider.
`there is another method wherein
`On the other hand,
`photographs are shown in different web pages after being
`digitized at home or at a laboratory and classified for each
`person or group to browse. However, this kind of task is
`usually time -consuming and not all users can generate a web
`page.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`Therefore, demands have been growing for a system
`wherein images are disclosed on a network only to persons
`that a user allows to browse through the images, without a
`trouble during or after photographing of the images and
`without extra cost. Based on consideration of the above
`
`problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a
`network photograph service system which has a function to
`carry out such a service in the above, without a load on users
`and at low cost.
`
`A network photograph service system of the present
`invention provides various kinds of services using an image
`disclosed on a network, and comprises:
`image recording means for recording a plurality of images
`therein;
`image selecting means for enabling a user of the service
`to select from images which the user can browse one or
`a plurality of images belonging to an image group by
`enabling the name of the image group having been
`pre-registered and the images recorded in the image
`recording means to be seen on the network;
`image group managing means for managing the image
`group by recording a correspondence between the name
`of the image group and the image selected as an image
`belonging to the image group; and
`grouped image disclosing means for enabling, based on
`the recorded correspondence, a user of the service to
`browse on the network only images belonging to an
`image group out of the images recorded in the image
`recording means when the name of the image group is
`specified by the user.
`The “image recording means" means an image database
`which stores and manages images received from users. Each
`image is stored and managed as an image file in a large
`capacity hard disc or the like and the name of the image file
`is decided upon registration, according to a predetermined
`rule (for example, a register ID plus the date of image
`registration). Each image file is read from the hard disc upon
`necessity. The image recording means may not necessarily
`be a single recording medium. For example,
`the image
`rccording mcans may include a plurality of hard discs.
`Alternatively, images can be assigned and stored in hard
`discs of a plurality of server computers in a distributive
`manner.
`
`In such a service, a register ID is issued to a user when the
`user asks a laboratory to register digital images upon devel-
`oping a film, for example. The photographs recorded on the ,
`film are digitized by the laboratory or by a service center
`dedicated therefor. The digitized images are stored in a
`system of the service provider and disclosed on a network.
`The user can browse among hiS/her images having been
`registered, by accessing the system of the service provider
`via the network. At this time, image browsing is restricted by
`the register ID. In many cases, browsing is restricted in two
`steps, by a register ID and a password.
`As has been described above, in a network photograph
`service, image browsing is restricted so that a person other
`than the owner of an image cannot see the image without
`permission. However,
`in the case of photographs taken
`during a trip with friends for example, the owner of the
`photographs may wish to let others browse among the
`images. In this case, in a conventional network photograph
`service, if the owner lets a person know the register ID or the
`password, the pcrson can browsc through the imagcs.
`However, if the register ID or the password is known by
`a friend of the owner for example, the friend can browse
`photographs of the owner’s family trip if the family trip
`photographs and the photographs of a trip with the friend
`have been registered under the same ID and the password.
`In ordcr to avoid this, the owner of thc photographs nccds to
`sort photographs according to a person to browse before
`registration of the photographs, and to obtain IDs and
`passwords different for each person to browse.
`Many network photograph services which are currently
`available register images per film, and images belonging to
`each film are shown as one group upon browsing. Therefore,
`in order to obtain IDs different for each person or group to
`browse, images have to be recorded by changing films for
`each to browse. However, in the case where a film has some
`exposures left, it is general to continue photographing until
`the film is finished. In other words, it is not common practice
`to change films for each person or group to browse.
`Furthermore, in the service where image registration is
`carried out per film, all photographs cannot be seen at once
`when 2 films of photographs have been taken at a trip, for
`example.
`Moreover, some users may wish to allow different persons
`to browse the same photographs. For example, a user may
`wish to show photographs taken at a company trip to his/her
`colleagues, and also wish to show his/her parents only
`photographs that thc uscr is in, out of thc company trip
`photographs. In a conventional service where image regis-
`tration is carried out at each time a film is read, images to be
`shown cannot be limited for different persons to browse.
`
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`US 6,578,072 B2
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`The “image selecting means” displays the names of
`available image groups and images having been stored on a
`screen of a personal computer of a user who accesses the
`system via the network, and enables the user to select an
`image by inputting a number or by clicking a mouse. The
`user selects an image group and images to be included
`therein, and presses an OK button, for example. In this
`manner, the user can define the image group. Alternatively,
`image groups to be chosen from may be displayed with
`check boxes under each image so that the image group to
`which each image belongs can be selected.
`It is preferable for the images displayed by the image
`selecting means to be limited to the images registered by a
`user as in the case of a conventional network system.
`However, since the present invention is applicable to not
`only the images registered by a user but also images pro—
`vided by service providers for example, the image selecting
`means does not necessarily have a function for restricting
`browsing.
`The “name of the image group” in this invention means '
`not only a name in characters but also any identifier for
`identifying an image group. For example, “group A”, “com-
`pany trip”, “G001” can be listed as the names of image
`groups.
`The “image group managing means” stores information
`obtained by the image selecting means, that is, a correspon-
`dence between an image group and images belonging to the
`image group. To store the “correspondence” means to store
`information showing the correspondence alone, and does not
`include the case where images are classified and recorded in
`the image groups. In other words, even in the case where one
`image belongs to a plurality of image groups, the image is
`recorded once and not copied to be recorded under each
`image group.
`As a method to store the correspondence, a table relating
`the name of an image group to the names of image files may
`be used. Alternatively, each image may have accompanying
`information showing the name of an image group to which
`it belongs.
`In other words, in a conventional system, images can be
`grouped only by being stored in each group they belong to,
`while the present system can define an image group by
`recording the correspondence.
`The “grouped image disclosing means” displays the
`names of available image groups on a screen of a personal
`computer of a user who has accessed to the system via the
`network so that the user can specify the image group he/she
`needs. The grouped image disclosing means then displays
`only images belonging to the image group by using the
`stored correspondence to find the images.
`On this occasion, the grouped image disclosing means
`may restrict browsing of the images in the specified image
`group by allowing only a user who has input a pre-registered
`password to browse the images.
`It is preferable for the above system to further comprise
`image group registering means for enabling a user to register
`an image group on the network. In other words, the “image
`group names having been pre-registered” may be fixed to
`names determined by a service provider, such as “group A”,
`“group B” or “group C”, but it is more preferable for the
`system to have a function which allows a user to register on
`the network any image group name such as “company trip”
`or “Christmas party”.
`On this occasion, not only the image group name but also
`a password may be set so that the correspondence between
`the name of the image group set by the user and the
`password to limit browsing of the images belonging to the
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`4
`image group is stored. In this manner, it becomes possible
`for the password to restrict browsing in conjunction with the
`grouped image disclosing means.
`Furthermore, the system may further comprise comment
`attaching means for enabling a user on the network to attach
`a comment to an image disclosed by the grouped image
`disclosing means so that
`the grouped image disclosing
`means can display comment information attached to the
`image together with the image.
`Moreover, the system may comprise print ordering means
`for ordering prints of the images disclosed on the network by
`the grouped image disclosing means.
`According to the network photograph service system of
`the present invention, a user can classify images having been
`registered while browsing them on the network, by using the
`function of the image selecting means. Therefore, no clas—
`sification upon image registration is necessary and images
`can be classified regardless of the unit in which images are
`registered.
`Information regarding the classification input by the user
`is stored by the image group managing means as the
`correspondence between the name of the image group and
`the images. Therefore, in the case where photographs taken
`at a company trip and a family trip have been registered
`together, only the photographs regarding the company trip
`can be disclosed to colleagues as an image group and no
`photographs of the family trip will be seen by the colleagues.
`In other words, according to the system of the present
`invention, a user can show only the images he/she wishes to
`show only to persons he/she wishes to show the images by
`accessing the system via the network and carrying out a
`simple setting or selection. Therefore, by a simple operation,
`a user can compose his/her electronic album on the system
`of a service provider and share the album with his/her
`acquaintances on the network.
`If the grouped image disclosing means allows only the
`users who have input a predetermined password to browse
`images belonging to the image group, images with high
`secrecy can be disclosed safely.
`If the system comprises the image group registering
`means so that a user can register an image group having any
`image group name on the network, the kind of the images
`belonging to each image group can be guessed, which is
`convenient for users.
`
`they may be issued by a service
`As for passwords,
`provider. However, if a password can be freely set by a user,
`it is more convenient for users.
`
`Moreover, if the accompanying information showing the
`name of the image group that each image belong to is
`attached to each image when a correspondence between the
`name of the image group and the image belonging to the
`group is stored by the image group managing means, there
`will be no contradiction due to a correspondence having
`been deleted in the case where corresponding images are
`deleted together with the correspondence after a predeter-
`mined storage period has passed, for example. In other
`words, if the correspondence is stored in a table showing the
`relation between the name of the image group and the names
`or IDs of the images, the correspondence table needs to be
`updated upon deletion or addition of an image belonging to
`the image group. On the other hand, in the method wherein
`the name of an image group is attached to an image file, it
`is not necessary to update the correspondence, which leads
`to comparatively easier management.
`In the above system,
`if a person who has viewed a
`disclosed image can attach a comment thereto and if the
`attached comment can be viewed by a person who views the
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`US 6,578,072 B2
`
`5
`image thereafter, comments can be made on an image on the
`network in the same manner as writing a comment on a
`paper album being circulated.
`Furthermore, if printing of an image disclosed by the
`grouped image disclosing means can be ordered, a photog-
`rapher does not need to ask his/her acquaintances regarding
`additional printing orders, and each person can order print-
`ing of an image he/she needs by browsing through the
`disclosed images.
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a network
`photograph service system;
`FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of the
`network photograph service system;
`FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an idea of a network album;
`FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of how a
`correspondence between the name of a network album and
`an image is stored;
`FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another example of how the
`correspondence between the name of a network album and
`an image is stored;
`FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how the network album is
`composed and browsed;
`FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a network
`album composing screen; and
`FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a comment
`attaching function.
`DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
`EMBODIMENT
`
`Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will
`be explained referring to the accompanying drawings. An
`outline of a network photograph service system will be
`explained first.
`FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the outline of the network
`photograph service system in an embodiment of the present
`invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the system provides a digital
`photographic service on a network to a user 1 by exchanging
`information via the Internet 5 between a service center 2 for
`receiving a service order and a mini—laboratory 2 for carry—
`ing out printing or a special laboratory 4 comprising special
`equipment. On this occasion, a connection to the Internet
`can be realized by any known form such as a dedicated line,
`a dial-up connection, or a CATV network. However, since
`the service center and the special laboratory are especially
`busy to communicate, a connection by a high-speed dedi-
`cated line is desirable.
`
`Image data are input to this system by the mini-laboratory
`3. For example, the mini—laboratory 3 usually develops a
`film, reads the developed film by using a scanner 7, and
`carries out a simultaneous printing service which generates
`prints by using a printer 9. When image registration is also
`ordered by the user upon requesting the simultaneous print-
`ing service, image data read from the film are registered with
`a database managed by a laboratory server 8, and a form
`describing the register ID and a password regarding the
`images is returned to the user together with the generated
`prints.
`FIG. 2 is a diagram showing configurations of a personal
`computer 6 of the user 1, a center server 12 of the service
`center 2, and the laboratory server 8 of the mini—laboratory
`3 or the special laboratory 4 in the system shown in FIG. 1.
`As has been described in the above, when the user
`requests registration of images, an image registering func-
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`tion 17 of the laboratory server 8 registers the image data
`read from a film 13 by the scanner 7 with a high resolution
`image database 18 managed by the laboratory server 8.
`Furthermore,
`low resolution images (hereinafter called
`thumbnail images) having a lower resolution than that of the
`original image data are generated and recorded in a low
`resolution image database 16 managed by the center server
`12 at the service center 2.
`
`The image data stored in the high resolution image
`database 18 are used for printing, while the thumbnail
`images in the low resolution image database 16 are used by
`the user upon browsing among the images on a screen of
`his/her personal computer. Therefore, the thumbnail images
`do not need to have especially high quality. Since the center
`server 12 has to store all thumbnail images transferred from
`all laboratories, it is preferable for the thumbnail images to
`have smaller data sizes to save the disc space.
`In this
`embodiment, image data to be stored in the high resolution
`image database have 4 bases of pixels (approximately 1024><
`1792) which is necessary for printing in an L size at 300 dpi.
`On the other hand, a thumbnail image for browsing has 1A: of
`a base of pixels (approximately 368x256).
`The center server 12 at the service center 2 provides
`various kinds of services to the user 1 by disclosing on the
`network the thumbnail images stored in the low resolution
`image database 16.
`The above-described services are provided in the form of
`web pages by a WWW application server 15. A program
`necessary to use such services is provided to the user 1 in
`advance. In the example shown in FIG. 2, a plug—in 22 for
`a digital photographic service, which enables browsing,
`downloading, and ordering printing of the registered images,
`is provided to the user. The user can browse the thumbnail
`images by accessing the web page of the center server 12
`after installing the plug-in 22 to a WWW browser 21 such
`as Netscape Navigator. Furthermore, the user can request
`various kinds of digital photographic services, such as
`printing, regarding the image he/she views.
`When the user has input order information on the image
`to be printed, such as the image ID, the quantity and the size
`of prints, in order to request a printing service, an order file
`14 describing the order information in a predetermined data
`format is generated and transferred to the application server
`15 of the center server 12.
`
`The WWW application server 15 finds the laboratory
`storing the high resolution image corresponding to the
`requested image according to the image ID described in the
`order file, and transfers the order file 14 to the laboratory
`server 8 at the laboratory having been found. The laboratory
`server 8 analyzes the content of the order file 14 by using an
`order file analyzing function 20, reads image data to be
`printed from the high resolution image database 18, carry
`out image processing (not shown) such as enlargement or
`reduction upon necessity on the image data having been read
`out, and orders printing to the printer 9 by transferring the
`processed image data.
`the network photograph
`As has been described above,
`service system provides a variety of services by disclosing
`thumbnail images to users. In a conventional network pho-
`tograph service system, disclosure of thumbnail images is
`carried out by grouping images registered at the same time
`(in units of registration). In other words, when the user 1
`requests registration of all images recorded on a film to the
`mini-laboratory 3, one rcsistcr ID and one rcgistcr password
`are issued for the entire images on the film. The user can
`browse through all images on the film by inputting the
`register ID and the password to the system.
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`US 6,578,072 B2
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`7
`The network photograph service system of the present
`invention is characterized by that it comprises an image
`disclosing function which allows image disclosure using an
`image group set by the user as a unit of disclosure, in
`addition to the image disclosing function in units of regis-
`tration. Hereinafter, the image group set by the user is called
`a network album.
`
`FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an idea of the network
`album. For example, assume a case where a user has
`photographed images on 2 films and registered all images
`with the system. On this occasion, the system registers the
`images only in a film batch. Therefore, thumbnail images 25
`for 27 exposures on a first film are registered as a group A
`and thumbnail images 25 for 21 exposures on a second film
`are recorded as a group B in the low resolution image
`database 16. Two register IDs are issued to the user.
`In a conventional system, when a user browses through
`the thumbnail images, he/she can only browse through the
`all images in group A or B. However, in the network album
`of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, the user can
`generate an album by selecting any images from the images
`having been registered. In this manner, the selected images
`can be disclosed as a group regardless of the classification of
`images upon registration.
`For example, among the images in the register group A,
`a first network album 26a shown in FIG. 3 contains only the
`images surrounded by a frame 101. A second network album
`26b is an album containing 6 images surrounded by a frame
`102 selected from the images in the register group A and 4
`images surrounded by a frame 104 selected from the images
`in the register group B. A third network album 26c is an
`album containing 8 images surrounded by frames 103 and
`104 selected from the images in the register group B.
`More specifically, if 12 photographs at a family trip have
`been recorded on the first film and photographs of a com-
`pany trip have been recorded on the rest of the first film and
`also on the second film because of shortage of exposures on
`the first film for example, the family trip photographs can be
`viewed by colleagues in a conventional system by disclosure
`of the register group A. However, if the user generates the
`network album 26a by grouping the photographs at
`the
`family trip (imagcs surrounded by the frame 101) and the
`network album 26b for the entire people in the company by
`selecting and grouping the company trip photographs which
`have come out satisfactory, as well as the network album 266
`for his/her peers in the company, only selected photographs
`are shown only to people the user wishes to show.
`In the above-described example, 4 images surrounded by
`the frame 104 in the register group B belong to 2 network
`albums. However, the thumbnail images stored in the low
`resolution image database 16 are not copied. In other words,
`a network album is merely information showing a corre-
`spondence between the name of an album and images
`bclonging thereto, and the image data themselves are not
`stored according to classification. Therefore, a hard disc
`space for realizing the function of the network album does
`not increase extremely, compared with that of a conventional
`system.
`FIGS. 4 and 5 show examples of how the correspondence
`between the name of an album and images is stored. In FIG.
`4, a table to show the correspondence between the name of
`the network album and the image ID is stored. If an image
`ID comprising the register group name and a serial number
`is attached to each of the thumbnail images 25, an album
`name 28 and an image ID 29 of an image belonging to the
`network album is stored in a correspondence table 27, as
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`In this case, when a user specifies a
`shown in FIG. 4.
`network album, the WWW application server 15 searches
`for the correspondence table for the specified network album
`and sequentially reads thumbnail images 25 having the
`image IDs recorded in the table from the low resolution
`image database 16 to display them on the screen of the
`personal computer 6 of the user. In this manner, the network
`album function can be realized.
`Meanwhile, FIG. 5 shows the case where each of the
`thumbnail
`images 25 is stored in an image file and the
`correspondence is stored by describing the name of an
`album (or an album ID or the like indicating the album) that
`the image belongs to in an area 30 set in the header of the
`image file. In this case, the WWW application server 15
`sequentially confirms the file header of the thumbnail image
`25 registered by the user and displays the thumbnail image
`when the album name specified by the user is included in the
`header, and does not display the thumbnail image if other-
`wise. In this manner, the above network album function can
`be realized.
`
`In the example in FIG. 5, the format of the file header
`should be defined in advance. The number of the network
`
`albums that one image can belong to should be prefixed as
`well. In other words, if the areas 30 for describing the name
`of the album are limited to 3, one image cannot belong to
`more than 3 network albums.
`
`there is no such restriction in the
`On the other hand,
`example shown in FIG. 4. However, in the example shown
`in FIG. 4, when image data in the database are deleted after
`a predetermined hold period has elapsed,
`the correspon-
`dence table has a contradiction if it stays as it is. Therefore,
`the system needs to carry out processing such as rewriting on
`the table.
`
`Meanwhile, in the example shown in FIG. 5, although it
`has a disadvantage as has been described above, the network
`albums are maintained without contradiction, since image
`data are deleted together with the file containing the data.
`The idea and implementation of the network album have
`been described in the above. Processing for composing and
`browsing the network album will be described next. FIG. 6
`shows the processing carried out between the personal
`computer 6 of the user and the center server 12 (more
`precisely, the processing carried out between the browser 21
`and the WWW application server 15).
`The WWW application server 15 requests the user who
`has accessed to input the user ID and the user password. The
`user ID is different from the register ID and only one user ID
`is assigned to each user. The system manages various kinds
`of information regarding users by us