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README.md

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 - text: "REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  [0001]     This application claims benefit of Application Ser. No. 60/481,847, filed Dec. 31, 2003, and of Application Ser. No. 60/561,754, filed Apr. 13, 2004.  [0002]     The entire contents of the aforementioned applications are herein incorporated by reference. The entire contents of all United States Patents and published and copending Applications mentioned below are also herein incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003]     This invention relates to electro-optic displays and to methods for driving such displays. More specifically, in one aspect this invention relates to electro-optic displays with simplified backplanes, and methods for driving such displays. In another aspect, this invention relates to electro-optic displays in which multiple types of electro-optic units are used to improve the colors available from the displays. The present invention is especially, though not exclusively, intended for use in electrophoretic displays. [0004]     Electro-optic displays comprise a layer of electro-optic material, a term which is used herein in its conventional meaning in the imaging art to refer to a material having first and second display states differing in at least one optical property, the material being changed from its first to its second display state by application of an electric field to the material. Although the optical property is typically color perceptible to the human eye, it may be another optical property, such as optical transmission, reflectance, luminescence or, in the case of displays intended for machine reading, pseudo-color in the sense of a change in reflectance of electromagnetic wavelengths outside the visible range. [0005]     In the displays of the present invention, the electro-optic medium will typically be a solid (such displays may hereinafter for convenience be referred to as “solid electro-optic displays”), in the sense that the electro-optic medium has solid external surfaces, although the medium may, and often does, have internal liquid- or gas-filled spaces. Thus, the term “solid electro-optic displays” includes encapsulated electrophoretic displays, encapsulated liquid crystal displays, and other types of displays discussed below. [0006]     The term “gray state” is used herein in its conventional meaning in the imaging art to refer to a state intermediate two extreme optical states of a pixel, and does not necessarily imply a black-white transition between these two extreme states. For example, several of the patents and published applications referred to below describe electrophoretic displays in which the extreme states are white and deep blue, so that an intermediate “gray state” would actually be pale blue. Indeed, as already mentioned the transition between the two extreme states may not be a color change at all. [0007]     The terms “bistable” and “bistability” are used herein in their conventional meaning in the art to refer to displays comprising display elements having first and second display states differing in at least one optical property, and such that after any given element has been driven, by means of an addressing pulse of finite duration, to assume either its first or second display state, after the addressing pulse has terminated, that state will persist for at least several times, for example at least four times, the minimum duration of the addressing pulse required to change the state of the display element. It is shown in published U.S. Patent Application No. 2002/0180687 that some particle-based electrophoretic displays capable of gray scale are stable not only in their extreme black and white states but also in their intermediate gray states, and the same is true of some other types of electro-optic displays. This type of display is properly called “multi-stable” rather than bistable, although for convenience the term “bistable” may be used herein to cover both bistable and multi-stable displays. [0008]     Several types of electro-optic displays are known. One type of electro-optic display is a rotating bichromal member type as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,808,783; 5,777,782; 5,760,761; 6,054,071 6,055,091; 6,097,531; 6,128,124; 6,137,467; and 6,147,791 (although this type of display is often referred to as a “rotating bichromal ball” display, the term “rotating bichromal member” is preferred as more accurate since in some of the patents mentioned above the rotating members are not spherical). Such a display uses a large number of small bodies (typically spherical or cylindrical) which have two or more sections with differing optical characteristics, and an internal dipole. These bodies are suspended within liquid-filled vacuoles within a matrix, the vacuoles being filled with liquid so that the bodies are free to rotate. The appearance of the display is changed by applying an electric field thereto, thus rotating the bodies to various positions and varying which of the sections of the bodies is seen through a viewing surface. This type of electro-optic medium is typically bistable. [0009]     Another type of electro-optic display uses an electrochromic medium, for example an electrochromic medium in the form of a nanochromic film comprising an electrode formed at least in part from a semi-conducting metal oxide and a plurality of dye molecules capable of reversible color change attached to the electrode; see, for example O'Regan, B., et al., Nature 1991, 353, 737; and Wood, D., Information Display, 18(3), 24 (March 2002). See also Bach, U., et al., Adv. Mater., 2002, 14(11), 845. Nanochromic films of this type are also described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,301,038, International Application Publication No. WO 01/27690, and in U.S. Patent Application 2003/0214695. This type of medium is also typically bistable. [0010]     Another type of electro-optic display, which has been the subject of intense research and development for a number of years, is the particle-based electrophoretic display, in which a plurality of charged particles move through a suspending fluid under the influence of an electric field. Electrophoretic displays can have attributes of good brightness and contrast, wide viewing angles, state bistability, and low power consumption when compared with liquid crystal displays. Nevertheless, problems with the long-term image quality of these displays have prevented their widespread usage. For example, particles that make up electrophoretic displays tend to settle, resulting in inadequate service-life for these displays. [0011]     As noted above, electrophoretic media require the presence of a suspending fluid. In most prior art electrophoretic media, this suspending fluid is a liquid, but electrophoretic media can be produced using gaseous suspending fluids; see, for example, Kitamura, T., et al., “Electrical toner movement for electronic paper-like display”, Asia Display/IDW '01 (Proceedings of the 21st International Display Research Conference in conjunction with The 8th International Display Workshops, Oct. 16-19, 2001, Nagoya, Japan), page 1517, Paper HCS1-1, and Yamaguchi, Y., et al., “Toner display using insulative particles charged triboelectrically”, Asia Display/IDW '01, page 1729, Paper AMD4-4. See also European Patent Applications 1,429,178; 1,462,847; 1,482,354; and 1,484,625; and International Applications WO 2004/090626; WO 2004/079442; WO 2004/077140; WO 2004/059379; WO 2004/055586; WO 2004/008239; WO 2004/006006; WO 2004/001498; WO 03/091 799; and WO 03/088495. Such gas-based electrophoretic media appear to be susceptible to the same types of problems due to particle settling as liquid-based electrophoretic media, when the media are used in an orientation which permits such settling, for example in a sign where the medium is disposed in a vertical plane. Indeed, particle settling appears to be a more serious problem in gas-based electrophoretic media than in liquid-based ones, since the lower viscosity of gaseous suspending fluids as compared with liquid ones allows more rapid settling of the electrophoretic particles. [0012]     Numerous patents and applications assigned to or in the names of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and E Ink Corporation have recently been published describing encapsulated electrophoretic media. Such encapsulated media comprise numerous small capsules, each of which itself comprises an internal phase containing electrophoretically-mobile particles suspended in a liquid suspending medium, and a capsule wall surrounding the internal phase. Typically, the capsules are themselves held within a polymeric binder to form a coherent layer positioned between two electrodes. Encapsulated media of this type are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,930,026; 5,961,804; 6,01 7,584; 6,067,185; 6,118,426; 6,120,588; 6,120,839; 6,124,851; 6,130,773; 6,130,774; 6,172,798; 6,177,921; 6,232,950; 6,249,721; 6,252,564; 6,262,706; 6,262,833; 6,300,932; 6,312,304; 6,312,971; 6,323,989; 6,327,072; 6,376,828; 6,377,387; 6,392,785; 6,392,786; 6,413,790; 6,422,687; 6,445,374; 6,445,489; 6,459,418; 6,473,072; 6,480,182; 6,498,114; 6,504,524; 6,506,438; 6,512,354; 6,515,649; 6,518,949; 6,521,489; 6,531,997; 6,535,197; 6,538,801; 6,545,291; 6,580,545; 6,639,578; 6,652,075; 6,657,772; 6,664,944; 6,680,725; 6,683,333; 6,704,133; 6,710,540; 6,721,083; 6,727,881; 6,738,050; 6,750,473; 6,753,999; 6,816,147; 6,819,471; 6,822,782; 6,825,068; 6,825,829; 6,825,970; and 6,831,769; and U.S. Patent Applications Publication Nos. 2002/0060321; 2002/0060321; 2002/0063661; 2002/0090980; 2002/0113770; 2002/0130832; 2002/0131147; 2002/0171910; 2002/0180687; 2002/0180688; 2003/0011560; 2003/0020844; 2003/0025855; 2003/0102858; 2003/0132908; 2003/0137521; 2003/0137717; 2003/0151702; 2003/0214695; 2003/0214697; 2003/0222315; 2004/0008398; 2004/0012839; 2004/0014265; 2004/0027327; 2004/0075634; 2004/0094422; 2004/0105036; 2004/0112750; 2004/0119681; and 2004/0196215; and International Applications Publication Nos. WO 99/67678; WO 00/05704; WO 00/38000; WO 00/38001; WO00/36560; WO 00/67110; WO 00/67327; WO 01/07961; WO 01/08241; WO 03/107,315; WO 2004/023195; WO 2004/049045; WO 2004/059378; WO 2004/088002; WO 2004/088395; and WO 2004/090857. [0013]     Known electrophoretic media, both encapsulated and unencapsulated, can be divided into two main types, referred to hereinafter for convenience as “single particle” and “dual particle” respectively. A single particle medium has only a single type of electrophoretic particle suspended in a suspending medium, at least one optical characteristic of which differs from that of the particles. (In referring to a single type of particle, we do not imply that all particles of the type are absolutely identical. For example, provided that all particles of the type possess substantially the same optical characteristic and a charge of the same polarity, considerable variation in parameters such as particle size and electrophoretic mobility can be tolerated without affecting the utility of the medium.) When such a medium is placed between a pair of electrodes, at least one of which is transparent, depending upon the relative potentials of the two electrodes, the medium can display the optical characteristic of the particles (when the particles are adjacent the electrode closer to the observer, hereinafter called the “front” electrode) or the optical characteristic of the suspending medium (when the particles are adjacent the electrode remote from the observer, hereinafter called the “rear” electrode (so that the particles are hidden by the suspending medium). [0014]     A dual particle medium has two different types of particles differing in at least one optical characteristic and a suspending fluid which may be uncolored or colored, but which is typically uncolored. The two types of particles differ in electrophoretic mobility; this difference in mobility may be in polarity (this type may hereinafter be referred to as an “opposite charge dual particle” medium) and/or magnitude. When such a dual particle medium is placed between the aforementioned pair of electrodes, depending upon the relative potentials of the two electrodes, the medium can display the optical characteristic of either set of particles, although the exact manner in which this is achieved differs depending upon whether the difference in mobility is in polarity or only in magnitude. For ease of illustration, consider an electrophoretic medium in which one type of particles is black and the other type white. If the two types of particles differ in polarity (if, for example, the black particles are positively charged and the white particles negatively charged), the particles will be attracted to the two different electrodes, so that if, for example, the front electrode is negative relative to the rear electrode, the black particles will be attracted to the front electrode and the white particles to the rear electrode, so that the medium will appear black to the observer. Conversely, if the front electrode is positive relative to the rear electrode, the white particles will be attracted to the front electrode and the black particles to the rear electrode, so that the medium will appear white to the observer. [0015]     If the two types of particles have charges of the same polarity, but differ in electrophoretic mobility (this type of medium may hereinafter to referred to as a “same polarity dual particle” medium), both types of particles will be attracted to the same electrode, but one type will reach the electrode before the other, so that the type facing the observer differs depending upon the electrode to which the particles are attracted. For example suppose the previous illustration is modified so that both the black and white particles are positively charged, but the black particles have the higher electrophoretic mobility. If now the front electrode is negative relative to the rear electrode, both the black and white particles will be attracted to the front electrode, but the black particles, because of their higher mobility will reach it first, so that a layer of black particles will coat the front electrode and the medium will appear black to the observer. Conversely, if the front electrode is positive relative to the rear electrode, both the black and white particles will be attracted to the rear electrode, but the black particles, because of their higher mobility will reach it first, so that a layer of black particles will coat the rear electrode, leaving a layer of white particles remote from the rear electrode and facing the observer, so that the medium will appear white to the observer: note that this type of dual particle medium requires that the suspending fluid be sufficiently transparent to allow the layer of white particles remote from the rear electrode to be readily visible to the observer. Typically, the suspending fluid in such a display is not colored at all, but some color may be incorporated for the purpose of correcting any undesirable tint in the white particles seen therethrough. [0016]     Both single and dual particle electrophoretic displays may be capable of intermediate gray states having optical characteristics intermediate the two extreme optical states already described. [0017]     Some of the aforementioned patents and published applications disclose encapsulated electrophoretic media having three or more different types of particles within each capsule. For purposes of the present application, such multi-particle media are regarded as sub-species of dual particle media. [0018]     Many of the aforementioned patents and applications recognize that the walls surrounding the discrete microcapsules in an encapsulated electrophoretic medium could be replaced by a continuous phase, thus producing a so-called polymer-dispersed electrophoretic display, in which the electrophoretic medium comprises a plurality of discrete droplets of an electrophoretic fluid and a continuous phase of a polymeric material, and that the discrete droplets of electrophoretic fluid within such a polymer-dispersed electrophoretic display may be regarded as capsules or microcapsules even though no discrete capsule membrane is associated with each individual droplet; see for example, the aforementioned 2002/0131147. Accordingly, for purposes of the present application, such polymer-dispersed electrophoretic media are regarded as sub-species of encapsulated electrophoretic media. [0019]     A related type of electrophoretic display is a so-called “microcell electrophoretic display”. In a microcell electrophoretic display, the charged particles and the suspending fluid are not encapsulated within microcapsules but instead are retained within a plurality of cavities formed within a carrier medium, typically a polymeric film. See, for example, International Application Publication No. WO 02/01 281, and published US Application No. 2002/0075556, both assigned to Sipix Imaging, Inc. [0020]     Many of the aforementioned E Ink and MIT patents and applications also contemplate microcell electrophoretic displays and polymer-dispersed electrophoretic displays. The term “encapsulated electrophoretic displays” can refer to all such display types, which may also be described collectively as “microcavity electrophoretic displays” to generalize across the morphology of the walls. [0021]     Another type of electro-optic display is an electro-wetting display developed by Philips and described in an article in the September 25, 2003 issue of the journal “Nature” and entitled “Performing Pixels: Moving Images on Electronic Paper”. It is shown in copending application Ser. No. 10/711,802, filed Oct. 6, 2004, that such electro-wetting displays can be made bistable [0022]     Other types of electro-optic materials may also be used in the present invention. Of particular interest, bistable ferroelectric liquid crystal displays (FLC's) are known in the art. [0023]     Although electrophoretic media are often opaque (since, for example, in many electrophoretic media, the particles substantially block transmission of visible light through the display) and operate in a reflective mode, many electrophoretic displays can be made to operate in a so-called “shutter mode” in which one display state is substantially opaque and one is light-transmissive. See, for example, the aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,130,774 and 6,172,798, and 5,872,552; 6,144,361; 6,271,823; 6,225,971; and 6,184,856. Dielectrophoretic displays, which are similar to electrophoretic displays but rely upon variations in electric field strength, can operate in a similar mode; see U.S. Pat. No. 4,41 8,346. Other types of electro-optic displays may also be capable of operating in shutter mode. [0024]     An encapsulated or microcell electrophoretic display typically does not suffer from the-clustering and settling failure mode of traditional electrophoretic devices and provides further advantages, such as the ability to print or coat the display on a wide variety of flexible and rigid substrates. (Use of the word “printing” is intended to include all forms of printing and coating, including, but without limitation: pre-metered coatings such as patch die coating, slot or extrusion coating, slide or cascade coating, curtain coating; roll coating such as knife over roll coating, forward and reverse roll coating; gravure coating; dip coating; spray coating; meniscus coating; spin coating; brush coating; air knife coating; silk screen printing processes; electrostatic printing processes; thermal printing processes; ink jet printing processes; electrophoretic deposition; and other similar techniques.) Thus, the resulting display can be flexible. Further, because the display medium can be printed (using a variety of methods), the display itself can be made inexpensively. [0025]     However, the cost reductions provided by the use of encapsulated electrophoretic media have hitherto not been accompanied by corresponding cost reductions in the components used for driving the display. High resolution prior art electrophoretic and other electro-optic displays have typically used active matrix backplanes similar to the those used in liquid crystal displays and comprising a matrix of non-linear elements, typically thin film transistors, each associated with one pixel electrode, the pixel electrodes each defining one pixel of the display. A single common electrode which extends across the entire display (or at least across a large number of pixel electrodes) is disposed on the opposed side of the electro-optic medium from the pixel electrodes. The voltages applied to the pixel electrodes are controlled in a well-known manner so that each of the pixels of the display can be brought to any desired optical state. Although such active matrix backplanes can write any desired image on the electro-optic medium, they are expensive, the cost of the backplane amounting to about 80 per cent of the total cost of the display. Furthermore, since such backplanes are typically produced using semiconductor fabrication techniques developed for use in the computer industry, the maximum size of the individual backplanes is limited, and large displays, for example those used to display data in airports, or railroad stations, or as billboards, may require the use of the multiple backplanes “tiled” to cover the desired area; such tiling produces additional complications, such as providing robust leads to ensure that the necessary data are supplied to each individual display. [0026]     Other electro-optic displays, especially text-based displays which do not require the ability to display any arbitrary image, have used so-called “direct drive” backplanes; see, for example, the aforementioned WO 00/05704 (see also the corresponding European Patent No. 1,099,207). In such direct drive backplanes, a plurality of electrodes are provided; for example, the aforementioned WO 00/05704 describes a direct drive backplane in which any alphanumeric character (of the Roman alphabet) can be displayed by applying voltage to selected ones of 63 electrodes. It will readily be apparent that displays intended to display large numbers of characters will require very large numbers of electrodes, and that the cost of fabricating such large numbers of electrodes, together with the voltage supply lines and control circuits necessary to drive the electrodes, results in substantial costs for the direct drive backplane."
+- text: "BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001]    1. Field of the Invention [0002]    The present invention generally relates to a method for intermediating images that provides a service providing images via a network. [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art [0004]    Recently, a net album service is provided to allow users to register images (including static images and dynamic images) on a service site of the Internet. In such a conventional image providing service, a user uploads a digital image through the network or brings image data or a film to a DPE shop and asks the DPE shop to upload through the network, so as to register images to the service site of the Internet. The service site protects the images registered by the user by a password and then opens the images on the network. After that, the user and visitors permitted by the user can browse, select, and download an image. Also, the user and the visitors can make a request of the service site for an extra development of a silver film of the images. [0005]    The conventional technique described above is effective in a case in which the user personally registers the image data. However, in a case in which a plurality of users as a group individually attempt to register images to the same album, several problems occur. [0006]    For example, the group travels together and several people take some pictures. And each of the photographers separately registers images in the conventional technique. And, each of the photographers is required to provide his or her password to all members of the group and the members of the group are required to input a different password for each of the photographers to access his or her album registered by each of the photographers SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007]    It is a general object of the present invention to provide a method for intermediating images in which the above-mentioned problems are eliminated. [0008]    A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a method for intermediating images at the service site in that an album is provided to be shared by a group on the network, and users belonging to the group can freely refer to the same album and register the images to the service site. [0009]    The above objects of the present invention are achieved by a method for intermediating images, comprising the steps of: (a) receiving authentication information of a user; (b) extracting user group information concerning at least one user group to which the user belongs, from a user group table recording a relationship between the user and the user group based on the authentication information; (c) sending the user group information extracted in the step (b) to the user and obtaining information of a selected user group selected by the user; (d) extracting an image corresponding to the selected user group selected by the user; and (e) sending the image corresponding to the selected user group to the user. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0010]    Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is an overview diagram showing a system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining a process overview according to the embodiment of the present invention; [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a user authentication process; [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a group selecting process; [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining an image displaying process; [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining an image registering process; [0017]    [0017]FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining an image purchasing process; [0018]    [0018]FIG. 8 is a diagram showing examples of a user file, user group file, and an image managing file; [0019]    [0019]FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a storage structure of the image file; [0020]    [0020]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing examples of a user group selecting window and an image list window; and [0021]    [0021]FIG. 11 is a diagram showing examples of an image registering window and an image displaying window. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0022]    An overview of a system according to the present invention will be described. An image intermediating site  101  may be managed by a company providing a DPE service on a network. [0023]    In the image intermediating site  101 , an image intermediating system  102  is employed as a main computer system in an embodiment of the present invention. [0024]    The image intermediating system  102  includes a communication controlling part and for example, a user terminal  112  is connected to the image intermediating system  102  through the Internet  111  as a network. Also, a plurality of the user terminals  112  can be connected to the image intermediating system  102  through the Internet  111 . [0025]    The image intermediating system  102  includes an installer  11 , a receiving program  103  for receiving information from the user terminal  112 , a sending program  104  for sending information to the user terminal  112 , a data registering program  105  for registering image information of the user by accessing each file in the information intermediating system  102  based on the information received by the receiving program  103 , a data extracting program  106  for extracting information to be provided to the user terminal  112 , and an order receiving program  107  for accepting order information from the user terminal  112 . [0026]    These programs  103  through  107  are stored in an external storage unit of the image intermediating system  102  by the installer  11  installing from a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory)  2 , and read and temporarily stored in an internal storage unit when each of the programs  103  through  107  is being executed. [0027]    Moreover, the external storage unit of the image intermediating system  102  includes a user group file  108  for storing user group information, a user file  109  for storing user information, and an image managing file  110  for managing images of the user group. These files  108  through  110  are referred to and updated by the receiving program  103 , the sending program  104 , the data registering program  105 , and the data extracting program  106  if necessary. [0028]    An overview of a main process will be described according to the embodiment of the present invention with reference to FIG. 2. [0029]    In step S 201 , a user verifying process is conducted. When the user is provided with service from the image intermediating system  102 , the user connects the user terminal  112  to the image intermediating system  101  through the Internet  111 . [0030]    In this case, a user ID and a password are registered with user information of the user to the image intermediating system  102  beforehand. Thus, the user sends the user ID and the password from the user terminal  112  to the image intermediating system  102 , and then the receiving program  103  receives the user ID and the password. In addition, the receiving program  103  conducts user verification. [0031]    In step S 202 , a group selecting process is conducted. Based on the user ID received by the receiving program  103 , the data extracting program  106  extracts the user group information showing a group to which the user belongs and then the sending program  104  provides the user group information to the user terminal  112 . The user selects the user group, which the user wants to see images of, from the information. [0032]    In step S 203 , the image displaying process is conducted. When the receiving program  103  received user group selection information, which is information of the user group selected by the user in the step S 202 , the data extracting program  106  extracts an image set as images of the user group selected by the user from images registered in the image intermediating site  102  based on the user group selection information. The sending program  104  provides information concerning the image set to the user. Three alternatives are provided to the user. [0033]    In step S 204 , an image registering process is conducted. In the image registering process, the data registering program  105  adds and registers an image to the information concerning the image set provided in the step S 203 . When the image registering process is completed, the main process goes to step S 206 . [0034]    In step S 205 , an image purchasing process is conducted. The user selects a desired image from the information concerning the image set. The receiving program  107  performs a service of the extra development (hard copy) of the desired image. When the main process is completed, the main process goes to the step S 206 . [0035]    In the step S 206 , it is determined whether or not the main process is completed. When the user makes an instruction for completing a request of the service, the image intermediating system is terminated. Otherwise, the main process goes back to the step S 203 . [0036]    Each process in FIG. 2 will be described in detail. [0037]    The user verifying process in the step S 201  in FIG. 2 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3. [0038]    In step S 301 , the user terminal  112  sends login information input by the user to the image intermediating system  102 . That is, the user inputs the user ID and the password and information indicating the user ID and the password is sent to the image intermediating system  102 . [0039]    In step S 302 , the receiving program  103  receives the login information sent in the step S 301 . [0040]    In step S 303 , the user file  109  is retrieved by the receiving program  103 . [0041]    A user file  801  in FIG. 8 is an example of the user file  109 . The user file  801  includes the user ID identifying the user, a user name, the password for verification, an address, and credit card information. [0042]    The data extracting program  106  searches for the user file  801  by the user ID of the login information received in the step S 302 , as a search key. [0043]    In step S 304 , based on a search result in the step S 303 , it is determined to which step the user verifying process branches. As for the search result when it is determined that the user information matches with the search key and further a password indicated in the user information matches with the password indicated in the login information received from the user terminal  112 , the user is successfully verified. Then, the user verifying process in the step S 201  is completed. [0044]    However, as for the search result in the step S 303  when it is determined that there is no user information matching with the search key or when the password indicated in the user information does not match with the password indicated in the login information received from the user terminal  112  even if the user information matches with the search key, the user is not verified. Thus, the user verification abnormally ends and the process goes to step S 305 . [0045]    In step S 305 , the sending program  104  sends to the user terminal  112  information showing a request of re-sending the login information. In this case, the user is required to send the login information again to the image intermediating system  102 . [0046]    The group selecting process in the step S 202  in FIG. 2 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. [0047]    When the user verifying process in the step S 201  is completed normally, the data extracting program  106  extracts the user group information showing a group to which the user belongs, by using the user group file  108  (step S 401 ). [0048]    An example of the user group file  108  is shown as a user group file  802  in FIG. 8. The user file  802  stores a user group ID for identifying the user group, a user group name, and registered members of which the user ID of the user registered in the user group is registered. [0049]    In the user group file  802 , the registered members where user group ID includes group G 001  are users having the user Ids  123 ,  456 ,  789 , . . . . The registered members where user group ID includes group G 002  are users having the user Ids  456 ,  234 , . . . . The registered members where user group ID includes group G 003  are users having the user Ids  567 ,  890 ,  345 ,  678 ,  901 , . . . . The registered members where user group ID includes group G 004  are users having the user Ids  123 ,  456 ,  789 , . . . . The registered members where user group ID includes group G 005  are users having the user Ids  123 ,  456 ,  789 , . . . . [0050]    The data extracting program  106  searches for the registered members of the user group file  802  by the user ID as a search key and extracts record information including the user ID. [0051]    Based on the record information extracted by the data extracting program  106 , a user group selecting window is edited. A user group selecting window  1001  in FIG. 10 shows an example of the user group selecting window."
+inference:
+  parameters:
+    min_length: 30
+    max_length: 128
+
+
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