Patent ID: 7013190

Claim:
A model management system including a first server serving as a product data management system and a second server arranged on a terminal side for managing three-dimensional model data of product data input from individual terminals, said second server comprising: bulk data storing means for storing bulk data which is actual data of models input from the terminals; meta-data storing means for storing meta-data which is attribute information of the models; encrypting means, responsive to an input of information indicative of end of design work from any one of the terminals, for encrypting corresponding bulk data stored in said bulk data storing means; and transmitting means for transmitting a decryption key matching the encryption and meta-data corresponding to the encrypted bulk data to said first server, and said first server comprising: storing means for storing the decryption key and the meta-data transmitted thereto from said second server, in a manner associated with each other; acquiring means, responsive to a browse request for certain bulk data from any one of the terminals, for acquiring a storage location of the corresponding bulk data by looking up the meta-data and the corresponding decryption key; and returning means for sending the storage location and the decryption key acquired by said acquiring means to a terminal which has made the browse request.