Patent ID: 7580844

Claim:
An image data storing service system used in a shop providing a service of storing image information, which is stored in a data carrier brought by a customer, in a predetermined type of a removable storing medium as digital image data, comprising: a customer-use terminal device which is operated by a customer; an image information reading device connected to the customer-use terminal device, adapted for reading out the image information stored in the data carrier brought by the customer; the removable storing medium for storing image data; and an image data storing device connected to the customer-use terminal device, adapted for storing in the removable storing medium, digital image data obtained from the image information as read by said image information reading device; wherein the removable storing medium for storing image data records a serial code which contains a serial number provided consecutively in order of which said removable storing medium is provided to the customer, the customer-use terminal device checks, at the beginning of a business day, a serial number of the storing medium which is to be firstly provided to the customer, and a range of serial numbers of storing media that may be provided in the business day is set from the serial number thus checked and the customer-use terminal device which is operated by the customer: (a) controls said image information reading device to read out the image information; and (b) when said removable storing medium is set in said image data storing device by the customer, the customer-use terminal device (i) confirms if receipt data, which proves that a payment has been completed by the customer, is recorded in the removable storing medium, said receipt data having been recorded in said removable storing medium before said removable storing medium is set in the image data storing device and said receipt data being an encrypted serial code which is inherent in said removable storing medium, and (ii) determines, in a case where said encrypted serial code which is inherent in said removable storing medium is recorded in said removable storing medium, if the serial number contained in said serial code is in the range of the serial numbers thus set: and when it is confirmed that said serial number is in the range of the serial numbers thus set, controls the image data storing device to execute the process of storing the digital image data in the removable storing medium as set.