Patent ID: 8433721

Claim:
An apparatus for managing images based on user preferences, the apparatus comprising: a memory having stored therein a database for storing a plurality of images; an image search module for randomly searching the plurality of images stored in the database and for retrieving a randomly selected image from the database; a display configured to output the randomly selected image; a preference input module for receiving a user preference associated with the randomly selected image from a user when the randomly selected image is output on the display, wherein the user preference is a classification into at least one of a plurality of user preference grades, wherein the plurality of user preference grades includes a “like” classification, a “neutral” classification, and a “dislike” classification; and an image path database for creating a storage path of the randomly selected image, wherein (a) the storage path is at least partially based on the user preference received through the preference input module, and (b) the image path database classifies the storage path of the image as one of a plurality of storage path grades based on the user preference; wherein the image search module searches for images whose storage paths are stored in the image path database or searches for images whose storage paths are not stored in the image path database according to a searching selection of the user.