Patent ID: 7216171

Claim:
A network system comprising: a terminal device; and a network server including: connecting means for connecting to said terminal device via prescribed communication means, wherein when said terminal device detects that a memory device is inserted into a slot therein, a request for authentification is sent to said network server by sending said information for user authentication and information about terminal specification to said network server, and said information for user authentication is stored in said network server in association with said information about terminal specification for future communication with said terminal device associated with said information about terminal specification when said network server authenticates the user, and when there is information to be transmitted to said terminal device used by the user, said network server notifies said terminal device used by the user of the presence of the information to be transmitted, wherein said memory device is divided into areas designated by a memory map, one of said areas containing personal information relating to a user of the memory device and another of said areas containing lock terminal information relating to a specific kind of said terminal device; group forming means for forming a group of a plurality of users by producing a group ID in response to a group forming request transmitted by said terminal device, for recording an other terminal device into said group in response to receiving said group ID from said other terminal device, and for transmitting information sent from a user belonging to said group to another user belonging to said group.