Patent ID: 6950202

Claim:
An apparatus for conducting a retrieval of document data, comprising: storing means for storing the document data; a receiver, for receiving from a user a request for retrieval of the document data, with the request including a password; a transmitter, for transmitting the password, received by said receiver, to a managing unit on a network; deciding means for, when said managing unit confirms the password transmitted by said transmitter, receiving a confirmation result from said managing unit to decide, on the basis of said confirmation result, whether or not the user is an authorized user; retrieving means for retrieving the document data stored in said storing means according to a decision result obtained by said deciding means; outputting means for outputting document data retrieved by said retrieving means; issuing means for automatically issuing a new password in response to receiving from a user a request for retrieval of the document data by said receiver, wherein the user is notified of the new password if the user is authorized; and registering means for transmitting the new password, issued by said issuing means, to said managing unit to register the new password as a valid password.