Patent ID: 7586631

Claim:
An apparatus for processing image data that are uploaded to a server of a provider from a personal computer of a client, comprising: image data acquisition means for acquiring image data and corresponding auxiliary data into the server; wherein the image data was captured by an imaging apparatus and transferred to the personal computer and the auxiliary data comprises imaging conditions information corresponding to the imaging apparatus; first storage means for storing the acquired image data and corresponding auxiliary data; image quality correction means for correcting an image quality of the acquired image data stored in the first storage means based on the imaging conditions information corresponding to the imaging apparatus; wherein the correcting process includes at least one of a color correction and a contrast correction on the image data; second storage means for storing the corrected image data using an identifier; and management means for managing the correcting process performed by the image quality correction means, wherein the management means manages the correcting process on the acquired image data stored in the first storage means (i) at predetermined intervals, or (ii) when the acquired image data are newly acquired by the acquisition means; wherein the management means includes deciding means for deciding whether the image quality of the acquired image data stored in the first storage means has been previously corrected; and third storage means for storing the acquired image data stored in the first storage means, wherein the acquired image data stored in the first storage means is stored in the third storage means if the decision by the deciding means is that the acquired image data stored in the first storage means has not been previously corrected.