Patent ID: 7904831

Claim:
An image processing apparatus, comprising: an image data storing unit configured to store input image data; an attribute attaching unit configured to attach an attribute to the input image data, the attribute including user access rights; a thumbnail image data forming unit configured to form thumbnail image data from the input image data stored by the image data storing unit; a thumbnail image data storing unit configured to store the thumbnail image data formed by the thumbnail image data forming unit; a dummy thumbnail image data forming unit configured to form dummy thumbnail image data; and a display unit; and a processor configured to control the image processing apparatus, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether a user requesting that a plurality of the thumbnail image data stored in the thumbnail image data storing unit be displayed on the display unit is included in the user access rights for all the input image data corresponding to the plurality of the thumbnail image data, the processor is configured to prevent all of the plurality of the thumbnail image data from being displayed, including thumbnail image data corresponding to input image data for which the user is included in the user access rights, when at least one of the plurality of the thumbnail image data cannot be displayed because the user requesting that the plurality of the thumbnail image data be displayed on the display unit is not included in the user access rights for at least one of the input image data corresponding to the plurality of the thumbnail image data requested to be displayed on the display unit, and to cause the display unit to display the dummy thumbnail image data in lieu of all of the plurality of the thumbnail image data, and the processor, in response to a determination that the user requesting that the stored thumbnail image data be displayed is not included in the user access rights, is configured to set a thumbnail image display prohibiting flag to prohibit the thumbnail image data from being displayed.