Patent ID: 7542071

Claim:
A computer program, stored on a computer readable medium, for making a computer perform the steps of: initializing an image transmission system, comprising connecting an image pickup apparatus and a memory card to a key generating apparatus; transmitting an identifying number from the image pickup apparatus to the key generating apparatus; registering the identifying number from the image pickup apparatus at the key generating apparatus and at an authentication server; generating an encryption and decryption key unique to the image pickup apparatus; then requesting that the authentication server authenticate a user and authenticate that a user can access the image pickup apparatus; authenticating the user and image pickup apparatus in response to the requesting step; connecting the image pickup apparatus to a viewing apparatus; comparing the identification number in the memory card to the identifying number of the image pickup apparatus; obtaining the decryption key from the memory card; transmitting an image request from the viewing apparatus to the image pickup apparatus; receiving an image from the imaging pickup apparatus at the viewing apparatus; decrypting images received from the image pickup apparatus using the decryption key; displaying the decrypted images on the viewer.