Relay apparatus, communication system and communicating method

A communication system comprising a relay apparatus connected to a network, and a communication apparatus connected to the relay apparatus through the network, wherein:

• in the network, a plurality of service providing apparatuses for providing services for managing image files as an album exist, the communication apparatus configured to:
• in a first communication, transmit first notification including the service selected in the communication apparatus to the relay apparatus;
• in the first communication, transmit second notification including user identification information selected in the communication apparatus to the relay apparatus;
• in the first communication, transmit album owner information which defines an owner of the album to the relay apparatus;
• in the first communication, receive storage command from the relay apparatus, the storage command being for commanding the communication apparatus to store, in the storage, a specific album owner information being associated with the service included in the first notification and the user identification information included in the second notification;
• in the first communication, store the specific album owner information in the storage;
• in the first communication, receive, from the relay apparatus, the album name acquired from the service providing apparatus corresponding to the service identified by the first notification;
• in the second communication, transmit the first notification including the service to the relay apparatus;
• in the second communication, transmit the second notification including the user identification information to the relay apparatus;
• and
• in the second communication, receive an output command for commanding the communication apparatus to output the specific album owner information stored in the storage of the communication apparatus, the specific album owner information being associated with the combination of the service included in the received first notification and the user identification information included in the received second notification, the specific album owner information being stored in the storage at the time of the first communication and being unnecessary to be stored in the relay apparatus between the first communication and the second communication;
• in the second communication, output the album owner information in response to the output command,
• in the second communication, receive, from the relay apparatus, a display command including a selection screen data including the specific album owner information, the display command commanding the communication apparatus to display a selection screen showing the specific album owner information;
• in the second communication, display the selection screen data including the specific album owner information;
• in the second communication, transmit the specific album owner information to the relay apparatus when the specific album owner information shown in the selection screen is selected;
• in the second communication, receive, from the relay apparatus, an album name selection user interface display command for commanding the communication apparatus to display an album name selection user interface including the album name;
• and
• in the second communication, displaying the album name selection user interface including the album name in response to the album name selection user interface display command,
• the relay apparatus configured to:
• store a program in a program storage unit for performing communication with each of the plurality of service providing apparatuses;
• in the first communication, receive the first notification;
• in the first communication, receive the second notification from the communication apparatus;
• in the first communication, receive, from the communication apparatus, the album owner information;
• in the first communication, generate the storage command;
• in the first communication, transmit the generated storage command to the communication apparatus;
• in the first communication, transmit the received album owner information to the service providing apparatus corresponding to the service included in the first notification, by executing a specific processing using the acquired album owner information and the program stored in the program storage unit;
• in the first communication, receiving an album name of the album which is extracted from a database in the service providing apparatus corresponding to the service included in the first notification based on the acquired album owner information;
• and
• in the first communication, transmit, to the communication apparatus, the received album name;
• in the second communication, receive the first notification from the communication apparatus;
• in the second communication, receive the second notification from the communication apparatus;
• in the second communication, generate the output command;
• transmit the generated output command to the communication apparatus;
• acquire the specific album owner information output from the communication apparatus in response to the output command;
• in the second communication, generate a display command including a selection screen data including the specific album owner information, the display command commanding the communication apparatus to display a selection screen showing the specific album owner information;
• in the second communication, transmit the display command to the communication apparatus;
• in the second communication, receive the specific album owner information from the communication apparatus when the specific album owner information shown in the selection screen is selected;
• in the second communication, transmit the received album owner information to the service providing apparatus corresponding to the notification including the service using the specific album owner information and the program;
• in the second communication, receive the album name which is extracted from the database in the service providing apparatus corresponding to the service based on the acquired specific album owner information;
• and
• transmit, to the communication apparatus, an album name selection user interface display command for commanding the communication apparatus to display an album name selection user interface including the received album name.

A method of communicating through a network with a plurality of service providing apparatuses respectively providing services for managing image files as an album and a communication apparatus, the method comprising:

• storing plural pieces of programs for performing communication with corresponding one of the plurality of service providing apparatuses;
• in a first communication, receiving first notification including the service from the communication apparatus;
• in the first communication, receiving second notification including user identification information from the communication apparatus;
• in the first communication, receiving, from the communication apparatus, album owner information which defines an owner of the album;
• in the first communication, generating a storage command for commanding the communication apparatus to store, in the storage, a specific album owner information being associated with the service included in the first notification and the user identification information included in the second notification;
• in the first communication, transmitting the generated storage command to the communication apparatus;
• in the first communication, transmitting the received album owner information to the service providing apparatus corresponding to the service included in the first notification, by executing a specific processing using the acquired album owner information and one or more of the plural pieces of programs for performing communication with corresponding one of the plurality of service providing apparatuses;
• in the first communication, receiving an album name of the album which is extracted from a database in the service providing apparatus corresponding to the service included in the first notification based on the acquired album owner information;
• and
• in the first communication, transmit, to the communication apparatus, the received album name;
• in a second communication, receiving the first notification from the communication apparatus;
• in the second communication, receiving the second notification from the communication apparatus;
• in the second communication, generating an output command, for commanding the communication apparatus to output the specific album owner information stored in the storage of the communication apparatus, the specific album owner information being associated with the combination of the service included in the received first notification and the user identification information included in the received second notification, the specific album owner information being stored in the storage at the time of the first communication and being unnecessary to be stored in the relay apparatus between the first communication and the second communication;
• in the second communication, transmitting the generated output command to the communication apparatus;
• in the second communication, acquiring specific album owner information output from the communication apparatus in response to the output command;
• in the second communication, generating a display command including a selection screen data including the specific album owner information, the display command commanding the communication apparatus to display a selection screen showing the specific album owner information;
• in the second communication, transmitting the display command to the communication apparatus;
• in the second communication, receive the specific album owner information for the communication apparatus when the specific album owner information shown in the selection screen is selected;
• in the second communication, transmitting the received specific album owner information to the service providing apparatus corresponding to the service included in the received notification, by executing a specific processing using the acquired specific album owner information;
• in the second communication, receiving the album name which is extracted from the database in the service providing apparatus corresponding to the service based on the acquired specific album owner information;
• and
• in the second communication, transmitting an album name selection user interface display command for commanding the communication apparatus to display an album name selection user interface including the received album name.