Searching images

• US 20060050993A1
• Filed: 11/24/2003
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Stentiford, Frederick W.M
• Granted Patent: US 7,593,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/305
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A database of visual images includes metadata having, for a particular image, at least one entry specifying: a part of that image, another stored image, and a measure S_abi of the degree of similarity between that specified part and the specified other image. The searching method comprises displaying one or more images; receiving input from a user (for example by using a gaze tracker) indicative of part of the displayed images; determining measures of interest for each of a plurality of non-displayed stored images specified by the metadata for the displayed image(s), as a function of the similarity measure(s) and the relationship between the user input and the part specified; and, on the basis of these measures, selecting, from those non-displayed stored images, further images for display.

Claims

1. A method of retrieval of stored images stored with metadata for at least some of the stored images, the metadata comprising at least one entry specifying

(a) a part of the respective image;

(b) another stored image; and

(c) a measure of the degree of similarity between the specified part and the specified other stored image;

the method comprising

i. displaying one or more images;

ii. receiving input from a user indicative of part of the displayed images;

iii. determining measures of interest for each of a plurality of non-displayed stored images specified by the metadata for the displayed image (s), as a function of the similarity measure (s) and the relationship between the user input and the part specified;

iv. selecting from those non-displayed stored images, on the basis of the determined measures, further images for display.

2. A method according to claim 1 in which the receiving of input from a user is performed by means operable to observe movement of the user'"'"'s eye.

3. A method according to claim 1 in which the user input identifies image locations and associated attention durations, and each measure of interest is the sum of individual measures for each identified location that is within a predetermined distance of a specified part, each said individual measure being a function of the attention duration that is associated with the identified location and the similarity measure that is associated with the specified part.

4. A method according to claim 3 in which each individual measure is the product of the duration and the similarity measure.

5. A method according to claim 1 in which the specified parts of the images are points within the images.

6. A method according to claim 1 in which the specified parts of the images are regions thereof.

7. A method according to claim 1 in which steps (ii) to (iv) are repeated at least once.

8. A method according to claim 1 further including the initial steps of:

receiving one or more external images;

generating said metadata in respect of the external image(s); and

displaying the external image(s).