Digital image search and retrieval system

• US 20060184574A1
• Filed: 02/15/2005
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Yen, Jonathan, Wu, Peng
• Granted Patent: US 8,407,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/58 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually

Abstract

A digital image search and retrieval system includes a query parser and a response composer. The query parser is configured to parse a query obtained from a client, the query including at least one metadata criterion, search a metadata database for one or more digital images satisfying the metadata criterion, and search a digital image database for the one or more digital images. The response composer is configured to compose a response including the one or more digital images from the digital image database and their corresponding metadata from the metadata database, and enable the client to render the response in accordance with one or more user preferences.

Claims

1. A digital image search and retrieval system, comprising:

a query parser being configured to;

parse a query obtained from a client, said query including at least one metadata criterion relating to a type of recorded metadata;

search a metadata database for one or more digital images satisfying said metadata criterion; and

search a digital image database for said one or more digital images; and

a response composer being configured to;

compose a response including said one or more digital images from said digital image database and corresponding metadata from said metadata database; and

enable said client to render said response in accordance with a user preference.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said query includes one or more types of metadata.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said metadata database includes a corresponding entry for each digital image of a plurality of digital images.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein each said corresponding entry includes one or more metadata values for one or more types of metadata corresponding to each digital image.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said metadata database is populated with metadata corresponding to a plurality of digital images.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said digital image database is populated with image data of said plurality of digital images.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein at least some of said metadata include derived metadata calculated based on corresponding digital images.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said metadata includes a generic metadata type, together with a plurality of different metadata subtypes belonging to said generic metadata type.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein at least some of said metadata for each corresponding digital image are extracted from a header of a digital image file of said digital image.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said header is extracted in accordance with the EXIF standard.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of said metadata is recorded by an image capture device while capturing an image.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of said metadata are derived by an image processing technique operating on corresponding digital images.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of said metadata are converted from one format originally associated with said images to a different format not originally associated with said images.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein said corresponding metadata in said response includes recorded metadata specifically satisfying said metadata criterion, and other metadata associated with said recorded metadata.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said other metadata includes user-specified metadata.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said corresponding metadata includes less metadata types than specified in said query.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the types of metadata to be included in said corresponding metadata is indicated in said query.

18. A method for searching and retrieving digital images, comprising:

parsing a query obtained from a client, said query including at least one metadata criterion relating to a type of recorded metadata;

searching a metadata database for one or more digital images satisfying said metadata criterion;

searching a digital image database for said one or more images;

composing a response including said one or more digital images and their corresponding metadata; and

enabling said client to render said response in accordance with a user preference.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said parsing includes:

determining one or more types of metadata specified in said query.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein at least some of said metadata are recorded by an image capture device while capturing an image.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein at least some of said metadata are derived by an image processing technique operating on corresponding digital images.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

obtaining another query from said client, said another query being refined based on said response; and

repeating said parsing, searching, composing, and enabling steps based on said another query.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein said metadata database is populated with metadata corresponding to a plurality of digital images.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said image database is populated with image data of said plurality of digital images.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

extracting said metadata for each corresponding digital image from a header of a digital image file of said digital image.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said extracting includes parsing said header in accordance with the EXIF standard.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein said corresponding metadata include user-specified metadata.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein one or more entries in said metadata database includes at least one generic metadata type encompassing a plurality of metadata subtypes.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein each digital image in said digital image database has a corresponding metadata entry in said metadata database.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein at least some of said metadata are converted from one format originally associated with their corresponding digital images to a different format not originally associated with said digital images.

31. The method of claim 18, wherein said corresponding metadata in said response include recorded metadata specifically satisfying said metadata criterion, and other metadata associated with said recorded metadata.

32. The method of claim 18, wherein said searching a digital image database includes applying an indexing scheme based on corresponding file names of said one or more images.

33. The method of claim 18, wherein said enabling said client to render includes allowing said client to render any portion of said response.

34. A computer-readable medium containing logic instructions for searching and retrieving digital images, executable to:

parse a query obtained from a client, said query including at least one metadata criterion relating to a type of recorded metadata;

search a metadata database for one or more digital images satisfying said metadata criterion;

search a digital image database for said one or more images;

compose a response including said one or more digital images and their corresponding metadata; and

enabling said client to render said response in accordance with a user preference.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein said parse includes logic instructions executable to:

determine one or more types of metadata specified in said query.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, further comprising logic instructions executable to:

obtain another query from said client, said another query being refined based on said response; and

repeat said logic instructions to parse, search, compose, and enable based on said another query.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein said metadata database is populated with metadata corresponding to a plurality of digital images.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, further comprising logic instructions executable to:

extract said metadata for each corresponding digital image from a header of a digital image file of said digital image.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein said corresponding metadata include user-specified metadata.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein:

said metadata database includes a generic metadata type encompassing a plurality of metadata subtypes.

41. Apparatus for searching and retrieving digital images, comprising:

means for parsing a query obtained from a client, said query including at least one metadata criterion relating to a type of recorded metadata;

means for searching a metadata database for one or more digital images satisfying said metadata criterion;

means for searching a digital image database for said one or more images;

means for composing a response including said one or more digital images and their corresponding metadata; and

means for enabling said client to render said response in accordance with a user preference.