Method and mechanism for retrieving images
First Claim
1. A method for retrieving digital images, comprising:
- generating a content index comprising a plurality of entries, wherein each of the plurality of entries contains image description data that reflects one or more content attributes of one of a plurality of images;
receiving, from a client, request data that requests one or more requested images that are each (a) associated with one or more keywords, and (b) similar to a base image;
determining one or more potential images that are associated with said one or more keywords;
analyzing the base image to determine content data, wherein the content data reflects one or more content attributes of the base image;
determining the one or more requested images by;
for each image in at least a subset of the one or more potential images, comparing the image description data, associated with an entry of the content index for that image, with the content data, thereby determining how similar the content of each image is to the content of the base image, and selecting a portion of the subset of the one or more potential images as the one or more requested images; and
transmitting, to the client, response data that identifies the one or more requested images.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for, in response to receiving a request, retrieving digital images that are associated with one or more keywords and which are similar to a digital image is provided. The request may be processed using a keywords index and a content index, and optionally, a session index that references data about what digital images users have viewed together in a session. A category associated with the identified digital image may also be used in processing the request, e.g., the category associated with the identified digital image may change the weight placed on various content attributes used in comparing the content of the identified digital image to other digital images. After the set of requested digital images are determined, request data, that identifies the set of requested digital images, may be sent to the requestor.
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method for retrieving digital images, comprising:
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generating a content index comprising a plurality of entries, wherein each of the plurality of entries contains image description data that reflects one or more content attributes of one of a plurality of images;
receiving, from a client, request data that requests one or more requested images that are each (a) associated with one or more keywords, and (b) similar to a base image;
determining one or more potential images that are associated with said one or more keywords;
analyzing the base image to determine content data, wherein the content data reflects one or more content attributes of the base image;
determining the one or more requested images by;
for each image in at least a subset of the one or more potential images, comparing the image description data, associated with an entry of the content index for that image, with the content data, thereby determining how similar the content of each image is to the content of the base image, and selecting a portion of the subset of the one or more potential images as the one or more requested images; and
transmitting, to the client, response data that identifies the one or more requested images. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for retrieving digital images, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors cause:
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generating a content index comprising a plurality of entries, wherein each of the plurality of entries contains image description data that reflects one or more content attributes of one of a plurality of images;
receiving, from a client, request data that requests one or more requested images that are each (a) associated with one or more keywords, and (b) similar to a base image;
determining one or more potential images that are associated with said one or more keywords;
analyzing the base image to determine content data, wherein the content data reflects one or more content attributes of the base image;
determining the one or more requested images by;
for each image in at least a subset of the one or more potential images, comparing the image description data, associated with an entry of the content index for that image, with the content data, thereby determining how similar the content of each image is to the content of the base image, and selecting a portion of the subset of the one or more potential images as the one or more requested images; and
transmitting, to the client, response data that identifies the one or more requested images. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An apparatus for retrieving digital images, comprising:
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a machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions; and
one or more processors, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by the one or more processors causes;
generating a content index comprising a plurality of entries, wherein each of the plurality of entries contains image description data that reflects one or more content attributes of one of a plurality of images;
receiving, from a client, request data that requests one or more requested images that are each (a) associated with one or more keywords, and (b) similar to a base image;
determining one or more potential images that are associated with said one or more keywords;
analyzing the base image to determine content data, wherein the content data reflects one or more content attributes of the base image;
determining the one or more requested images by;
for each image in at least a subset of the one or more potential images, comparing the image description data, associated with an entry of the content index for that image, with the content data, thereby determining how similar the content of each image is to the content of the base image, and selecting a portion of the subset of the one or more potential images as the one or more requested images; and
transmitting, to the client, response data that identifies the one or more requested images. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification