Apparatus, method, and medium for retrieving photo based on spatial information

• US 20080013863A1
• Filed: 11/13/2006
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Ji Yeun, Jung, Yong Ju, Lee, Yong, Kim, Sang Kyun
• Application Number:
  US11/598,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20080013863A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/305
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• 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: G06V 10/462 Salient features, e.g. scale invariant feature transforms [SIFT]

Abstract

An apparatus, a method, and a medium for retrieving a photo based on spatial information. The apparatus for retrieving a photo includes: a spatial information extractor to extract spatial information and a photo from photo data; a map range mapper to map the extracted spatial information and a map range corresponding to the spatial information; a spatial range query processor to process a spatial range query; a spatial indexer to perform spatial indexing of mapping information; and a retrieval result output unit to retrieve the photo associated with the spatial range query through the spatial indexing, and to output the retrieved photo to a display unit to display the retrieved photo.

Claims

1. An apparatus for retrieving a photo, comprising:

a spatial information extractor to extract spatial information and a photo from photo data;

a map range mapper to map the extracted spatial information and to map a map range corresponding to the spatial information;

a spatial range query processor to process a spatial range query;

a spatial indexer to perform spatial indexing of mapping information; and

a retrieval result output unit to retrieve the photo associated with the spatial range query through the spatial indexing, and outputting the retrieved photo.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spatial information extractor extracts at least one of location information, direction information, information about a distance between a subject and a source location, pan angle information, and tilt angle information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a spatial range query determiner to classify a query into the spatial range query and a non-spatial range query.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a photo database where the photo extracted by the spatial information extractor is stored;

a map database where map information is stored; and

a mapping database where the extracted spatial information and the mapping information of the map range corresponding to the spatial information is stored.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spatial indexer indexes the mapping information based on a rectangle tree (R-Tree) method.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spatial indexer indexes the mapping information based on a k-dimensional tree (K-D Tree) method.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the spatial range query processor processes a spatial range query corresponding to any one of a square, a cube, a circle, a sphere, and a free-shape which is generated by connecting locations designated by a user.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a photo data generator to generate the photo data;

a query generator to generate the spatial range query; and

a display to display the retrieved photo.

9. A method of retrieving a photo, comprising:

extracting spatial information and a photo from photo data;

mapping the extracted spatial information and a map range corresponding to the spatial information;

storing the extracted photo and mapping information;

performing spatial indexing of the mapping information; and

retrieving the photo associated with a spatial range query through the spatial indexing.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the extracted spatial information includes at least one of location information, direction information, information about a distance between a subject and a source location, pan angle information, and tilt angle information.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

classifying a query into the spatial range query and a non-range query,

wherein the photo associated with the spatial range query is retrieved through the spatial indexing, when the query is the spatial range query.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying a spatial range and the retrieved photo.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the performing spatial indexing indexes the mapping information based on an R-Tree method.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the performing spatial indexing indexes the mapping information based on a K-D Tree method.

15. At least one computer readable medium storing instructions that control at least one processor to implement a method of retrieving a photo, the method comprising:

extracting spatial information and a photo from photo data;

mapping the extracted spatial information and a map range corresponding to the spatial information;

storing the extracted photo and mapping information;

performing spatial indexing of the mapping information; and

retrieving the photo associated with a spatial range query through the spatial indexing.