IMAGE SEARCH APPARATUS AND IMAGE SEARCH METHOD, AND STORAGE MEDIUM THEREOF

• US 20080281797A1
• Filed: 04/24/2008
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hori, Shinjiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,532,431 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5854 using shape and object relationship

Abstract

With the conventional techniques, when the images taken under various conditions such as plural aspect ratios, horizontal shooting and vertical shooting are collectively selected and searched, the search conditions adaptable to all the images can not be specified, whereby there was a problem that the search could not be made as intended. In order to solve this problem, the present invention provides an image search apparatus comprising search object image designation means for designating a search object image, search condition input means for inputting the search conditions, feature amount extraction means for extracting a feature amount thereof from the search object image, feature amount transformation means for transforming the feature amount to adapt to the inputted search conditions, and determination means for determining whether or not the search object image is matched with the search conditions using the feature amount after transformation.

Claims

1. An image search apparatus comprising:

search object image designation means for designating a search object image;

search condition input means for inputting the search conditions;

feature amount extraction means for extracting a feature amount thereof from said search object image;

feature amount transformation means for transforming said feature amount to adapt to said inputted search conditions; and

determination means for determining whether or not said search object image is matched with the search conditions using said feature amount after transformation.

2. The image search apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said feature amount transformation means comprises coordinate transformation means for transforming the coordinates of a noticed subject included in said feature amount into the coordinates in a coordinate system as defined by said search conditions.

3. The image search apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said coordinate transformation means makes the center of the coordinate system for said search object image coincide with the center of the coordinate system as defined by said search conditions in making said transformation.

4. The image search apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said coordinate transformation means makes the end of the coordinate system for said search object image coincide with the end of the coordinate system as defined by said search conditions in making said transformation.

5. The image search apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said coordinate transformation means transforms the coordinate interval in a long side direction of the coordinate system for the search object image to be closer to the coordinate interval in a short side direction near the center, and be wider than the coordinate interval in said short side direction near the end.

6. The image search apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said determination means makes said determination by making greater a tolerance of determination near the periphery than at the center of the coordinate system.

7. The image search apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said search condition input means accepts the inputs of designating the position, size and inclination of the noticed subject.

8. An image search method for use in an image search apparatus, the method comprising:

a search object image designation step of designating a search object image;

a search condition input step of inputting the search conditions;

a feature amount extraction step of extracting a feature amount thereof from said search object image;

a feature amount transformation step of transforming said feature amount to adapt to said inputted search conditions; and

a determination step of determining whether or not said search object image is matched with the search conditions using said feature amount after transformation.

9. The image search method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said feature amount transformation step includes a coordinate transformation step of transforming the coordinates of a noticed subject included in said feature amount into the coordinates in a coordinate system as defined by said search conditions.

10. The image search method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said coordinate transformation step includes making the center of the coordinate system for said search object image coincide with the center of the coordinate system as defined by said search conditions in making said transformation.

11. The image search method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said coordinate transformation step includes making the end of the coordinate system for said search object image coincide with the end of the coordinate system as defined by said search conditions in making said transformation.

12. The image search method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said coordinate transformation step includes transforming the coordinate interval in a long side direction of the coordinate system for the search object image to be closer to the coordinate interval in a short side direction near the center, and be wider than the coordinate interval in said short side direction near the end.

13. The image search method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said determination step includes making said determination by making greater a tolerance of determination near the periphery than at the center of the coordinate system.

14. The image search method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said search condition input step includes accepting the inputs of designating the position, size and inclination of the noticed subject.

15. A computer readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to perform an image search method, the method comprising:

a search object image designation step of designating a search object image;

a search condition input step of inputting the search conditions;

a feature amount extraction step of extracting a feature amount thereof from said search object image;

a feature amount transformation step of transforming said feature amount to adapt to said inputted search conditions; and

a determination step of determining whether or not said search object image is matched with the search conditions using said feature amount after transformation.