IMAGE SEARCH USING IMAGES IN QUERY

• US 20110219025A1
• Filed: 05/18/2011
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Sinha, Pawan, Lipson, Pamela R.
• Application Number:
  US13/110,198
• Publication Number:
  US 20110219025A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• 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: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5854 using shape and object relationship
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5866 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, manually generated location and time information
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30004 Biomedical image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30141 Printed circuit board [PCB]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30148 Semiconductor; IC; Wafer
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30152 Solder
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0006 using a design-rule based approach
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/97 Determining parameters from multiple pictures depth or shape recovery from multiple images G06T7/55; stereo camera calibration G06T7/85
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/754 involving a deformation of the sample pattern or of the reference pattern; Elastic matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/06 Recognition of objects for industrial automation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

Method and systems for search and retrieval of images with an image processing system is disclosed. With an input interface, selection of a plurality of images to use in a search query is accepted. The plurality of images of the search query are processed with the image processing system. A subset of the plurality of target images that are similar to the plurality of images is determined. With an output interface, the subset of the plurality of target images as a result from the search query is output.

Claims

1. A system for conducting search and retrieval of images of a circuit board, the system comprising:

an input interface configured to receive information indicative of a selection of two or more images of a circuit board;

an output interface; and

an image processing system coupled with the input interface and the output interface, the image processing system configured to;

process the two or more images to produce a subset of information to use in the search query;

compare the subset of information against a plurality of target images to determine a subset of the plurality of target images; and

provide an indication of the subset to the output interface.

2. The system for conducting search and retrieval of images of a circuit board as recited in claim 1, wherein the image processing system is configured to limit the subset to one from the plurality of target images.

3. The system for conducting search and retrieval of images of a circuit board as recited in claim 1, wherein the image processing system is configured to create a condensed query image used in the search query by using common characteristics from the two or more images.

4. A method for search and retrieval of images, the method comprising:

receiving selection of a two or more images for use in a search query;

processing the two or more images to produce a subset of information to use in the search query;

retrieving a plurality of target images;

comparing the subset of information against the plurality of target images to determine a subset of the target images; and

presenting the subset as a result from the search query.

5. The method for search and retrieval of images as recited in claim 4, wherein at least one of the two or more images are of bad connection points for a circuit board.

6. The method for search and retrieval of images as recited in claim 4, wherein the subset is limited to one from the plurality of target images.

7. The method for search and retrieval of images as recited in claim 4, the processing comprises combining the two or more images into the subset of information.

8. The method for search and retrieval of images as recited in claim 4, wherein the processing comprises:

receiving selection of a region from the two or more images, and

emphasizing the region in the search query.

9. The method for search and retrieval of images as recited in claim 4, wherein common characteristics from the two or more images are used to create a condensed query image used in the search query.

10. The method for search and retrieval of images as recited in claim 4, wherein the presenting includes presenting images corresponding to the subset.

11. The method for search and retrieval of images as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

analyzing the subset to determine if the subset meets a criteria; and

presenting a result from the analyzing to a user.

12. A system for conducting search and retrieval of images, the system comprising:

an input system configured to provide a selection of two or more images;

an image database configured to provide a plurality of target images;

an output system; and

an image processing system coupled with the input system, the image database, and the output system, the image processing system configured to;

process the two or more images to produce a subset of information to use in the search query;

receive the plurality of target images from the image database;

compare the subset of information against the plurality of target images to determine a subset of the plurality of target images; and

provide an indication of the subset to the output system.

13. The system for conducting search and retrieval of images as recited in claim 12, further comprising at least one plug-in module configured to provide information used by the image processing system for at least one application.

14. The system for conducting search and retrieval of images as recited in claim 13, wherein the at least one plug-in module provides information used by the image processing system to process images having at least one item from the group of items consisting of:

a printed circuit board,

a face,

a scene,

a fabric, and

a trademark.

15. The system for conducting search and retrieval of images as recited in claim 12, wherein the image processing system is configured to limit the subset to one from the plurality of target images.

16. The system for conducting search and retrieval of images as recited in claim 12, wherein the image processing system is configured to combine the two or more images into the subset of information

17. The system for conducting search and retrieval of images as recited in claim 12, wherein the image processing system is configured to process the two or more images by:

receiving selection of a region from the two or more images, and

emphasizing the region in the search query.

18. The system for conducting search and retrieval of images as recited in claim 12, wherein the image processing system is configured to create a condensed query image used in the search query by using common characteristics from the two or more images.

19. The system for conducting search and retrieval of images as recited in claim 12, wherein the output system is configured to present images corresponding to the subset.

20. The system for conducting search and retrieval of images as recited in claim 12, wherein the image processing system is configured to:

analyze the subset to determine if the subset meets a criteria; and

provide a result from the analyzing to the output system.