SEARCH APPARATUS, SEARCH METHOD, AND SEARCH SYSTEM

• US 20140006387A1
• Filed: 06/06/2013
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: KISHI, Hidenobu, KUNIEDA, Takayuki, IKEDA, Tetsuya
• Granted Patent: US 9,465,851 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/722
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9554 by using bar codes

Abstract

A search apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store indexes for searching for an object included in an image, link information indicating a function of providing a link for the object, and first supplementary information in association with each other; a receiving unit configured to receive a captured image through a network; a searching unit configured to search for an index for searching for an object included in the received captured image from among the indexes stored in the storage unit based on the object included in the received captured image and second supplementary information for the received captured image, the index being identified based on the first supplementary information and the second supplementary information for the received captured image; and a presenting unit configured to present the link information associated with the index searched for by the searching unit to a source that has transmitted the captured image.

Claims

1. A search apparatus comprising:

a storage unit configured to store therein indexes for searching for an object included in an image, link information indicating a function of providing a link for the object, and first supplementary information in association with each other;

a receiving unit configured to receive a captured image through a network;

a searching unit configured to search for an index for searching for an object included in the received captured image from among the indexes stored in the storage unit based on the object included in the received captured image and second supplementary information for the received captured image, the index being identified based on the first supplementary information and the second supplementary information for the received captured image; and

a presenting unit configured to present the link information associated with the index searched for by the searching unit to a source that has transmitted the captured image.

2. The search apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an acquiring unit configured to acquire the second supplementary information for the captured image received by the receiving unit.

3. The search apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an extracting unit configured to extract the object included in the captured image; and

a calculating unit configured to calculate a degree of similarity between the object searched for by the index stored in the storage unit and the object extracted from the captured image by the extracting unit, wherein

the searching unit searches for an index in the storage unit based on the degree of similarity, the second supplementary information, and the first supplementary information.

4. The search apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

the searching unit searches for an index for searching for an object whose degree of similarity is not less than a threshold from among the indexes stored in the storage unit, and

when retrieving a plurality of indexes, the searching unit selects an index in which the first supplementary information corresponds to the second supplementary information from among the indexes as a search result.

5. The search apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

when one piece of link information is associated with the index that indicates one object obtained as a result of search, the searching unit executes a function indicated by the one piece of link information, and

when a plurality of pieces of link information are associated with the index that indicates one object obtained as a result of search, the searching unit presents a message that prompts selection of one piece of link information from the pieces of link information to the source that has transmitted the captured image.

6. The search apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the link information includes an access method for accessing attribute information of the object indicated by the index associated with the link information.

7. The search apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the attribute information includes information indicating an object acquisition method.

8. The search apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the first supplementary information is first time information, and

the second supplementary information is second time information.

9. A search method comprising:

receiving a captured image through a network;

searching for an index for searching for an object included in the received captured image from among indexes stored in a storage unit based on the object included in the received captured image and second supplementary information for the received captured image, the index being identified based on first supplementary information and the second supplementary information for the received captured image, the storage unit storing therein the indexes for searching for an object included in an image, link information indicating a function of providing a link for the object, and first supplementary information in association with each other;

presenting the link information associated with the index searched for by the searching unit to a source that has transmitted the captured image.

10. The search method according to claim 9, further comprising acquiring the second supplementary information for the received captured image.

11. The search method according to claim 9, further comprising:

extracting the object included in the captured image; and

calculating a degree of similarity between the object searched for by the index stored in the storage unit and the object extracted from the captured image, wherein

the searching includes searching for an index in the storage unit based on the degree of similarity, the second supplementary information, and the first supplementary information.

12. The search method according to claim 11, wherein

the searching includes searching for an index for searching for an object whose degree of similarity is not less than a threshold from among the indexes stored in the storage unit, and

the searching includes selecting, when a plurality of indexes are retrieved, an index in which the first supplementary information corresponds to the second supplementary information from among the indexes as a search result.

13. The search method according to claim 12, wherein

the searching includes executing, when one piece of link information is associated with the index that indicates one object obtained as a result of search, a function indicated by the one piece of link information, and

the searching includes presenting, when a plurality of pieces of link information are associated with the index that indicates one object obtained as a result of search, a message that prompts selection of one piece of link information from the pieces of link information to the source that has transmitted the captured image.

14. The search method according to claim 9, wherein the link information includes an access method for accessing attribute information of the object indicated by the index associated with the link information.

15. The search method according to claim 14, wherein the attribute information includes information indicating an object acquisition method.

16. The search method according to claim 9, wherein

the first supplementary information is first time information, and

the second supplementary information is second time information.

17. A search system comprising:

a search apparatus configured to be connected to a network; and

a terminal unit configured to transmit a captured image to the search apparatus through the network, wherein

the search apparatus includes

a storage unit configured to store therein indexes for searching for an object included in an image, and link information indicating a function of providing a link for the object, and first supplementary information in association with each other; and

an information processing unit including

a receiving unit configured to receive the captured image;

a searching unit configured to search for an index for searching for an object included in the received captured image from among the indexes stored in the storage unit based on the object included in the received captured image and second supplementary information for the received captured image, the index being identified based on the first supplementary information and the second supplementary information for the received captured image; and

a presenting unit configured to present the link information associated with the index searched for by the searching unit to the terminal unit.

18. The search system according to claim 17, wherein

a plurality of information processing units are provided, and

the units of the information processing units are operated on the plurality of information processing units in a distributed manner.

19. The search system according to claim 17, wherein

the terminal unit includes a display unit configured to display a screen based on the link information presented by the presenting unit.

20. The search system according to claim 17, wherein

the terminal unit includes an image transmitting unit configured to transmit the captured image to the search apparatus through the network.