Face image searching apparatus for searching for and displaying a face image

• US 5,787,419 A
• Filed: 12/03/1996
• Issued: 07/28/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Chida, Kenji, Maeda, Kyoko, Sato, Shinichiro, Kojo, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lintz, Paul R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Von Buhr, Maria N.
• Application Number:
  US08/757,141
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 395/600, 395/12, 395/133, 395/147, 395/154, 395/155, 395/161, 345/113, 345/114, 345/433, 345/435, 382/118, 705/27, 707/1, 707/2, 707/4, 707/5, 707/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 16/5854 using shape and object relationship
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A data search apparatus is capable of searching for a face image, character data corresponding to the face image, and/or a combination of the face data and character data, based only on part of the data which compose the face image. In such case, one or more part data, such as eyes, nose, etc. composing the face image is designated by a key input unit, and image data including part data which coincides with the designated part data, is read out from memory. The found face image is then displayed on a display unit, along with character data corresponding thereto.

Claims

1. A face image searching apparatus for searching through a plurality of face images each composed of different part images arranged at predetermined different positions for at least one face image, said apparatus comprising:

part image storing means which contains a plurality of groups of part images, one group for each of the different parts which compose a face image, and a plurality of designating data each for designating a corresponding part image, the respective designating data being stored along with the corresponding part images in corresponding relationship;

part image selecting means for selecting a plurality of part images one for each of the parts which compose the face from among the plurality of groups of part images stored in said part image storing means;

face image composing means for disposing the plurality of part images selected by said part image selecting means at predetermined positions of the respective parts which compose the face to compose a face image for retrieval use;

face image storing means for storing a plurality of face images each composed by said face image composing means;

first designating data storing means for reading from said part image storing means and storing designating data for designating the respective part images of each of the face images of the plurality of face images stored in said face image storing means;

operable means operated for displaying a part image for retrieval use;

part image display means, responsive to said operable means being sequentially operated, for sequentially selecting and displaying part images one by one from among the plurality of groups of part images stored in said part image storing means, and displaying the name of the selected displayed part image simultaneously;

part image designating means for designating any part image from among the part images displayed by said part image display means;

second designating data storing means for storing designating data corresponding to the part image designated by said part image designating means;

retrieval start designating means for starting the start of retrieval of a face image;

coincidence determining means responsive to said retrieval start designating means designating the start of retrieval of a face image, for determining whether the designating data stored in said second designating data storing means coincides with any one of the designating data stored in said first designating data storing means;

reading means, responsive to a determination by said coincidence determining means that the designating data stored in said second designating data storing means coincides with any one of the designating data stored in said first designating data storing means, for reading out a face image including a part image corresponding to the coinciding designating data from among the plurality of face images for retrieval use stored in said face image storing means;

face display means for displaying the face image read by said reading means

inputting means for inputting character data for the respective face images stored in said face image storing means; and

character data storing means for storing the character data input by said inputting means;

wherein in response to a determination by said coincidence count determining means that the designating data stored in said second designating data storing means coincides with any one of the designating data stored in said first designating data storing means, said reading means reads out a face image including the part image corresponding to the coinciding designating data from among the plurality of face images stored in said face image storing means, and reads out character data corresponding to the read-out face image from said character data storing means; and

wherein said display means displays the read face image and the corresponding character data.