Image processing with searching of image data

• US 6,247,009 B1
• Filed: 03/09/1998
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Owada, Hiroshi, Shiiyama, Hirotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): CORRIELUS, JEAN M
• Application Number:
  US09/038,695
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/7, 707/5, 709/219, 345/326
• 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: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting

Abstract

Information indicating image data and the number of times (the number of votes) the image data was found upon search are managed in an image management unit in correspondence with each other in units of image data stored in an image storage unit. A search condition is input from a user interface, and image data matching the input search conditions are searched for. The numbers of votes for the obtained image data are acquired from the image management unit, and the obtained image data are sorted and displayed on a search result notifying unit on the basis of the acquired numbers of votes.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus for managing a plurality of image data in an image storage unit, and searching for the image data managed in the image storage unit, comprising:

holding means for holding a management table which manages the number of votes corresponding to the number of times the image data was selected in correspondence with each other in units of image data managed in the image storage unit;

input means for inputting a search condition;

search means for searching for image data matching the search condition input by said input means; and

display means for acquiring the numbers of votes corresponding to image data obtained by said search means from said management table, and sorting and displaying the image data obtained by said search means on the basis of the acquired numbers of votes.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said holding means further holds an index for managing the total numbers of times of input of search conditions input by said input means in units of identical search conditions.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said display means acquires the numbers of votes corresponding to image data obtained by said search means from said management table, acquires the total number of times of input of the search condition, and sorts and displays the image data obtained by said search means on the basis of the acquired numbers of votes and the total number of times of input.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said holding means further holds management start dates in units of image data, and

said display means sorts and displays the image data obtained by said search means on the basis of the numbers of votes, the total number of times input, and the management start dates.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the search condition is input by said input means, said display means displays a questionnaire window for acquiring information associated with a user.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said input means comprises:

accept means for accepting replies of the user to the questionnaire window when the questionnaire window is displayed by said display means; and

storage means for storing the replies of the user accepted by said accept means.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein contents of the questionnaire window include at least an age and hobby of the user.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said display means sorts and displays the image data obtained by said search means on the basis of the replies of the user stored in said storage means.

9. A control method for an image processing apparatus for managing a plurality of image data in an image storage unit, and searching for the image data managed in the image storage unit, comprising:

a holding step, of holding a management table which manages the number of votes corresponding to the number of times the image data was selected in correspondence with each other in units of image data managed in the image storage unit;

a input step, of inputting a search condition;

a search step, of searching for image data matching the search condition input in the input step; and

a display step, of acquiring the numbers of votes corresponding to image data obtained in said search step from said management table, and sorting and displaying the image data obtained in the search step on the basis of the acquired numbers of votes.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the holding step further includes the step of holding an index for managing the total numbers of times of input of search conditions input in the input step in units of identical search conditions.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the display step includes the steps of acquiring the numbers of votes corresponding to image data obtained in said search step from said management table, acquiring the total number of times of input of the search condition, and sorting and displaying the image data obtained in the search step on the basis of the acquired numbers of votes and the total number of times of input.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the holding step further includes the step of holding management start dates in unit of image data, and

the display step includes the step of sorting and displaying the image data obtained in the search step on the basis of the numbers of votes, the total number of times of input, and the management start dates.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the display step includes the step of displaying a questionnaire window for acquiring information associated with a user when the search condition is input in the input means.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the input step comprises:

the accept step of accepting replies of the user to the questionnaire window when the questionnaire window is displayed in the display step; and

the storage step of storing the replies of the user accepted in the accept step.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein contents of the questionnaire window include at least an age and hobby of the user.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the display step includes the step of sorting and displaying the image data obtained in the search step on the basis of the replies of the user stored in the storage step.

17. A computer readable memory that stores a program code for controlling an image processing apparatus for managing a plurality of image data in an image storage unit, and searching for the image data managed in the image storage unit, comprising:

program code for a holding step of holding a management table which manages the number votes corresponding to the number of times the image data was selected in correspondence with each other in units of image data managed in the image storage unit;

program code for an input step of inputting a search condition;

program code for a search step of searching for image data matching the search condition input in the input step; and

program code for a display step of acquiring the numbers of votes corresponding to image data obtained in said search step from said management table, and sorting and displaying the image data obtained in the search step on the basis of the acquired numbers of votes.