Information search apparatus and method, and storage medium

• US 6,564,206 B1
• Filed: 10/05/1999
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ikeda, Kazuyo
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Sanjiv
• Application Number:
  US09/412,425
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/1, 707/4, 707/5, 707/6, 382/170, 382/181, 382/189, 382/190, 382/192, 382/197, 382/209, 382/224, 382/225
• US Class Current: 707/722
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/532 Query formulation, e.g. graphical querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/54 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/915 Image
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99937 Sorting

Abstract

An information search apparatus includes query condition input means for inputting a query condition, storage means for storing a plurality of image data which undergo a search, first similarity calculation means for calculating similarity values between the query condition and the individual image data by comparing the query condition with each image data stored in the storage means, first search result display means for displaying the search results on the basis of the similarity values calculated by the first similarity calculation means, image selection means for selecting a specific image from the image data displayed as the search results by the first search result display means, second similarity calculation means for calculating the similarity values between the specific image selected by the image selection means and the plurality of image data stored in the storage means, and second search result display means for displaying the search results on the basis of the similarity values calculated by the second similarity calculation means.

Claims

1. An information search apparatus for searching for an image from a plurality of images stored in a storage unit comprising:

query condition input means for inputting a query condition;

first similarity calculation means for calculating similarity values between the query condition and the individual image by comparing the query condition with each image stored in the storage unit;

first search result display means for displaying search results on the basis of the similarity values calculated by said first similarity calculation means;

image selection means for selecting a specific image from images displayed as the search results by said first search result display means in accordance with a user'"'"'s instruction;

second similarity calculation means for calculating similarity values between the specific image selected by said image selection means and the plurality of images stored in the storage unit; and

second search result display means for displaying search results on the basis of the similarity values calculated by said second similarity calculation means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising similar image list acquisition means for calculating similarity values between images stored in the storage unit, and acquiring the calculated similarity values as similar image lists in units of images,

wherein said second similarity calculation means calculates similarity values with the specific image on the basis of the similar image list acquired by said similar image list acquisition means.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first search result display means comprises matched image display position determination means for determining a display position of a matched image, which perfectly matches the query condition, and first similar image display means for displaying similar images, which are similar to the matched image, to be separated farther away from the matched image as similarity values of the similar images are lower, and

said second search result display means displays the specific image on a display zone of the matched image in a display pattern different from the matched image.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

distribution information acquisition means for acquiring distribution information of the similar images; and

similar zone determination means for determining at least one similar zone for displaying the similar images on the basis of the distribution information acquired by said distribution information acquisition means.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second search result display means comprises second similar image display means for displaying similar images, which are similar to the matched image, to be separated farther away from the matched image as similarity values of the similar images are lower.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

query condition display means for displaying the query condition input by said query condition input means; and

query condition clear means for clearing the query condition displayed by said query condition display means when the specific image is selected.

7. An information search method of searching for an image from a plurality of images stored in a storage unit comprising:

a query condition input step, of inputting a query condition;

a first similarity calculation step, of calculating similarity values between the query condition and the individual image by comparing the query condition with each image stored in the storage unit;

a first search result display step, of displaying search results on the basis of the similarity values calculated in the first similarity calculation step;

an image selection step, of selecting a specific image from images displayed as the search results in the first search result display step in accordance with a user'"'"'s instruction;

a second similarity calculation step, of calculating similarity values between the specific image selected in the image selection step and the plurality of images stored in the storage unit; and

a second search result display step, of displaying search results on the basis of the similarity values calculated in the second similarity calculation step.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising a similar image list acquisition step, of calculating similarity values between images stored in the storage unit, and acquiring the calculated similarity values as similar image lists in units of images,

wherein the second similarity calculation step includes a calculation step of, calculating similarity values with the specific image on the basis of the similar image list acquired in the similar image list acquisition step.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the first search result display step comprises a matched image display position determination step of determining a display position of a matched image, which perfectly matches the query condition, and a first similar image display step, of displaying similar images, which are similar to the matched image, to be separated farther away from the matched image as similarity values of the similar images are lower, and

the second search result display step includes a display step of displaying the specific image on a display zone of the matched image in a display pattern different from the matched image.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

a distribution information acquisition step of acquiring distribution information of the similar images; and

a similar zone determination step of determining at least one similar zone for displaying the similar images on the basis of the distribution information.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the second search result display step comprises a second similar image display step, of displaying similar images, which are similar to the matched image, to be separated farther away from the matched image as similarity values of the similar images are lower.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the query condition is displayed, and is cleared when the specific image is selected.

13. A computer readable storage medium which stores a program for searching for an image from a plurality of images stored in a storage unit, said program including:

a code of a query condition input process for inputting a query condition;

a code of a first similarity calculation process for calculating similarity values between the query condition and the individual image by comparing the query condition with each image stored in the storage unit;

a code of a first search result display process for displaying search results on the basis of the similarity values calculated by the first similarity calculation process;

a code of an image selection process for selecting a specific image from images displayed as the search results by the first search result display process in accordance with a user'"'"'s instruction;

a code of a second similarity calculation process for calculating similarity values between the specific image selected by the image selection process and the plurality of images stored in the storage unit; and

a code of a second search result display process for displaying search results on the basis of the similarity values calculated by the second similarity calculation process.

14. The medium according to claim 13, wherein said program further includes a code of a similar image list acquisition process for calculating similarity values between images stored in the storage unit, and acquiring the calculated similarity values as similar image lists in units of images.

15. The medium according to claim 13, wherein the first search result display process includes a code of matched image display position determination process for determining a display position of a matched image, which perfectly, matches the query condition, and a code of a first similar image display process for displaying similar images, which are similar to the matched image, to be separated farther away from the matched image as similarity values of the similar images are lower.

16. The medium according to claim 15, wherein said program further includes a code of a distribution information acquisition process for acquiring distribution information of the similar images, and a code of similar zone determination process for determining at least one similar zone for displaying the similar images on the basis of the distribution information.

17. The medium according to claim 13, wherein the second search result display process includes a code of a second similar image display process for displaying similar images, which are similar to the matched image, to be separated farther away from the matched image as similarity values of the similar images are lower.

18. The medium according to claim 13, wherein said program further includes a code of a query condition display process for displaying the query condition input by the query condition input process, and a code of a query condition clear process for clearing the query condition displayed by the query condition display process when the specific image is selected.