Searching images

• US 7,593,602 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2003
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Stentiford, Frederick W M
• Primary Examiner(s): Werner; Brian P
• Assistant Examiner(s): TORRES, JOSE
• Application Number:
  US10/537,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20060050993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,129 Days
• Field of Search: 382/305
• US Class Current: 382/305
• 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 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A database of visual images includes metadata having, for a particular image, at least one entry specifying: a part of that image, another stored image, and a measure S_abi of the degree of similarity between that specified part and the specified other image. One or more images are displayed and input is received from a user (for examples, by using a gaze tracker) indicative of part of the displayed images. Measures of interest are determined for each of a plurality of non-displayed stored images specified by the metadata for the displayed image(s), as a function of the similarity measure(s) and the relationship between the user input and the part specified. On the basis of these measures, a selection is made from those non-displayed stored images of further images for display.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of retrieval of stored images stored with metadata for at least some of the stored images, the stored metadata comprising at least one entry specifying (a) a part of the respective image, (b) another stored image, and (c) a measure of the degree of similarity between the specified part and the specified other stored image, the method comprising using a computer to perform the steps of:

i. displaying one or more images;

ii. receiving input from a user specifying a part of at least one of the displayed images;

iii. determining measures of interest for each of a plurality of non-displayed stored images specified by said metadata for the displayed image(s), as a function of (a) said stored measures of the degree of similarity and (b) the relationship between the user input and the respectively corresponding part specified;

iv. selecting from those non-displayed stored images, on the basis of the determined measures of interest, further images for display.

2. A method according to claim 1 in which the receiving of input from a user is performed by means operable to observe movement of the user'"'"'s eye.

3. A method according to claim 2 in which the user input identifies image locations and associated attention durations, and each measure of interest is the sum of individual measures for each identified location that is within a predetermined distance of a specified part, each said individual measure being a function of the attention duration that is associated with the identified location and the similarity measure that is associated with the specified part.

4. A method according to claim 3 in which each individual measure is the product of the duration and the similarity measure.

5. A method according to claim 1 in which the specified parts of the images are points within the images.

6. A method according to claim 1 in which the specified parts of the images are regions thereof.

7. A method according to claim 1 in which steps (ii) to (iv) are repeated at least once.

8. A method according to claim 1 further including the initial computer-implemented steps of:

receiving one or more external images;

generating said metadata in respect of the external image(s); and

displaying the external image(s).

9. A computer-implemented method of retrieval of stored digital images from a database comprising use of a computer to perform the steps of:

i. displaying one or more digital images from the database;

ii. receiving input from a user indicative of part of the displayed image(s);

iii. determining measures of interest for each of a plurality of non-displayed stored images from the database, said images specified by metadata for the displayed image(s); and

iv. selecting from those non-displayed stored images, on the basis of the determined measures, further images for display;

wherein;

the user input is received by gaze-tracking means operable to observe movement of the user'"'"'s eye and to output signals (x_g, y_g) indicating positions of fixation of the eye within the displayed images(s);

the stored images are stored with metadata comprising at least one entry specifying (a) a part of the respective image, (b) another stored image, and (c) a measure (S_abi) of the degree of similarity between the specified part and the specified other stored image; and

each said measure of interest (I_ab) for a non-displayed stored image is automatically determined as a function of the measures of the degree of similarity (S_abi) in respect to parts of the displayed image indicated by the signals (x_g, y_g) from the gaze tracking means.

10. A method according to claim 9 in which the gaze tracking means also identifies associated durations of fixation (t_g), and each measure of interest (I_ab) is a function also of the durations of fixation associated with the indicated parts of the image.

11. A method according to claim 10 in which each measure of interest (I_ab) is the sum of individual measures for each position of fixation that is within a predetermined distance (r) of a specified part, each said individual measure being a function of the duration of fixation (t_g) that is associated with the position of fixation and the similarity measure (S_abi) that is associated with the specified part.

12. A method according to claim 11 in which each individual measure is the product of the duration of fixation (t_g) and the measure of the degree of similarity (S_abi).

13. A method according to claim 9 in which the specified parts of the images are points within the images.

14. A method according to claim 9 in which the specified parts of the images are regions thereof.

15. A method according to claim 9 in which steps (ii) to (iv) are repeated at least once.

16. A method according to claim 9, further including the initial steps of:

adding one or more external images to the database; and

generating said metadata in respect of the external image(s).