Search apparatus and method, and program

• US 8,688,672 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2007
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ueno, Ichiro, Liao, Baiping, Tominaga, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): DANG, THANH HA T
• Application Number:
  US11/705,799
• Publication Number:
  US 20070203897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,604 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 5, 707/104.1, 707/706, 707/913, 707/915, 707/918
• US Class Current: 707/706
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters

Abstract

A search apparatus may include the following elements. A provisional search condition inputting unit inputs character string information as a provisional search condition. A character string/position correspondence information holding unit holds character string/position correspondence information including a correspondence between character string information and position information. A position information obtaining unit obtains position information corresponding to the character string information input as the provisional search condition from the character string/position correspondence information. A search object information storage unit stores search object information with additional information including at least position information. A searching unit performs a search for the position information of the search object information stored in the search object information storage means using the position information obtained by the position information obtaining unit as an actual search condition, and outputs search object information having the found position information as a search result satisfying the provisional search condition.

Claims

1. A search apparatus comprising:

a processor for;

inputting character string information as a provisional search condition;

holding character string/position correspondence information including a correspondence between character string information indicating a predetermined name of a location and position information;

searching position information by searching the character string/position correspondence information to obtain, as position information from the searching, the position information corresponding to the character string information indicating the predetermined name of a location which corresponds to the character string information input as the provisional search condition, wherein the position information is a reference position in a search area range view;

storing search object information of predetermined form having at least position information added thereto as additional information;

performing a search for the position information added to the search object information stored using the position information from the searching as an actual search condition, and outputting, as a search result satisfying the provisional search condition, search object information to which position information found by the search is added; and

controlling display of a search image list view as the search result searched and the search area range view including the reference position and a search range designation frame of a predetermined shape positioned with reference to the reference position in a same window.

2. The search apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the search result searched is a list of images.

3. The search apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is for controlling display of the search range designation frame on map information corresponding to the position information from the searching.

4. The search apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the search range designation frame has a rectangular shape.

5. The search apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the search range designation frame corresponds to the search result searched.

6. The search apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit determines a search area range from the searching in accordance with a size of the search range designation frame.

7. The search apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the search area range corresponds to a type of the character string information.

8. The search apparatus of claim 1, wherein the search range designation frame corresponds to a configuration of the search area range view.

9. The search apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the search range designation frame defines a range of positions corresponding to the search result searched displayed as the search image list view.

10. The search apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the character string/position correspondence information includes a correspondence between character string information indicating a predetermined name of a three-dimensional object and the position information.

11. A search method comprising:

inputting character string information;

searching position information by searching character string/position correspondence information including a correspondence between character string information indicating a predetermined name of a location and position information, to obtain, as position information from the searching, the position information corresponding to the character string information indicating the predetermined name of a location which corresponds to the character string information input as the provisional search condition, wherein the position information is a reference position in a search area range view; and

performing a search for another position information added as additional information to search object information of predetermined form using the position information from the searching as an actual search condition, and outputting, as a search result satisfying the provisional search condition, search object information to which position information found by the search is added; and

controlling display of a search image list view as the search result searched and a search area range view including the reference position and a search range designation frame of a predetermined shape positioned with reference to the reference position in a same window.

12. A program stored on a non-transitory storage medium executable by a computer for allowing a search apparatus to execute a process comprising:

inputting character string information as a provisional search condition;

searching position information by searching character string/position correspondence information including a correspondence between character string information indicating a predetermined name of a location and position information, to obtain, as position information from the searching, the position information corresponding to the character string information indicating the predetermined name of a location which corresponds to the character string information input as the provisional search condition, wherein the position information is a reference position in a search area range view;

performing a search for another position information added as additional information to search object information of predetermined form using the position information from the searching as an actual search condition, and outputting, as a search result satisfying the provisional search condition, search object information to which position information found by the search is added; and

controlling display of a search image list view as the search result searched and the search area range view including the reference position and a search range designation frame of a predetermined shape positioned with reference to the reference position in a same window.

13. A search apparatus comprising:

a provisional search condition inputting unit that inputs character string information as a provisional search condition;

a character string/position correspondence information holding unit that holds character string/position correspondence information including a correspondence between character string information indicating a predetermined name of a location and position information;

a position information searching unit that searches position information by searching the character string/position correspondence information to obtain, as position information from the searching by the position information searching unit, the position information corresponding to the character string information indicating the predetermined name of a location which corresponds to the character string information input as the provisional search condition, wherein the position information is a reference position in a search area range view;

a search object information storage unit that stores search object information of predetermined form having at least position information added thereto as additional information;

a searching unit that performs a search for the position information added to the search object information stored in the search object information storage unit using the position information from the searching by the position information searching unit as an actual search condition, and that outputs, as a search result satisfying the provisional search condition, search object information to which position information found by the search is added; and

a display control unit that controls a display unit to display a search image list view as the search result searched by the searching unit and the search area range view including the reference position and a search range designation frame of a predetermined shape positioned with reference to the reference in a same window.