Apparatus, method and program for image search

• US 20070077025A1
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Mino, Kazuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,358,902 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/241
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/532 Query formulation, e.g. graphical querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour

Abstract

One or more representative images extracted from an image group comprising a plurality of images is/are displayed. A part or all of the representative image or images, such as a main subject region or a background region including a search target, is/are selected from the representative image or images, and used for setting search conditions. The image group is searched for an image or images agreeing with the search conditions having been set.

Claims

1. An image search apparatus comprising:

display means for displaying one or more representative images extracted from an image group comprising a plurality of images;

search condition setting means for setting search conditions by using a part or all of the representative image or images selected therefrom; and

search means for searching the image group for an image agreeing with the search conditions having been set.

2. The image search apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the search condition setting means sets a position in the part of the representative image or images as one of the search conditions.

3. The image search apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising region extraction means for extracting a main subject region and/or a background region from the representative image or images as a candidate or candidates for selection of the part or all of the representative image or images and for causing the extracted region or regions to become selectable.

4. The image search apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the search condition setting means has a function for carrying out image processing on the part or all of the representative image or images having been selected, and sets the search conditions by using the part or all of the representative image or images having been subjected to the image processing.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the search condition setting means adds search priority as one of the search conditions to the part or all of the representative image or images having been selected.

6. An image search method comprising the steps of:

displaying one or more representative images extracted from an image group comprising a plurality of images;

setting search conditions by using a part or all of the representative image or images selected therefrom; and

searching the image group for an image agreeing with the search conditions having been set.

7. A program causing a computer to execute an image search method comprising the procedures of:

displaying one or more representative images extracted from an image group comprising a plurality of images;

setting search conditions by using a part or all of the representative image or images selected therefrom; and

searching the image group for an image agreeing with the search conditions having been set.