SYSTEM, APPARATUS, AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING ILLEGAL USE RESEARCH SERVICE FOR IMAGE DATA, AND SYSTEM, APPARATUS, AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING PROPER USE RESEARCH SERVICE FOR IMAGE DATA

• US 20090177628A1
• Filed: 10/29/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hiroyuki Yanagisawa, Yasushi Yamamoto, Yoshiaki Nishizaki
• Original Assignee: Hiroyuki Yanagisawa, Yasushi Yamamoto, Yoshiaki Nishizaki
• Inventors: YANAGISAWA, Hiroyuki, Yamamoto, Yasushi, Nishizaki, Yoshiaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,121,410 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5854 using shape and object relationship
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

In a system for providing an illegal use research service for image data, the image data received from a terminal apparatus is registered as a research subject, a research condition for research whether or not the image data being registered is illegally used by a Web site on the network is set, image data that are identical or similar to the image data being the research subject from a web site on the network are searched for based on a feature amount and the research condition, and a search result is informed as a research report to the research client using said terminal apparatus.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A server apparatus for conducting an illegal use research of image data requiring a use permit, said server apparatus comprising:

a research subject registering part registering image data received from the research client as a research subject to a research subject database for each research client;

a research condition setting part setting a research condition for research whether or not the image data being registered are illegally used by a Web site on a network;

a similar image searching part calculating a feature amount of the mage data registered by said research subject registering part, and searching for image data being identical or similar to the image data of the research subject based on the feature amount being calculated and the research condition; and

a search result informing part informing a search result by said similar image searching part as a research report to the research client.

17. A method for providing an illegal use research service for image data by a server apparatus connectable to a client apparatus used by a research client requesting the illegal use research for the image data requiring a use permit through a network, said method comprising the steps of:

registering image data received from the client apparatus as research subject to a research subject database for each research client;

setting a research condition for researching whether or not the image data being registered are illegally used;

calculating a feature amount of the image data being registered in said registering image data and searching for image data being identical or similar to the image data of the research subject based on the feature amount being calculated and the research condition; and

informing a search result as a research subject to the research client using the terminal apparatus.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein said feature amount of at least one of a color, a pattern, a shape, and a layout of the image data as a subject of the illegal use research is calculated.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein information concerning a user, who received the use permit of the use permit, and identification information of a Web site managed by the user is registered with the image data as the subject of the illegal use research and the feature amount of the image data to the research subject database for each research client.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the research condition, which excludes the Web site managed by the user being registered in the research subject database from the subject of the illegal use research, can be set.

21. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein as the research condition, at least one of a data format, a data capacity, and a data size of the image data as the subject of the illegal use research can be set.

22. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein as the research condition, at least one of a domain type, a page type, and a page layer of the Web site as the subject of the illegal use research can be set.

23. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein when image data being identical or similar to the image data as the research subject are searched for, a predetermined range is set for the feather amount of the image data registered in the research subject database, image data having the feature amount being within the predetermined range are searched for as a similar image from image data included in the Web site on the network, and the image data searched as the similar image and identification information of the Web site including the image data are obtained.

24. The method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising the step of circulating the Web site on the network, calculating the feature amount of the image data included in the Web site being circulated, and registering information concerning the calculated feature amount to the feature amount database by relating to the identification information of the Web site,

wherein when image data being identical or similar to the image data as the research subject, a predetermined range is set for the feature amount of the image data registered in the research subject database, the feature amount being within the predetermined range is searched from the feature amounts registered in the feature amount database, and as a result, the image data corresponding to the feature amount being searched and identification information of the Web site including the image data.

25. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein when the similar image is searched for, the similarity degree is set based on the feature amount with respect to the image data obtained as a similar image, and

wherein when the search result is displayed and informed at the terminal apparatus, image data are sorted in an order of a higher similarity degree, the sorted image data are displayed with image information including at least the identification information of the Web site including the image data and the similarity degree of the image data.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the text examples, of which contents are different each other, of the warning e-mail are stored in a text example database, and when the warning e-mail is sent to the Web site including the similar image being searched, a text example corresponding to the similarity degree of the similar image is selected from the text example database, the selected text example is set to the warning e-mail, and the warning e-mail setting the selected text example is sent to an e-mail address included in the Web site.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein before the warning e-mail setting the selected text example from the text example database is sent to the e-mail address included in the Web site, the warning e-mail is sent to the client apparatus of the research client, and the warning e-mail is sent to the e-mail address included in the Web site after the research client approves or modifies the content of the warning e-mail.

28. (canceled)

29. A program product for causing a computer to function as a server apparatus for conducting an illegal use research of image data requiring a use permit, said program product comprising the codes for:

registering image data received from the research client as a research subject to a research subject database for each research client;

setting a research condition for research whether or not the image data being registered are illegally used by a Web site on a network;

calculating a feature amount of the mage data registered by said registering image data, and searching for image data being identical or similar to the image data of the research subject based on the feature amount being calculated and the research condition; and

informing a search result by said searching as a research report to the research client.

30. A program product for causing a computer to an illegal use research service for image data by a server apparatus connectable to a client apparatus used by a research client requesting the illegal use research for the image data requiring a use permit through a network, said program product comprising the codes for:

registering image data received from the client apparatus as research subject to a research subject database for each research client;

setting a research condition for researching whether or not the image data being registered are illegally used;

calculating a feature amount of the image data being registered in said registering image data and searching for image data being identical or similar to the image data of the research subject based on the feature amount being calculated and the research condition; and

informing a search result as a research subject to the research client using the terminal apparatus.

31. A computer-readable recording medium recorded with a program for causing a computer to an illegal use research service for image data by a server apparatus connectable to a client apparatus used by a research client requesting the illegal use research for the image data requiring a use permit through a network, said program comprising the codes for:

registering image data received from the client apparatus as research subject to a research subject database for each research client;

setting a research condition for researching whether or not the image data being registered are illegally used;

calculating a feature amount of the image data being registered in said registering image data and searching for image data being identical or similar to the image data of the research subject based on the feature amount being calculated and the research condition; and

informing a search result as a research subject to the research client using the terminal apparatus.

32-45. -45. (canceled)

46. A server apparatus for conducting a proper use research of image data permitted to use, said server apparatus comprising:

a research subject registering part registering image data received from the research client as a research subject to a research subject database for each research client;

a research condition setting part setting a research condition for research whether or not the image data being registered are properly used by a research subject Web site on a network;

a similar image searching part calculating a feature amount of the mage data registered by said research subject registering part, and searching for image data being identical or similar to the image data of the research subject based on the feature amount being calculated and the research condition; and

a search result informing part informing a search result by said similar image searching part as a research report to the research client.

47. A method for providing a proper use research service for image data by a server apparatus connectable to a client apparatus used by a research client requesting the proper use research for the image data permitted to use through a network, said method comprising the steps of:

registering image data received from the client apparatus as research subject to a research subject database for each research client;

setting a research condition for researching whether or not the image data being registered are properly used;

calculating a feature amount of the image data being registered in said registering image data and searching for image data being identical or similar to the image data of the research subject based on the feature amount being calculated and the research condition; and

informing a search result as a research subject to the research client using the terminal apparatus.

48. The method as claimed in claim 47, wherein said feature amount of at least one of a color, a pattern, a shape, and a layout of the image data as a subject of the proper use research is calculated.

49. The method as claimed in claim 47, wherein as the research condition, at least one of a data format, a data capacity, and a data size of the image data as the subject of the proper use research can be set.

50. The method as claimed in claim 47, wherein as the research condition, at least one of a domain type, a page type, and a page layer of the Web site as the subject of the proper use research can be set.

51. The method as claimed in claim 47, wherein in said registering image data registers use agreement information concerning a use agreement of the image data contracted between the research client and the user who received the user permit from the research client, to the research subject database, and said searching for image data includes a checking whether or not image data included in the research subject Web site on the network is used in accordance with the contract contents regulated in the use agreement information.

52. The method as claimed in claim 47, wherein a predetermined range for the feature amount of the image data being registered in the research subject can be set when searching for image data which are identical or similar to the image data being research subject, image data having the feature amount being within the predetermined range can be searched for from image data included in the research subject Web site on the network as a similar image, and the image data searched as the similar imaged and identification information of the research subject Web site including the image data can be specified.

53. The method as claimed in claim 47, further comprising the step of circulating a research subject Web site on the network periodically, calculating the feature amount form the image data included in the research subject Web site being circulated, and registering information concerning the feature amount being calculated to a feature amount database by associating the information with identification information of the research subject Web site, wherein a predetermined range for the feature amount of the image data being registered in the search subject database can be set when searching for image data being identical or similar to the image data being the research subject, the feature amount being within the predetermined range can be searched for from the feature amounts registered in the feature amount database, and the image data corresponding to the feature amount being searched and the identification information of the research subject Web site including the image data as a search result can be specified.

54. The method as claimed in claim 52, wherein:

a proper degree with respect to image data obtained as the similar image based on the feature amount of the image data can be set; and

image data can be sorted in an order of a higher proper degree when displaying and informing the search result at the terminal apparatus, and the image data being sorted can be displayed with image information including at least one of the identification information of the research subject Web site, the proper degree of the image data, and comment information concerning the image data

55. The method as claimed in claim 54, wherein:

text examples showing different contents for a communication e-mail corresponding to the proper degree set for each image data are store in a text example database beforehand;

the communication e-mail is sent to the research subject Web site including the similar image; and

when the communication e-mail is sent to the research subject Web site including the similar image, one text example corresponding to the proper degree of the similar image is selected from the text example database, the selected text example is set to the communication e-mail, and the communication e-mail setting the selected text example is sent to an e-mail address included in the research subject Web site.

56. The method as claimed in claim 55, wherein the communication e-mail setting the selected text example from the text example database is sent to the terminal apparatus of the research client before the communication e-mail is sent to the e-mail address included in the research subject Web site, and the communication e-mail is sent to the e-mail address included in the research subject Web site after the research client confirms or modifies contents of the communication e-mail.

57. (canceled)

58. A program product for causing a computer to conduct a proper use research of image data permitted to use, said program product comprising the codes for:

registering image data received from the research client as a research subject to a research subject database for each research client;

setting a research condition for research whether or not the image data being registered are properly used by a research subject Web site on a network;

calculating a feature amount of the mage data being registered, and searching for image data being identical or similar to the image data of the research subject based on the feature amount being calculated and the research condition; and

informing a search result by said similar image searching part as a research report to the research client.

59. A program product for causing a computer to execute a method for providing a proper use research service for image data by a server apparatus connectable to a client apparatus used by a research client requesting the proper use research for the image data permitted to use through a network, said program product comprising the codes for:

registering image data received from the client apparatus as research subject to a research subject database for each research client;

setting a research condition for researching whether or not the image data being registered are properly used;

calculating a feature amount of the image data being registered in said registering image data and searching for image data being identical or similar to the image data of the research subject based on the feature amount being calculated and the research condition; and

informing a search result as a research subject to the research client using the terminal apparatus.

60. (canceled)