SEARCH SYSTEM USING IMAGES

• US 20100023507A1
• Filed: 06/22/2009
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Odd Concepts, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jeong-Tae Kim
• Inventors: Moon, Sang-Whan, Ahn, Jin-Myeong, Kim, Jeong-Tae
• Granted Patent: US 8,103,692 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: N/A
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour

Abstract

A search system using images is provided in which when a user does not know a relevant URL or search keyword correctly while surfing the Internet, he or she can search a desired website using only an image. The search system using images according to the present invention comprises an image search server and a user terminal. The image search system comprises: an image conversion section for converting the image included in the website information and the to-be-searched image uploaded by the user into search format images; an image search section for comparing eigen values of both the to-be-searched image uploaded by the user and the search image included in the website information and detecting the website information having a matching eigen value; and a storage section for storing the detected website information, the image included in the website information, and information regarding eigen values.

Claims

1. A search system using images comprising an image search server for searching for an image included in website information, and a user terminal for allowing a user to register and upload a to-be-searched image in the image search server, wherein the image search system comprises:

an image conversion section for converting the image included in the website information and the to-be-searched image uploaded by the user into search format images, the image conversion section including a unit color management module for extracting the number of and the ratio between unit colors included in both the image included in the website information and the to-be-searched image uploaded by the user, as eigen values;

an image search section for comparing an eigen value of the to-be-searched image uploaded by the user, which has been extracted in the image conversion section 120 with an eigen value of the search image included in the website information, which has been extracted in the image conversion section, and detecting the website information having a matching eigen value; and

a storage section for storing the detected website information, the image included in the website information, and information regarding eigen values for the converted search format images.

2. The search system according to claim 1, wherein the image conversion section further comprises a hash value management module for extracting hash values for initial files of the image included in the website information and the to-be-searched image uploaded by the user as eigen values.

3. The search system according to claim 1, wherein the image search section further comprises an entire/partial matching selection module for adjusting an error range for a comparison result of the compared eigen values.

4. The search system according to claim 1, wherein the image conversion section further comprises a non-compression format conversion module for converting the image included in the website information and the to-be-searched image uploaded by the user into non-compression format images.

5. The search system according to claim 4, wherein the image conversion section further comprises a hash value management module for extracting hash values for initial files of the image included in the website information and the to-be-searched image uploaded by the user as eigen values.

6. The search system according to claim 4, wherein the image search section further comprises an entire/partial matching selection module for adjusting an error range for a comparison result of the compared eigen values.

7. The search system according to claim 1, wherein the image conversion section further comprises a collective region management module for extracting the number of colors and a degree of collection for the ratio between the colors at a certain region formed by collecting pixels in a similar relation among unit colors included in both the image included in the website information and the to-be-searched image uploaded by the user, as eigen values.

8. The search system according to claim 7, wherein the image conversion section further comprises a hash value management module for extracting hash values for initial files of the image included in the website information and the to-be-searched image uploaded by the user as eigen values.

9. The search system according to claim 7, wherein the image search section further comprises an entire/partial matching selection module for adjusting an error range for a comparison result of the compared eigen values.

10. The search system according to claim 1, wherein the image conversion section further comprises a representative color management module for reducing the image included in the website information and the to-be-searched image uploaded by the user at an arbitrary fixed ratio, reconstructing each of the reduced images in a representative color among the colors of respective pixels based on an arbitrarily simplified color palette, and extracting the reconstructed representative color as the eigen value.

11. The search system according to claim 10, wherein the image conversion section further comprises a hash value management module for extracting hash values for initial files of the image included in the website information and the to-be-searched image uploaded by the user as eigen values.

12. The search system according to claim 10, wherein the image search section further comprises an entire/partial matching selection module for adjusting an error range for a comparison result of the compared eigen values.

13. The search system according to claim 1, wherein the image conversion section further comprises a linear/multi-linear pattern management module for extracting the linear/multi-linear pattern information between single/plural patterns in the pattern unit as the eigen value based on the value designated to the color of each pixel in the image included in the website information and the to-be-searched image uploaded by the user in the case where the values of a linear or multi-linear pattern (a face defined by a plurality of lines adjacent to each other or a plurality of lines not adjacent to each other) of pixels, or the colors in a similar and specific relation are adjacent to each other in a pixel unit.

14. The search system according to claim 13, wherein the image conversion section further comprises a hash value management module for extracting a hash value for an initial file of the image included in the website information and the to-be-searched image uploaded by the user as an eigen value.

15. The search system according to claim 13, wherein the image search section further comprises an entire/partial matching selection module for adjusting an error range for a comparison result of the compared eigen values.

16. The search system according to claim 1, wherein the image search server further comprises:

a web service section for providing an Internet access service and then transmitting website information including a search image, in which the to-be-searched image of a user is registered, to the user terminal to allow the user terminal to output the transmitted website information; and

a search engine for searching for the website information.

17. The search system according to claim 1, wherein the image search server comprises a search image registering interface screen for allowing the user terminal connected thereto through the Internet to register the search image.