Search supporting system, search supporting method and search supporting program

• US 9,934,251 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2012
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Inoue, Hideya, Iwaoka, Toru, Noborisaka, Michiko, Hatori, Masayuki, Hamada, Tomohide, Iwasaki, Yutaka, Sasaki, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): Haq, Naeem U
• Application Number:
  US13/629,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20130022275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,014 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/583 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/5838 using colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

In a database, product image data is accumulated. A search portion acquires product image data having the image characteristics information that is the same as or similar to the image characteristics information that indicates the characteristics of the image of input image data from the database for the input image data. A search server outputs information on another product that is different from the product corresponding to the product image data together with the product image data acquired by the search portion.

Claims

1. A search supporting system comprising:

a memory that stores instructions; and

a computer that is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory to;

receive an input image,

extract a contour of the input image and generate image data of the contour,

determine a product type of a target based on the image data of the contour,

search a database, based on the type of the target and on preference information of a user, to select a first target image that best coincides with the contour by comparing image characteristics information that represents characteristics of an image of the image data of the contour with image characteristics information that represents characteristics of the first target image that is included in the database, the preference information being accumulated in the database for each of a plurality of product types, and

output, together with the first target image, a second target image on a display, the second target image being different from the first target image and being from the database.

2. The search supporting system according to claim 1, wherein the preference information includes at least one of form, color, shape, and texture.

3. The search supporting system according to claim 1,

wherein target information is stored in the database in association with the first target image, and

wherein the target information associated with the first target image is output.

4. The search supporting system according to claim 3, wherein the target information includes at least one of a name, a sales store, and a price.

5. The search supporting system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a user terminal that provides the input image; and

a server device that includes the memory, the computer and the database.

6. The search supporting system according to claim 1, wherein the second target is of the same type as the first target.

7. The search supporting system according to claim 1, wherein the second target is of a different type than the first target.

8. The search supporting system according to claim 1,

wherein

the second target is of a type that is different than the type of the first target and that can be combined with the first target.

9. The search supporting system according to claim 8,

wherein the second target image is extracted based on the preference information that is accumulated in the database.

10. The search supporting system according to claim 8,

wherein the computer is further configured to:

generate a composed image acquired by composing the first target image and the second target image, and

output the composed image on the display.

11. The search supporting system according to claim 8, further comprising:

a user terminal that provides the input image; and

a server device that includes the memory, the computer and the database.

12. The search supporting system according to claim 1,

wherein

the second target is of a different type that can be purchased in combination with the first target with high probability.

13. The search supporting system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a user terminal that provides the input image; and

a server device that includes the memory, the computer and the database.

14. The search supporting system according to claim 1, wherein the input image data is input by a user terminal.

15. The search supporting system according to claim 1, wherein the input image data is stored in a user terminal in advance.

16. A method of supporting a search, the method being performed by a computer executing instructions stored in a memory, the method comprising:

receiving an input image;

extracting a contour of the input image and generating image data of the contour;

determining a product type of a target based on the image data of the contour;

searching a database, based on the type of the target and on preference information of a user, to select a first target image that best coincides with the contour by comparing image characteristics information that represents characteristics of an image of the image data of the contour with image characteristics information that represents characteristics of the first target image, the preference information being accumulated in the database for each of a plurality of product types; and

outputting, together with the first target image, a second target image on a display, the second target image being different from the first target image and being from the database.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores a search supporting program that causes a computer to perform the operations of:

receiving an input image;

extracting a contour of the input image and generating image data of the contour;

determining a product type of a target based on the image data of the contour;

searching a database, based on the type of the target and on preference information of a user, to select a first target image that best coincides with the contour by comparing image characteristics information that represents characteristics of an image of the image data of the contour with image characteristics information that represents characteristics of the first target image, the preference information being accumulated in the database for each of a plurality of product types; and

outputting, together with the first target image, a second target image on a display, the second target image being different from the first target image and being from the database.