Image retrieval apparatus image retrieval method, product catalog generation system, and recording medium

An image retrieval method comprising:

• acquiring a digital image to be processed, the digital image to be processed including at least one article;
• specifying, as an association image, a product image of a product having an evaluation value that has a predetermined relationship with an evaluation value of the article included in the digital image to be processed, from among product images of a plurality of products each belonging to a particular category, the particular category being different from a category to which the article included in the digital image to be processed belongs;
• outputting the digital image to be processed and the specified association image in association with each other;
• and
• printing out a first map in which a product image of a product belonging to the same category as the category to which the article included in the digital image to be processed belongs is plotted at a position corresponding to an evaluation value of the product, and a second map in which a product image of a product belonging to the particular category is plotted at a position corresponding to an evaluation value of the product.

A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing computer readable code that, when executed by processing circuitry, causes the processing circuitry to perform a method, comprising:

• acquiring a digital image to be processed, the digital image to be processed including at least one article;
• specifying, as an association image, a product image of a product having an evaluation value that has a predetermined relationship with an evaluation value of the article included in the digital image to be processed, from among product images of a plurality of products each belonging to a particular category, the particular category being different from a category to which the article included in the digital image to be processed belongs;
• outputting the digital image to be processed and the specified association image in association with each other;
• and
• printing out a first map in which a product image of a product belonging to the same category as the category to which the article included in the digital image to be processed belongs is plotted at a position corresponding to an evaluation value of the product, and a second map in which a product image of a product belonging to the particular category is plotted at a position corresponding to an evaluation value of the product.