US 2002/0178135 A1 · IMAGE SEARCHING SYSTEM AND IMAGE SEARCHING METHOD, AND A RECORDING MEDIUM STORING AN IMAGE SEARCHING PROGRAM

Abstract

An image searching system, an image searching method, and a medium storing an image searching program for improving search accuracy while reducing the user burden when searching for similar images based on a plurality of key images are disclosed. A plurality of feature quantity types is extracted from each of plural key images (S42), and feature quantities of the same type are compared between the key images to select those feature quantities having approximately equal values as the key image feature quantities to be used as search criteria (S43). Feature quantities in the target images are then extracted (S45) and a degree of similarity between the target image and key images is calculated based on a key image feature quantity and the same feature quantity in the target image (S46) Based on the resulting degree of similarity, target images having a high similarity to the key image are output as the search result (S47).

Claims30

Dependent claims

An image searching system comprising:

an image database storing a plurality of database images to be searched for;
a specifying controller for specifying a plurality of key images used to specify search conditions;
an extracting controller for extracting common feature values of common images from the plural key images specified by the specifying controller;
a calculating controller for comparing the common feature values, extracted by the extracting controller, with the feature values of the plural database images to thereby sequentially calculate similarities between the common feature values and the database image feature values;
and
a searching controller for retrieving from the database images one of the images which is similar to the key image, based on a similarity calculated by the calculating controller.

3 more elements

An image searching method which comprises the steps of:

storing a plurality of database images to be searched for in a database;
specifying a plurality of key images used to specify search conditions by means of a specifying controller;
extracting by means of an extracting controller, common feature values of common images from the plural key images specified by the specifying controller;
comparing by means of a calculating controller, the common feature values, extracted by the extracting controller, with the feature values of the plural database images to thereby sequentially calculate similarities between the common feature values and the database image feature values;
and
retrieving from the database images one of the images which is similar to the key image, based on a similarity calculated by the calculating controller, by means of a searching controller.

3 more elements

An image searching method which comprises the steps of:

storing a plurality of database images to be searched for in an image database;
specifying a plurality of key images used to specify search conditions by means of a specifying controller;
comparing all of the key images, specified by the specifying controller, with respective feature values of the database images to thereby calculate similarities therebetween, by means of a first calculating controller;
selecting by means of a second calculating controller, a particular key image from the plural key images specified by the specifying controller and for comparing the particular key image with the database images to thereby calculate similarities therebetween;
calculating, by means of a third calculating controller, a final similarity for use in searching based on the similarities calculated respectively by the first and second calculating controllers;
and
retrieving by means of a searching controller, one of the database images, which is similar to the particular key image, based on the final similarity calculated by the third calculating controller.

4 more elements

A recording medium storing therein a computer-executable image searching program, said program comprising:

storing a plurality of database images to be searched for in a database;
specifying a plurality of key images used to specify search conditions by means of a specifying controller;
extracting by means of an extracting controller, common feature values of common images from the plural key images specified by the specifying controller;
comparing by means of a calculating controller, the common feature values, extracted by the extracting controller, with the feature values of the plural database images to thereby sequentially calculate similarities between the common feature values and the database image feature values;
and
retrieving from the database images one of the images which is similar to the key image, based on a similarity calculated by the calculating controller, by means of a searching controller.

3 more elements

A recording medium storing therein a computer-executable image searching program, said program comprising:

storing a plurality of database images to be searched for in an image database;
specifying a plurality of key images used to specify search conditions by means of a specifying controller;
comparing all of the key images, specified by the specifying controller, with respective feature values of the database images to thereby calculate similarities therebetween, by means of a first calculating controller;
selecting by means of a second calculating controller, a particular key image from the plural key images specified by the specifying controller and for comparing the particular key image with the database images to thereby calculate similarities therebetween;
calculating, by means of a third calculating controller, a final similarity for use in searching based on the similarities calculated respectively by the first and second calculating controllers;
and
retrieving by means of a searching controller, one of the database images, which is similar to the particular key image, based on the final similarity calculated by the third calculating controller.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Image searching system and image searching method, and a recording medium storing an image searching program

Life of this patent

Image searching system and image searching method, and a recording medium storing an image searching program

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims30