Information Retrieving System, Information Retrieving Method, Information Retrieving Apparatus, Information Retrieving Program, Image Recognizing Apparatus Image Recognizing Method Image Recognizing Program and Sales

An information retrieving method of retrieving information according to image data, comprising the steps of:

• causing a terminal unit to obtain image data;
• transmitting the image data obtained at the image data obtaining step from the terminal unit to a communication network;
• receiving the image data transmitted at the transmitting step through the network;
• retrieving recognizing image data that match an image element of the image data with a high match rate from a first database according to the image data received at the receiving step, retrievable recognizing image data being registered in the first database;
• and
• extracting meta data from a second database corresponding to a retrieved result at the retrieving step, the meta data corresponding to the recognizing image data registered in the first database being registered in the second database,
• wherein the terminal unit can browse the meta data extracted at the meta data extracting step through the communication network.

An information retrieval apparatus which retrieves information according to image data, comprising:

• a first database in which retrievable recognizing image data are registered;
• a second database in which meta data corresponding to the recognizing image data registered to the first database are registered;
• receiving means for receiving image data transmitted from a terminal unit through a communication network;
• retrieving means for retrieving the recognizing image data that match an image element of the image data with a high match rate from the first database according to the image data received by the receiving means;
• and
• meta data extracting means for extracting the meta data from the second database according to a retrieved result of the retrieving means,
• wherein the terminal unit can browse the meta data extracted by the meta data extracting means through the communication network.

An information retrieval method of retrieving information according to image data, comprising the steps of:

• receiving image data transmitted from a terminal unit through a communication network;
• retrieving recognizing image data that match an image element of the image data with a high match rate from a first database according to the image data received at the receiving step, retrievable recognizing image data being registered in the first database;
• and
• extracting meta data from a second database according to a retrieved result at the retrieving step, the meta data corresponding to the recognizing image data registered to the first database being registered in the second database,
• wherein the terminal unit can browse the meta data extracted at the meta data extracting step through the communication network.

An information retrieving program which causes a computer unit to execute an information retrieving method of retrieving information according to image data, the information retrieving method comprising the steps of:

• receiving image data transmitted from a terminal unit through a communication network;
• retrieving recognizing image data that match an image element of the image data with a high match rate from a first database according to the image data received at the receiving step, retrievable recognizing image data being registered in the first database;
• and
• extracting meta data from a second database according to a retrieved result at the retrieving step, the meta data corresponding to the recognizing image data registered to the first database being registered in the second database,
• wherein the terminal unit can browse the meta data extracted at the meta data extracting step through the communication network.

An image recognizing apparatus which recognizes a predetermined shape from image data, comprising:

• a first database in which retrievable recognizing image data are registered;
• a second database in which meta data of the recognizing image data registered to the first database are registered;
• retrieving means for retrieving the recognizing image data that match an image element of the image data with a high match rate from the first database according to input image data;
• and
• meta data extracting means for extracting the meta data from the second database according to a retrieved result of the retrieving means.

A sales system, comprising:

• a terminal unit which obtains image data and transmits them to a communication network;
• a server unit which can communicate with the communication network and outputs meta data of image data according thereto;
• and
• a product sales section which can provide related information of the meta data and/or a product,
• wherein the server unit charges the terminal unit, outputs the meta data according to the image data transmitted from the terminal unit so that it can browse the meta data, and introduces the terminal unit as a customer to the product sales section,
• wherein the product sales section provides related information that the terminal unit can browse and/or a product to the terminal unit introduced as the customer, and
• wherein the terminal unit pays the product sales section for the provided information and/or product.

A sales system, comprising:

• a terminal unit which obtains image data and transmits them to a communication network;
• a server unit which can communicate with the communication network and outputs meta data of image data according thereto;
• and
• a product sales section which can provide related information of the meta data and/or a product,
• wherein the server unit outputs the meta data according to the image data transmitted from the terminal unit so that it can browse the meta data,
• wherein the terminal unit pays the server unit for related information of the meta data that the terminal unit can browse and/or a product,
• wherein the server unit pays the product sales section for a part of the related information and/or the product, and
• wherein the product sales section provides the related information and/or the product to the terminal unit.

A sales system, comprising:

• a terminal unit which obtains image data and transmits them to a communication network;
• a server unit which can communicate with the communication network and outputs meta data of image data according thereto;
• and
• a product sales section which can provide related information of the meta data and/or a product,
• wherein the terminal unit transmits the image data to the product sales section,
• wherein the product sales section obtains meta data according to the image data transmitted from the terminal unit through the server unit and pays the server unit for a rental fee,
• wherein the product sales section allows the terminal unit to browse the meta data according to the image data transmitted from the terminal unit through the server unit, and
• wherein the terminal unit pays the product sales section for related information of the meta data that the terminal unit can browse and/or a product.