Image search device and image search method

An image search method performed by a computer to output an image searched for from among a plurality of images, said image search method comprising:

• receiving a first image including first information and a second image including second information;
• computing, as an interpolation range, a range of an area including a first photographing location of the first image obtained from the first information and a second photographing location of the second image obtained from the second information;
• inferring imaging content of an interpolation image to be used for an interpolation between the first photographing location and the second photographing location, based on (i) a degree of association between the first image and an image which is among the plurality of images and belongs to the interpolation range computed by said computing, and (ii) a degree of association between the second image and the image which is among the plurality of images and belongs to the interpolation range computed by said computing, the degrees of association indicating a degree of association between images and being stored in a degree-of-association database;
• obtaining the interpolation image from among the plurality of images using the imaging content inferred by said inferring;
• and
• outputting the interpolation image obtained by said obtaining

A program for outputting an image searched for from among a plurality of images, said program causing a computer to execute:

• receiving a first image including first information and a second image including second information;
• computing, as an interpolation range, a range of an area including a first photographing location of the first image obtained from the first information and a second photographing location of the second image obtained from the second information;
• inferring imaging content of an interpolation image to be used for an interpolation between the first photographing location and the second photographing location, based on (i) a degree of association between the first image and an image which is among the plurality of images and belongs to the interpolation range computed by said computing, and (ii) a degree of association between the second image and the image which is among the plurality of images and belongs to the interpolation range computed by said computing, the degrees of association indicating a degree of association between images and being stored in a degree-of-association database;
• obtaining the interpolation image from among the plurality of images using the imaging content inferred by said inferring;
• and
• outputting the interpolation image obtained by said obtaining

An image inferring device which infers an image to be searched for from among a plurality of images, said image inferring device comprising:

• a degree-of-association database which stores a degree of association each indicating a degree of association between images;
• an interpolation range computing unit configured to compute, as an interpolation range, a range of an area including a first photographing location of a first image and a second photographing location of a second image;
• and
• an imaging content inferring unit configured to infer imaging content of an interpolation image to be used for an interpolation between the first photographing location and the second photographing location, based on (i) the degree of association between the first image and an image which is among the plurality of images and belongs to the interpolation range computed by said interpolation range computing unit and (ii) the degree of association between the second photographing location and the image which is among the plurality of images and belongs to the interpolation range computed by said interpolation range computing unit, the degrees of association being stored in the degree-of-association database.