Computer-readable storage medium storing image processing program, image processing method, and image processing device

An image processing method comprising:

• acquiring the same object identification information item included in a plurality of image data items by referring to a storage unit that stores the image data items, object identification information items for identifying objects included in each of the image data items, and location information items for identifying locations of the objects in the image data items in association with one another;
• acquiring the location information items regarding the object identified by the acquired object identification information item in the image data items by referring to the storage unit;
• computing, by a processor, a difference between the acquired location information items;
• comparing the difference between the location information items with a predetermined threshold value;
• and
• determining whether the image data items are to be in the same group on the basis of a result of comparison of the difference between the location information items and the predetermined threshold value.

An image processing device comprising:

• an object name attaching unit configured to, in response to input of an image information sequence including a plurality of image information items that record information indicating objects including an image of a physical body, attach an object name to each of the objects recorded in at least some of the image information items included in the image information sequence;
• a tentative group forming unit configured to form a plurality of tentative groups each including at least one of the image information items that is subjected to a process performed by the object name attaching unit;
• a similarity evaluation unit configured to evaluate a similarity between the neighboring tentative groups in the image information sequence using features extracted from the objects having the same object name attached thereto;
• a group combining unit configured to form at least one final group from the image sequence by combining the neighboring tentative groups having a similarity that is evaluated to be higher than a reference indicated by a first threshold value by the similarity evaluation unit;
• and
• a meta data attaching unit configured to attach, to at least one of the final groups, meta data indicating an event represented by an image included in the final group on the basis of at least some of the object names attached to the objects recorded in the image information in the final group;
• wherein the similarity evaluation unit determines whether each of the objects recorded in the image information included in the tentative group is a background object indicating an environment of an event represented by the image information included in the tentative group or a foreground object that changes in the event, and wherein the similarity evaluation unit performs evaluation on the basis of the similarity computed using a feature extracted from at least one of the objects selected from among the objects determined to be background objects in the image information included in the tentative group.