Retrieval support system, retrieval support method and retrieval support program

A retrieval support method comprising:

• a similar item retrieval process of acquiring a commodity item having image characteristic information which is the same as or similar to image characteristic information about an input image, from a commodity information database;
• a combination retrieval process of retrieving a different commodity item which is combined for use with the commodity item acquired in the similar item retrieval process, from a combination information database;
• and
• a condition setting process of setting a retrieval condition including at least one of time information relating to time, place information relating to places and occasion information relating to occasions,
• wherein in at least one of the similar item retrieval process and the combination retrieval process, retrieval is performed based on the retrieval condition set in the condition setting process.

A computer-executable retrieval support program which causes operations to be executed in a computer, the operations comprising:

• a similar item retrieval process of acquiring a commodity item having image characteristic information which is the same as or similar to image characteristic information about an input image, from a commodity information database;
• a combination retrieval process of retrieving a different commodity item which is combined for use with the commodity item acquired in the similar item retrieval process, from a combination information database;
• and
• a condition setting process of setting a retrieval condition including at least one of time information relating to time, place information relating to places and occasion information relating to occasions,
• wherein in at least one of the similar item retrieval process and the combination retrieval process, retrieval is performed based on the retrieval condition set in the condition setting process.

A retrieval support system comprising:

• a database which stores commodity image data;
• a retrieval unit which acquires commodity image data having image characteristic information which is the same as or similar to image characteristic information indicating a characteristic in an image of input image data, from the database, with respect to the input image data;
• and
• a condition setting unit which sets a retrieval condition including at least one of time information relating to time, place information relating to places and occasion information relating to occasions,
• wherein the retrieval unit performs retrieval of the commodity image data based on the retrieval condition set by the condition setting unit, and
• wherein the commodity image data acquired by the retrieval unit and information relating to a commodity different from a commodity corresponding to the commodity image data are output together.

A retrieval support method comprising:

• a condition setting process of setting a retrieval condition including at least one of time information relating to time, place information relating to places and occasion information relating to occasions;
• a retrieval process of retrieving commodity image data having image characteristic information which is the same as or similar to image characteristic information indicating a characteristic in an image of input image data, from a database, and acquiring the commodity image data based on the retrieval condition set in the condition setting process, with respect to the input image data;
• and
• a process of outputting together the commodity image data acquired in the retrieval process and information relating to a commodity different from a commodity corresponding to the commodity image data.

A computer-executable retrieval support program which causes operations to be executed in a computer, the operations comprising:

• a condition setting process of setting a retrieval condition including at least one of time information relating to time, place information relating to places and occasion information relating to occasions;
• a retrieval process of retrieving commodity image data having image characteristic information which is the same as or similar to image characteristic information indicating a characteristic in an image of input image data, from a database, and acquiring the commodity image data based on the retrieval condition set in the condition setting process, with respect to the input image data;
• and
• a process of outputting together the commodity image data acquired in the retrieval process and information relating to a commodity different from a commodity corresponding to the commodity image data.

A retrieval support system comprising:

• a database which stores object image data relating to an object which is retrieved by a user;
• an extraction unit which extracts a retrieved part of input image data which is input;
• a retrieval unit which compares image characteristic information indicating a characteristic in an image of the image data in the retrieved part with image characteristic information indicating a characteristic in an image of the object image data in the database, and acquires object image data which matches or has a high similarity to the image data in the retrieved part from the database;
• and
• a condition setting unit which sets a retrieval condition including at least one of time information relating to time, place information relating to places and occasion information relating to occasions,
• wherein the retrieval unit performs retrieval of the object image data based on the retrieval condition set by the condition setting unit.

A retrieval support method comprising:

• an extraction process of extracting a retrieved part of an object in input image data which is input;
• a condition setting process of setting a retrieval condition including at least one of time information relating to time, place information relating to places and occasion information relating to occasions;
• and
• a retrieval process of comparing the image data in the retrieved part with object image data stored in a database, extracting object image data which matches or has a high similarity to the image data in the retrieved part from the database, and performing retrieval of the object image data based on the retrieval condition set in the condition setting process.

A computer-executable retrieval support program which causes an operation to be executed in a computer, the operation comprising:

• an extraction process of extracting a retrieved part of an object in input image data which is input;
• a condition setting process of setting a retrieval condition including at least one of time information relating to time, place information relating to places and occasion information relating to occasions;
• and
• a retrieval process of comparing the image data in the retrieved part with object image data stored in a database, extracting object image data which matches or has a high similarity to the image data in the retrieved part from the database, and performing retrieval of the object image data based on the retrieval condition set in the condition setting process.

A retrieval support system comprising:

• a combination commodity database which stores attribute information about commodity items acquired from an image medium, for each category;
• a combination information database which stores information about combination of each commodity item with a different commodity item which is combined for use with the commodity item and is included in a different category;
• a commodity item database which stores attribute information about sales commodity items which are on sale;
• a similar item retrieval unit which selects a candidate group of commodity items which are the same as or similar to image data about a commodity input by a user and attribute information about the image data, from the combination commodity database;
• a combination retrieval unit which retrieves, corresponding to each commodity item in the candidate group, a different commodity item which is combined with the commodity item, from the combination information database;
• a commodity item retrieval unit which retrieves image data on the sales commodity item which is the same as or similar to image data on the different commodity item in a combination selected by the user from combinations of the commodity item and the different commodity item, according to the attribute information about the image data, from the commodity item database, and outputs the retrieved image data as a recommended commodity;
• and
• a condition setting unit which sets a retrieval condition including at least one of time information relating to time, place information relating to places and occasion information relating to occasions,
• wherein at least one of the similar item retrieval unit, the combination retrieval unit and the commodity item retrieval unit performs retrieval based on the retrieval condition set by the condition setting unit.

A retrieval support method comprising:

• a similar item retrieval process of selecting a candidate group of commodity items which are the same as or similar to image data about a commodity input by a user and attribute information about the image data, from a combination commodity database which stores attribute information about commodity items acquired from an image medium, for each category;
• a combination retrieval process of retrieving, corresponding to each commodity item in the candidate group, a different commodity item which is combined with the commodity item, from a combination information database which stores information about combination of each commodity item with a different commodity item which is combined for use with the commodity item and is included in a different category;
• a commodity item retrieval process of retrieving a sales commodity item which is the same as or similar to image data on the different commodity item in a combination selected by the user from combinations of the commodity item and the different commodity item, according to attribute information about the image data from a commodity item database which stores the attribute information about the sales commodity item, and outputting the retrieved sales commodity item as a recommended commodity;
• and
• a condition setting process of setting a retrieval condition including at least one of time information relating to time, place information relating to places and occasion information relating to occasions,
• wherein in at least one of the similar item retrieval process, the combination retrieval process and the commodity item retrieval process, retrieval is performed based on the retrieval condition set in the condition setting process.

A computer-executable retrieval support program which causes an operation to be executed in a computer, the operation comprising:

• a similar item retrieval process of selecting a candidate group of commodity items which are the same as or similar to image data about a commodity input by a user and attribute information about the image data, from a combination commodity database which stores attribute information about commodity items acquired from an image medium, for each category;
• a combination retrieval process of retrieving, corresponding to each commodity item in the candidate group, a different commodity item which is combined with the commodity item, from a combination information database which stores information about combination of each commodity item with a different commodity item which is combined for use with the commodity item and is included in a different category;
• a commodity item retrieval process of retrieving a sales commodity item which is the same as or similar to image data on the different commodity item in a combination selected by the user from combinations of the commodity item and the different commodity item, according to attribute information about the image data, from a commodity item database which stores the attribute information about the sales commodity item, and outputting the retrieved sales commodity item as a recommended commodity;
• and
• a condition setting process of setting a retrieval condition including at least one of time information relating to time, place information relating to places and occasion information relating to occasions,
• wherein in at least one of the similar item retrieval process, the combination retrieval process and the commodity item retrieval process, retrieval is performed based on the retrieval condition set in the condition setting process.