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US 2014/0193077 A1Published application
Image retrieval apparatus, image retrieval method, query image providing apparatus, query image providing method, and program
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsHirotaka Shiiyama, Masahiro Matsushita
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Abstract
An image retrieval apparatus generates an image feature list having a high and/or a low discrimination capability against other images based on the number of stored image features. Based on the image feature list, the image retrieval apparatus selects feature points extracted from a query image.
Claims35
An image retrieval apparatus comprising:
- a storage unit configured to store image features extracted from an input image and the image in association with each other;
- a generation unit configured to generate a frequently appearing image feature list collecting image features including similar image features stored in the storage unit which are greater than a predetermined number;
- a selection unit configured to select image features to be used as image features of a inputted query image, from image features extracted from the query image, based on the image features included in the frequently appearing image feature list;
- and
- a comparison unit configured to compare image features selected to be used as the image features of the query image with image features of registered images stored in the storage unit.
2 more elements
An image retrieval apparatus comprising:
- a storage unit configured to store image features corresponding to an image;
- a generation unit configured to generate a frequently appearing image feature list collecting image features in which the number of image features stored in the storage unit or the number of images stored in the storage unit in association with the image features is greater than a predetermined number;
- a transmission unit configured to transmit the frequently appearing image feature list to a request source in response to a request;
- a reception unit configured to receive image features selected by the request source as image features to be used as image features of a query image, based on the image features included in the frequently appearing image feature list;
- and
- a comparison unit configured to compare the received image features of the query image with the image features stored in the storage unit.
3 more elements
A query image providing apparatus comprising:
- an input unit configured to input a query image;
- an extraction unit configured to extract image features of the query image;
- a reception unit configured to receive a frequently appearing image feature list from an image retrieval apparatus;
- a selection unit configured to select image features to be used as image features of the query image and image features not to be used, from among the image features of the query image, based on image features included in the frequently appearing image feature list;
- and
- a transmission unit configured to transmit image features selected to be used as the image features of the query image, to the image retrieval apparatus.
3 more elements
An image retrieval apparatus comprising:
- a storage unit configured to store image features extracted from an input image, attribute information about photographing obtained from the input image, and the image in association with each other;
- a generation unit configured to generate with respect to each attribute information, an image feature list in which the number of image features co-occurring in the images with respect to each attribute information is less than a predetermined number;
- a selection unit configured to select image features to be used as image features of a inputted query image and image features not to be used, from among the image features extracted with respect to the query image input by the input unit, based on image features included in the image feature list corresponding to attribute information about photographing of the query image obtained by an acquisition unit;
- and
- a comparison unit configured to perform a similarity comparison between image features of the query image selected to be used as the image features of the query image and image features of registered images stored in the storage unit.
2 more elements
An image retrieval apparatus comprising:
- a storage unit configured to store image features corresponding to an image and attribute information about photographing;
- a generation unit configured to generate with respect to each of attribute information, the image feature list in which the number of image features co-occurring in the image with respect to each of the attribute information is less than a predetermined number;
- a transmission unit configured to transmit the image feature list corresponding to attribute information about photographing of a query image to a request source in response to a request;
- a reception unit configured to receive image features selected by the request source as an image feature to be used as an image feature of the query image, based on image features included in the image feature list;
- and
- a comparison unit configured to compare the received image features of the query image with the image features stored in the storage unit.
3 more elements
A query image providing apparatus comprising:
- an input unit configured to input a query image;
- an acquisition unit configured to obtain attribute information about photographing of the query image;
- an extraction unit configured to extract image features of the query image;
- a reception unit configured to receive an image feature list from an image retrieval apparatus;
- a selection unit configured to select an image feature to be used as an image feature of the query image and an image feature which use is restricted, from the image features of the query image, based on image features included in the image feature list corresponding to the attribute information;
- and
- a transmission apparatus configured to transmit image features selected to be used as the image feature of the query image to the image retrieval apparatus.
4 more elements
An image retrieval method comprising:
- storing image features extracted from an input image and the image into a storage unit in association with each other;
- generating a frequently appearing image feature list summarizing image features including similar image features stored in the storage unit which are greater than a predetermined number;
- selecting an image feature to be used as an image feature of a query image input by an input unit, from image features extracted from the query image by an extraction unit, based on the image features included in the frequently appearing image feature list;
- and
- comparing image features selected to be used as the image feature of the query image with image features of a registration image stored in the storage unit.
2 more elements
An image retrieval method comprising:
- storing image features corresponding to an image into a storage unit;
- generating a frequently appearing image feature list summarizing image features in which the number of registration of image features stored in the storage unit or the number of images stored in association with the image features in the storage unit is greater than a predetermined number;
- transmitting the frequently appearing image feature list to a request source in response to a request;
- receiving image features selected by the request source as an image feature to be used as an image feature of a query image, based on the image features included in the frequently appearing image feature list;
- and
- comparing the received image features of the query image with the image features stored in the storage unit.
3 more elements
A query image providing method comprising:
- inputting a query image;
- extracting image features of the query image;
- receiving a frequently appearing image feature list from an image retrieval apparatus;
- selecting an image feature to be used as an image feature of the query image and an image feature which use is restricted, from the image features of the query image, based on image features included in the frequently appearing image feature list;
- and
- transmitting image features selected to be used as the image feature of the query image, to the image retrieval apparatus.
3 more elements
An image retrieval method comprising:
- storing image features extracted from an input image, attribute information about photographing obtained from the input image, and the image in a storage unit in association with each other;
- generating with respect to each of the attribute information, an image feature list in which the number of image features co-occurring in the image with respect to each of the attribute information is less than a predetermined number;
- selecting an image feature to be used as an image feature of a query image and an image feature which use is restricted, from among image features extracted from the query image by an extraction unit with respect to the query image input by an input unit, based on image features included in the image feature list corresponding to attribute information about photographing of the query image obtained by an acquisition unit;
- and
- performing a similarly comparison between image features of the query image selected to be used as the image feature of the query image and image features of a registration image stored in the storage unit.
2 more elements
An image retrieval method comprising:
- storing image features corresponding to an image and attribute information about photographing into a storage unit;
- generating with respect to each of the attribute information, the image feature list in which the number of image features co-occurring in the image with respect to each of the attribute information is less than a predetermined number;
- transmitting the image feature list corresponding to attribute information about photographing of a query image to a request source in response to a request;
- receiving image features selected by the request source as an image feature to be used as an image feature of the query image, based on image features included in the image feature list;
- and
- comparing the received image features of the query image with the image features stored in the storage unit.
3 more elements
A query image providing method comprising:
- inputting a query image;
- obtaining attribute information about photographing of the query image;
- extracting image features of the query image;
- receiving an image feature list from an image retrieval apparatus;
- selecting an image feature to be used as an image feature of the query image and an image feature which use is restricted, from the image features of the query image, based on image features included in the image feature list corresponding to the attribute information;
- and
- transmitting image features selected to be used as the image feature of the query image to the image retrieval apparatus.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.