Image search apparatus, image search method and storage medium

An image search method applied to an image search apparatus comprising:

• a referring step of referring to a keyword table in a memory,
• wherein the keyword table includes a plurality of keywords associated with a plurality of different images,
• wherein at least one of the plurality of different images is associated with at least two of the keywords having different levels of importance with respect to the one image,
• wherein at least one of the at least two keywords associated with the one image also is associated with at least another of the plurality of different images, and
• wherein the one keyword has a plurality of levels of importance so that the one keyword has one level of importance associated with the one image and another level of importance associated with the another image;
• a searching step of searching said plurality of different images according to an input search query related to the one keyword;
• an acquiring step of acquiring said plurality of levels of importance of the one keyword based on the images searched by said searching step;
• and
• an output step of outputting said plurality of images searched by said searching step in an order according to said plurality of levels of importance of the one keyword acquired by said acquiring step.

A storage medium readable by a computer and stores a program for executing an image search applied to an image search apparatus, the program comprising instructions for:

• referring to a keyword table in a memory,
• wherein the keyword table includes a plurality of keywords associated with a plurality of different images,
• wherein at least one of the plurality of different images is associated with at least two of the keywords having different levels of importance with respect to the one image,
• wherein at least one of the at least two keywords associated with the one image also is associated with at least another of the plurality of different images, and
• wherein the one keyword has a plurality of levels of importance so that the one keyword has one level of importance associated with the one image and another level of importance associated with the another image;
• searching said plurality of different images according to an input search query related to the one keyword;
• acquiring said plurality of levels of importance of the one keyword based on the images searched by said searching instruction;
• and
• outputting said plurality of images searched by said searching instruction in an order according to said plurality of levels of importance of the one keyword acquired by said acquiring instruction.

A contents search apparatus comprising:

• referring means for referring to a keyword table in a memory,
• wherein the keyword table includes a plurality of keywords associated with a plurality of different contents,
• wherein at least one of the plurality of different contents is associated with at least two of the keywords having different levels of importance with respect to the one content,
• wherein at least one of the at least two keywords associated with the one content also is associated with at least another of the plurality of different contents, and
• wherein the one keyword has a plurality of levels of importance so that the one keyword has one level of importance associated with the one content and another level of importance associated with the another content;
• search means for searching said plurality of different contents according to an input search query related to the one keyword;
• acquiring means for acquiring said plurality of levels of importance of the one keyword based on the contents searched by said search means;
• and
• output means for outputting said plurality of contents searched by said search means in an order according to said plurality of levels of importance of the one keyword acquired by said acquiring means.

A computer-implemented contents search method applied to a contents search apparatus, the method comprising:

• a referring step of referring to a keyword table in a memory,
• wherein the keyword table includes a plurality of keywords associated with a plurality of different contents,
• wherein at least one of the plurality of different contents is associated with at least two of the keywords having different levels of importance with respect to the one content,
• wherein at least one of the at least two keywords associated with the one content also is associated with at least another of the plurality of different contents, and
• wherein the one keyword has a plurality of levels of importance so that the one keyword has one level of importance associated with the one content and another level of importance associated with the another content;
• a searching step of searching said plurality of different contents according to an input search query related to the one keyword;
• an acquiring step of acquiring said plurality of levels of importance of the one keyword based on the contents searched by said searching step;
• and
• an output step of outputting said plurality of contents searched by said searching step in an order according to said plurality of levels of importance of the one keyword acquired by said acquiring step.

A storage medium readable by a computer and stores a program for executing a contents search applied to a contents search apparatus, the program comprising instructions for:

• referring to a keyword table in a memory,
• wherein the keyword table includes a plurality of keywords associated with a plurality of different contents,
• wherein at least one of the plurality of different contents is associated with at least two of the keywords having different levels of importance with respect to the one content,
• wherein at least one of the at least two keywords associated with the one content also is associated with at least another of the plurality of different contents, and
• wherein the one keyword has a plurality of levels of importance so that the one keyword has one level of importance associated with the one content and another level of importance associated with the another content;
• searching said plurality of different contents according to an input search query related to the one keyword;
• acquiring said plurality of levels of importance of the one keyword based on the contents searched by said searching instruction;
• and
• outputting said plurality of contents searched by said searching instruction in an order according to said plurality of levels of importance of the one keyword acquired by said acquiring instruction.

An image search apparatus comprising:

• referring device that refers to a keyword table in a memory,
• wherein the keyword table includes a plurality of keywords associated with a plurality of different images,
• wherein at least one of the plurality of different images is associated with at least two of the keywords having different levels of importance with respect to the one image,
• wherein at least one of the at least two keywords associated with the one image also is associated with at least another of the plurality of different images, and
• wherein the one keyword has a plurality of levels of importance so that the one keyword has one level of importance associated with the one image and another level of importance associated with the another image;
• search device that searches said plurality of different images according to an input search query related to the one keyword;
• acquiring device that acquires said plurality of levels of importance of the one keyword based on the images searched by said search device;
• and
• output device that outputs said plurality of images searched by said search device in an order according to said plurality of levels of importance of the one keyword acquired by said acquiring device.