Image retrieving apparatus, image retrieving method and recording medium for recording program to implement the image retrieving method

An image retrieving apparatus of retrieving an image similar to a predetermined query image out of subject motion videos for retrieval, comprising:

• means for calculating a similarity between a frame image of subject motion videos for retrieval and a query image;
• means for grouping frame images of subject motion videos for retrieval which satisfy a predetermined condition of said similarity;
• and
• means for extracting an image similar to a query image out of said frame images which are grouped at every group;
• wherein said query image is a motion video;
• and
• wherein a similarity between a frame image of said subject motion videos for retrieval and said query image is calculated from a similarity between said subject motion videos for retrieval and said query image at every frame image during a predetermined time length.

An image retrieving method of retrieving an image similar to a predetermined query image out of subject motion videos for retrieval, comprising the steps of:

• calculating a similarity between a frame image of subject motion videos for retrieval and a query image;
• grouping frame images of subject motion videos for retrieval which satisfy a predetermined condition of said similarity;
• and
• extracting an image similar to a query image out of said frame images which are grouped at every group;
• wherein said step of grouping frame images of subject motion videos for retrieval which satisfy a predetermined condition of said similarity is the step of grouping frame images of subject motion videos for retrieval which are continuous with time.

An image retrieving method of retrieving an image similar to a predetermined query image out of subject motion videos for retrieval, comprising the steps of:

• calculating a similarity between a frame image of subject motion videos for retrieval and a query image;
• grouping frame images of subject motion videos for retrieval which satisfy a predetermined condition of said similarity;
• and
• extracting an image similar to a query image out of said frame images which are grouped at every group;
• wherein said query image is a motion video;
• and
• wherein a similarity between a frame image of said subject motion videos for retrieval and said query image is calculated from a similarity between said subject motion videos for retrieval and said query image at every frame image during a predetermined time length.