Information encoding apparatus and method, information searching apparatus and method, information searching system and method, and program therefor

An information encoding method, comprising:

• inputting information to be stored;
• encoding the input information in layers using a different encoding scheme for each layer, without encoding an uppermost layer of the information, and generating a thumbnail image at the uppermost layer of the information;
• and
• storing the per-layer encoded information.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

• inputting information to be stored;
• encoding the input information in layers using a different encoding scheme for each layer, without encoding an uppermost layer of the information, and generating a thumbnail image at the uppermost layer of the information;
• and
• storing the per-layer encoded information.

An information encoding apparatus, comprising:

• a dividing unit configured to divide a macroblock into a plurality of sub-blocks having a predetermined size, the macroblock being one of a plurality of macroblocks obtained by dividing original information thereinto;
• an average value computing unit configured to compute an average value for each sub-block constituting a particular macroblock;
• an average value differential block computing unit configured to compute an average value differential block by subtracting the computed average values from the corresponding macroblock;
• and
• an encoding unit configured to encode average value differential blocks for each of a plurality of layers computed by repeatedly dividing each macroblock into smaller sub-blocks, the encoding unit configured to encode the average value differential blocks for each of a plurality of layers using a different encoding scheme for each layer, without encoding the average value differential blocks of an uppermost layer of the information, and the uppermost layer of the information corresponding to a thumbnail image.

An information encoding method, comprising:

• dividing a macroblock into a plurality of sub-blocks having a predetermined size, the macroblock being one of a plurality of macroblocks obtained by dividing original information thereinto;
• computing an average value for each sub-block constituting a particular macroblock;
• computing an average value differential block by subtracting the computed average values from the corresponding macroblock;
• and
• encoding average value differential blocks for each of a plurality of layers computed by repeatedly dividing each macroblock into smaller sub-blocks, the encoding encoding the average value differential blocks for each of a plurality of layers using a different encoding scheme for each layer, without encoding the average value differential blocks of an uppermost layer of the information, and the uppermost layer of the information corresponding to a thumbnail image.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

• dividing a macroblock into a plurality of sub-blocks having a predetermined size, the macroblock being one of a plurality of macroblocks obtained by dividing original information thereinto;
• computing an average value for each sub-block constituting a particular macroblock;
• computing an average value differential block by subtracting the computed average values from the corresponding macroblock;
• and
• encoding average value differential blocks for each of a plurality of layers computed by repeatedly dividing each macroblock into smaller sub-blocks, the encoding encoding the average value differential blocks for each of a plurality of layers using a different encoding scheme for each layer, without encoding the average value differential blocks of an uppermost layer of the information, and the uppermost layer of the information corresponding to a thumbnail image.

An information searching apparatus, comprising:

• an acquiring unit configured to acquire information that has been encoded in layers in order from the upper layers thereof, each of the layers being encoded with a different encoding scheme, and an uppermost layer of the information corresponding to a thumbnail image and not being encoded;
• a comparing unit configured to compare the encoded information for an acquired search query to the encoded information for potential matches on a per-layer basis;
• a decoding unit configured to, on the basis of the comparison results, decode the information for the potential matches that resemble the search query;
• and
• an output unit configured to output the decoded information for the potential matches that resemble the search query.

An information searching method, comprising:

• acquiring information that has been encoded in layers in order from the upper layers thereof, each of the layers being encoded with a different encoding scheme, and an uppermost layer of the information corresponding to a thumbnail image and not being encoded;
• comparing the encoded information for an acquired search query to the encoded information for potential matches on a per-layer basis;
• on the basis of the comparison result, decoding the potential match information for the potential matches that resemble the search query;
• and
• outputting the decoded information for the potential matches that resemble the search query.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

• acquiring information that has been encoded in layers in order from the upper layers thereof, each of the layers being encoded with a different encoding scheme, and an uppermost layer of the information corresponding to a thumbnail image and not being encoded;
• comparing the encoded information for an acquired search query to the encoded information for potential matches on a per-layer basis;
• on the basis of the comparison result, decoding the potential match information for the potential matches that resemble the search query;
• and
• outputting the decoded information for the potential matches that resemble the search query.

An information searching system, comprising:

• a dividing unit configured to divide a macroblock into a plurality of sub-blocks having a predetermined size, the macroblock being one of a plurality of macroblocks obtained by dividing original information thereinto;
• an average value computing unit configured to compute an average value for each sub-block constituting a particular macroblock;
• an average value differential block computing unit configured to compute an average value differential block by subtracting the computed average values from the corresponding macroblock;
• an encoding unit configured to encode average value differential blocks for each of a plurality of layers computed by repeatedly dividing each macroblock into smaller sub-blocks, the encoding unit configured to encode the average value differential blocks for each of a plurality of layers using a different encoding scheme for each layer, without encoding the average value differential blocks of an uppermost layer of the information, and the uppermost layer of the information corresponding to a thumbnail image;
• an acquiring unit configured to acquire information that has been thus encoded in layers in order from the upper layers thereof;
• a comparing unit configured to compare the encoded information for an acquired search query to the encoded information for potential matches on a per-layer basis;
• a decoding unit configured to, on the basis of the comparison result, decode the information for the potential matches that resemble the search query;
• and
• an output unit configured to output the decoded information for the potential matches that resemble the search query.

An information searching method, comprising:

• dividing a macroblock into a plurality of sub-blocks having a predetermined size, the macroblock being one of a plurality of macroblocks obtained by dividing original information thereinto;
• computing an average value for each sub-block constituting a particular macroblock;
• computing an average value differential block by subtracting the computed average values from the corresponding macroblock;
• encoding average value differential blocks for each of a plurality of layers computed by repeatedly dividing each macroblock into smaller sub-blocks, the encoding encoding the average value differential blocks for each of a plurality of layers using a different encoding scheme for each layer, without encoding the average value differential blocks of an uppermost layer of the information, and the uppermost layer of the information corresponding to a thumbnail image;
• acquiring information that has been thus encoded in layers in order from the upper layers thereof;
• comparing the encoded information for an acquired search query to the encoded information for potential matches on a per-layer basis;
• on the basis of the comparison result, decoding the information for the potential matches that resemble the search query;
• and
• outputting the decoded information for the potential matches that resemble the search query.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including computer executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

• dividing a macroblock into a plurality of sub-blocks having a predetermined size, the macroblock being one of a plurality of macroblocks obtained by dividing original information thereinto;
• computing an average value for each sub-block constituting a particular macroblock;
• computing an average value differential block by subtracting the computed average values from the corresponding macroblock;
• encoding average value differential blocks for each of a plurality of layers computed by repeatedly dividing each macroblock into smaller sub-blocks, the encoding encoding the average value differential blocks for each of a plurality of layers using a different encoding scheme for each layer, without encoding the average value differential blocks of an uppermost layer of the information, and the uppermost layer of the information corresponding to a thumbnail image;
• acquiring information that has been thus encoded in layers in order from the upper layers thereof;
• comparing the encoded information for an acquired search query to the encoded information for potential matches on a per-layer basis;
• on the basis of the comparison result, decoding the information for the potential matches that resemble the search query;
• and
• outputting the decoded information for the potential matches that resemble the search query.