Image search apparatus and method, and computer readable memory

Claim 2

An image search apparatus for managing image data, and searching the managed image data for desired image data, comprising: management means for managing image data and image feature amounts thereof in correspondence with each other; display means for displaying a query condition list comprising a plurality of query conditions defined by the image feature amounts, wherein each of the plurality of query conditions is a character string which expresses contents of an ambiguity level set for the image feature amount, wherein the character strings and the ambiguity level are stored in a storage medium in correspondence with each other; matching means for matching the image feature amounts that define the query condition designated by a user designation operation for selecting a desired one of the plurality of query conditions in the query condition list, with corresponding image feature amounts of image data managed by said management means; and output means for outputting image data as search results on the basis of matching results of said matching means.

Claim 3

The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said matching means matches the image feature amounts which define the query condition with the corresponding image feature amounts of the image data using an evaluation formula.

Claim 4

The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the query condition changes the evaluation formula or coefficients used in the evaluation formula.

Claim 5

The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said output means sorts and outputs image data as search results on the basis of coincidence levels of the image feature amounts obtained as matching results of said matching means.

Claim 6

The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said matching means comprises extraction means for extracting in advance image feature amounts of image data, which have a coincidence level not less than a predetermined value, in units of image feature amounts that define the query condition, and said matching means matches the image feature amounts of image data extracted by said extraction means with the image feature amounts which define the query condition.

Claim 7

The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein a minimum one of coincidence levels of image data extracted by said extraction means is set as a coincidence level of image data which are not extracted by said extraction means.

Claim 8

An image search method for managing image data, and searching the managed image data for desired image data, comprising: a management step of managing image data and image feature amounts thereof in a storage medium in correspondence with each other; a display step of displaying a query condition list comprising a plurality of query conditions defined by the image feature amounts, wherein each of the plurality of query conditions is a character string which expresses contents of an ambiguity level set for the image feature amount, wherein the character strings and the ambiguity level are stored in a storage medium in correspondence with each other; a matching step of matching the image feature amounts that define the query condition designated by a user designation operation for selecting a desired one of the plurality of query conditions in the query condition list, with corresponding image feature amounts of image data managed in the storage medium; and an output step of outputting image data as search results on the basis of matching results in the matching step.

Claim 9

An image search method for managing image data, and searching the managed image data for desired image data, comprising: a management step of managing image data and image feature amounts thereof in a storage medium in correspondence with each other; a display step of displaying a query condition list comprising a plurality of query conditions defined by the image feature amounts, wherein each of the plurality of query conditions is a character string which expresses contents of an ambiguity level set for the image feature amount, wherein the character strings and the ambiguity level are stored in a storage medium in correspondence with each other; a matching step of matching the image feature amounts that define the query condition designated by a user designation operation for selecting a desired one of the plurality of query conditions in the query condition list, with corresponding image feature amounts of image data managed in the storage medium; and an output step of outputting image data as search results on the basis of matching results in the matching step.

Claim 10

The method according to claim 7 , wherein the matching step includes the step of matching the image feature amounts which define the query condition with the corresponding image feature amounts of the image data using an evaluation formula.

Claim 11

The method according to claim 8 , wherein the query condition changes the evaluation formula or coefficients used in the evaluation formula.

Claim 12

The method according to claim 7 , wherein the output step includes the step of sorting and outputting image data as search results on the basis of coincidence levels of the image feature amounts obtained as matching results in the matching step.

Claim 13

The method according to claim 7 , wherein the matching step comprises the extraction step of extracting in advance image feature amounts of image data, which have a coincidence level not less than a predetermined value, in units of image feature amounts that define the query condition, and the matching step includes the step of matching the image feature amounts of image data extracted in the extraction step with the image feature amounts which define the query condition.

Claim 14

The method according to claim 11 , wherein a minimum one of coincidence levels of image data extracted in the extraction step is set as a coincidence level of image data which are not extracted in the extraction step.

Claim 15

A computer readable memory that stores program codes of an image search process for managing image data, and searching the managed image data for desired image data, comprising: a program code of the management step of managing image data and image feature amounts thereof in a storage medium in correspondence with each other, wherein each of the image feature amounts is set with an ambiguity level; a program code of the display step of displaying a query condition list comprising a plurality of query conditions defined by the image feature amounts, wherein each of the plurality of query conditions is a character string which expresses contents of the ambiguity level set for the image feature amount; a program code of the matching step of matching the image feature amounts that define the query condition designated by a user designation operation for selecting a desired one of the plurality of query conditions in the query condition list, with corresponding image feature amounts of image data managed in the storage medium; and a program code of the output step of outputting image data as search results on the basis of matching results in the matching step.

Claim 16

A computer readable memory that stores program codes of an image search process for managing image data, and searching the managed image data for desired image data, comprising: a program code of the management step of managing image data and image feature amounts thereof in a storage medium in correspondence with each other, wherein each of the image feature amounts is set with an ambiguity level; a program code of the display step of displaying a query condition list comprising a plurality of query conditions defined by the image feature amounts, wherein each of the plurality of query conditions is a character string which expresses contents of the ambiguity level set for the image feature amount; a program code of the matching step of matching the image feature amounts that define the query condition designated by a user designation operation for selecting a desired one of the plurality of query conditions in the query condition list, with corresponding image feature amounts of image data managed in the storage medium; and a program code of the output step of outputting image data as search results on the basis of matching results in the matching step.

Claim 17

An image search apparatus for managing image data, and searching the managed image data for desired image data, comprising: management means for managing image data and image feature amounts thereof in correspondence with each other; designation means for designating the image feature amounts and interest levels for the image feature amounts as a query condition used in a search of image data; matching means for matching the image feature amounts that define the query condition designated by said designation means, with corresponding image feature amounts of image data managed by said management means, on the basis of the interest levels; output means for outputting image data as search results on the basis of matching results of said matching means, wherein the interest level is a weight corresponding to importance levels to be attached to the image feature amounts, and wherein an ambiguity level of matching by said matching means is increased as the interest level has a smaller value and the ambiguity level of matching by said matching means is decreased as the interest level has a larger value.

Claim 18

An image search apparatus for managing image data, and searching the managed image data for desired image data, comprising: management means for managing image data and image feature amounts thereof in correspondence with each other; designation means for designating the image feature amounts and interest levels for the image feature amounts as a query condition used in a search of image data; matching means for matching the image feature amounts that define the query condition designated by said designation means, with corresponding image feature amounts of image data managed by said management means, on the basis of the interest levels; output means for outputting image data as search results on the basis of matching results of said matching means, wherein the interest level is a weight corresponding to importance levels to be attached to the image feature amounts, and wherein an ambiguity level of matching by said matching means is increased as the interest level has a smaller value and the ambiguity level of matching by said matching means is decreased as the interest level has a larger value.

Claim 19

The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein said designation means has a user interface for designating numerical values corresponding to the interest levels, and said matching means converts the interest levels designated via said user interface into ambiguity levels upon matching, and matches the image feature amounts that define the query condition, with the corresponding image feature amounts of the image data using an evaluation formula based on the ambiguity levels.

Claim 20

The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein said output means sorts and outputs image data as search results on the basis of coincidence levels of the image feature amounts obtained as matching results of said matching means.

Claim 21

The apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the coincidence level is a normalized coincidence level obtained by dividing by a sum total of the interest levels of the image feature amounts.

Claim 22

The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein said matching means comprises extraction means for extracting in advance image feature amounts of image data, which have a coincidence level not less than a predetermined value, in units of image feature amounts that define the query condition, and image feature amounts, and wherein said matching means matches the image feature amounts of image data extracted by said extraction means, with the image feature amounts which define the query condition.

Claim 23

The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein a minimum one of coincidence levels of image data extracted by said extraction means is set as a coincidence level of image data which are not extracted by said extraction means.

Claim 24

An image search method for managing image data, and searching the managed image data for desired image data, comprising: a management step of managing image data and image feature amounts thereof in a storage medium in correspondence with each other; a designation step of designating the image feature amounts and interest levels for the image feature amounts as a query condition used in a search of image data; a matching step of matching the image feature amounts that define the query condition designated in the designation step, with corresponding image feature amounts of image data managed in the storage medium in the management step, on the basis of the interest levels; and an output step of outputting image data as search results on the basis of matching results in the matching step, wherein the interest level is a weight corresponding to importance levels to be attached to the image feature amounts, and wherein an ambiguity level of matching by said matching means is increased as the interest level has a smaller value and the ambiguity level of matching by said matching means is decreased as the interest level has a larger value.

Claim 25

An image search method for managing image data, and searching the managed image data for desired image data, comprising: a management step of managing image data and image feature amounts thereof in a storage medium in correspondence with each other; a designation step of designating the image feature amounts and interest levels for the image feature amounts as a query condition used in a search of image data; a matching step of matching the image feature amounts that define the query condition designated in the designation step, with corresponding image feature amounts of image data managed in the storage medium in the management step, on the basis of the interest levels; and an output step of outputting image data as search results on the basis of matching results in the matching step, wherein the interest level is a weight corresponding to importance levels to be attached to the image feature amounts, and wherein an ambiguity level of matching by said matching means is increased as the interest level has a smaller value and the ambiguity level of matching by said matching means is decreased as the interest level has a larger value.

Claim 26

The method according to claim 20 , wherein the designation step has a user interface for designating numerical values corresponding to the interest levels, and wherein the matching step includes the step of converting the interest levels designated via said user interface into ambiguity levels upon matching, and matching the image feature amounts that define the query condition, with the corresponding image feature amounts of the image data, using an evaluation formula based on the ambiguity levels.

Claim 27

The method according to claim 20 , wherein the output step includes the step of sorting and outputting image data as search results on the basis of coincidence levels of the image feature amounts obtained as matching results in the matching step.

Claim 28

The method according to claim 22 , wherein the coincidence level is a normalized coincidence level obtained by dividing by a sum total of the interest levels of the image feature amounts.

Claim 29

The method according to claim 20 , wherein the matching step comprises the extraction step of extracting in advance image feature amounts of image data, which have a coincidence level not less than a predetermined value, in units of image feature amounts that define the query condition, and image feature amounts, and the matching step includes the step of matching the image feature amounts of image data extracted in the extraction step with the image feature amounts which define the query condition.

Claim 30

The method according to claim 24 , wherein a minimum one of coincidence levels of image data extracted in the extraction step is set as a coincidence level of image data which are not extracted in the extraction step.

Claim 31

A computer readable memory that stores program codes of an image search process for managing image data, and searching the managed image data for desired image data, comprising: a program code of the management step of managing image data and image feature amounts thereof in a storage medium in correspondence with each other; a program code of the designation step of designating the image feature amounts and interest levels for the image feature amounts as a query condition used in a search of image data; a program code of the matching step of matching the image feature amounts that define the query condition designated in the designation step, with corresponding image feature amounts of image data managed in the storage medium in the management step, on the basis of the interest levels; a program code of the output step of outputting image data as search results on the basis of matching results in the matching step, wherein the interest level is a weight corresponding to importance levels to be attached to the image feature amounts, and wherein an ambiguity level of matching by said matching means is increased as the interest level has a smaller value and the ambiguity level of matching by said matching means is decreased as the interest level has a larger value.

Claim 32

A computer readable memory that stores program codes of an image search process for managing image data, and searching the managed image data for desired image data, comprising: a program code of the management step of managing image data and image feature amounts thereof in a storage medium in correspondence with each other; a program code of the designation step of designating the image feature amounts and interest levels for the image feature amounts as a query condition used in a search of image data; a program code of the matching step of matching the image feature amounts that define the query condition designated in the designation step, with corresponding image feature amounts of image data managed in the storage medium in the management step, on the basis of the interest levels; a program code of the output step of outputting image data as search results on the basis of matching results in the matching step, wherein the interest level is a weight corresponding to importance levels to be attached to the image feature amounts, and wherein an ambiguity level of matching by said matching means is increased as the interest level has a smaller value and the ambiguity level of matching by said matching means is decreased as the interest level has a larger value.