EP0643358A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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An image searching method and apparatus
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1994-09-01
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2014-09-01
Abstract
Abstract Image searching method and apparatus capable of performing high quality search out of image database by using color information. A sample image which is used as a key to search, and which is made by the operator, is inputted by the sample image input unit 30, and the sample color information extraction unit 50 extracts the HSV color space data out of the sample image, and the image color information extraction unit 40 extracts the HSV color image data from the image database 20. Contribution factors deciding unit 60 decides a contribution factor of each component in the HSV color space, then the candidate image deciding unit 70 calculates similarity, and decides the image candidates, then those images are displayed on the display unit 90. the control unit 80 controls entire image searching apparatus.
Inventors
- 👤 Kazuko C/O Canon K. K. Tsujimura
- 👤 Yuichi C/O Canon K. K. Bannai
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 11:50
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/50; G06F16/58; G06F16/583; G06F16/5838
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
108 words
An image searching method for searching for an image database by using color information containing a plurality of color components, comprising: a contribution factor calculation step of calculating a contribution factor of each color component of color information on the basis of the color information; a similarity calculation step of calculating similarity between the color information and a plurality of predetermined color information based on said contribution factor of each color component of color information; and a displaying step of sorting said plurality of predetermined color information corresponding to said similarity in order of said similarity, and of displaying the sorted predetermined color information on a display means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
21 words
The image searching method according to Claim 1, wherein said each color component of color information is hue, chromaticity, and luminance.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
The image searching method according to Claim 1, wherein, at said contribution factor calculation step, the contribution factor corresponding to said each color component of color information is calculated based on the comparison between said each color component of color information and each predetermined threshold.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
122 words
The image searching method according to Claim 2, wherein, at said contribution factor calculation step, if luminance of said color information is lower than a predetermined threshold, then a contribution factor corresponding to the luminance is set to be high, and wherein if the luminance is higher and chromaticity of the color information is higher than the predetermined thresholds, then a contribution factor corresponding to hue is set to be high, further wherein if the luminance of said color information is higher and the chromaticity of said color information is lower than the predetermined thresholds, then the contribution factor of the chromaticity of the color information and the contribution factor of the luminance of the color information are set to be high.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
The image searching method according to Claim 2, wherein, at said contribution factor calculation step, the calculation is performed based on a plurality of membership functions which show membership grades of chromaticity and luminance of the color information.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The image searching method according to Claim 1, wherein the color information is generated at a color information generating step of generating color information.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
97 words
An image searching method for searching for an image out of an image database by using color information, comprising: a generating step of generating a sample image including color information; a contribution factor calculation step of calculating a contribution factor of color information based on the color information of the sample image; a similarity calculation step of calculating similarity between the sample image and respective images from an image database, based on the contribution factor; and a displaying step of displaying said respective images from the image database on a display means in order of the similarity.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
The image searching method according to Claim 7, wherein color components of said color information are hue, chromaticity, and luminance.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
52 words
The image searching method according to Claim 8, wherein, at said contribution factor calculation step, the contribution factors corresponding to said color components of the color information of the sample image are calculated based on a comparison between said color components of the color information of the sample image and predetermined thresholds.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
126 words
The image searching method according to Claim 8, wherein, at said contribution factor calculation step, if luminance of the color information is lower than a predetermined threshold, then the luminance is set to be high, and wherein if the luminance is higher and chromaticity of the color information is higher than the predetermined thresholds, then a contribution factor corresponding to the contribution factor corresponding to hue of the color information is set to be high, further wherein if the luminance of said color information is higher and the chromaticity of the color information is lower than the predetermined thresholds, then the contribution factor of the chromaticity of the color information and the contribution factor of the luminance of the color information are set to be high.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
38 words
The image searching method according to Claim 8, wherein, at said contribution factor calculation step, the calculation is performed based on a plurality of membership functions which show membership grades of chromaticity and luminance of the color information.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
105 words
An image searching apparatus for searching for an image database by using color information containing a plurality of color components, comprising: contribution factor calculation means for calculating a contribution factor of each color component of color information on the basis of the color information; similarity calculation means for calculating similarity between the color information and a plurality of predetermined color information based on said contribution factor of each color component of color information; and displaying means for sorting said plurality of predetermined color information corresponding to said similarity in order of said similarity, and of displaying the sorted predetermined color information on a display means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The image searching apparatus according to Claim 12, wherein said each color component of color information is hue, chromaticity, and luminance.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
The image searching method according to Claim 12, wherein said contribution factor calculation means calculates the contribution factor corresponding to said each color component of color information based on the comparison between said each color component of color information and each predetermined threshold.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
114 words
The image searching apparatus according to Claim 13, wherein said contribution factor calculation means sets a contribution factor corresponding to the luminance to be high, if luminance of said color information is lower than a predetermined threshold, and wherein sets a contribution factor corresponding to hue to be high, if the luminance is higher and chromaticity of the color information is higher than the predetermined thresholds, further wherein sets the contribution factor of the chromaticity of the color information and the contribution factor of the luminance of the color information to be high,.if the luminance of said color information is higher and the chromaticity of said color information is lower than the predetermined thresholds.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
34 words
The image searching apparatus according to Claim 13, wherein said contribution factor calculation method calculates based on a plurality of membership functions which show membership grades of chromaticity and luminance of the color information.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
The image searching apparatus according to Claim 12, wherein the color information is generated by a color information generating means.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
93 words
An image searching apparatus for searching for an image out of an image database by using color information, comprising: generating means for generating a sample image including color information; contribution factor calculation means for calculating a contribution factor of color information based on the color information of the sample image; similarity calculation means for calculating similarity between the sample image and respective images from an image database, based on the contribution factor; and displaying means for displaying said respective images from the image database on a display means in order of the similarity.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
The image searching apparatus according to Claim 18, wherein color components of said color information are hue, chromaticity, and luminance.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
50 words
The image searching apparatus according to Claim 18, wherein said contribution factor calculation means calculates the contribution factors corresponding to said color components of the color information of the sample image based on a comparison between said color components of the color information of the sample image and predetermined thresholds.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
119 words
The image searching apparatus according to Claim 19, wherein said contribution factor calculation means sets the luminance to be high, if luminance of the color information is lower than a predetermined threshold, and wherein sets a contribution factor corresponding to the contribution factor corresponding to hue of the color information to be high, if the luminance is higher and chromaticity of the color information is higher than the predetermined thresholds, further wherein sets the contribution factor of the chromaticity of the color information and the contribution factor of the luminance of the color information to be high, if the luminance of said color information is higher and the chromaticity of the color information is lower than the predetermined thresholds.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
34 words
The image searching apparatus according to Claim 19, wherein said contribution factor calculation means calculates based on a plurality of membership functions which show membership grades of chromaticity and luminance of the color information.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
50 words
An image searching method for searching an image database for a selected image comprising the steps of determining the color attributes of the selected image; and normalising the color attributes in dependence on the magnitudes of the color attributes; and using the normalised color attributes to search the image database.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
12 words
An image searching apparatus for performing a method according to Claim 23.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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