US6181818B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Image retrieval method and apparatus
Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 2000-01-03
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Granted: 2001-01-30
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Expires: 2020-01-03
Abstract
Abstract An image retrieval method and apparatus for searching a plurality of images stored in an image file for a desired image are disclosed. When a designated image for designating an image to be retrieved is input, and its color is designated, the sizes and colors are compared between description information which stores the feature of each of regions obtained by dividing each of images to be searched stored in the image file, and feature data of the designated image. In this manner, the regions, which are determined to be included in the designated image, of image data are obtained, and the similarities between the obtained regions of image data and the designated image are calculated. Image data having higher similarities are read out from the image file, and are displayed while being sorted in the descending order from the highest similarity.
Inventors
- 👤 Hiroaki Sato
- 👤 Yuichi Bannai
- 👤 Hiroshi Okazaki
- 👤 Akihiro Yoshitani
- 👤 Kazuko Tsujimura
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 04:19
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/50; G06F16/56; G06F16/53; G06F16/532; G06F16/58; G06F16/583; G06F16/5838; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99933; Y10S707/99934
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
89 words
An image retrieval apparatus for retrieving an image similar to an input pattern, comprising: calculation means for calculating a feature amount of image data in correspondence with a plurality of resolutions; generation means for generating search information on the basis of the feature amount calculated by said calculation means; storage means for storing the search information generated by said generation means in units of resolutions; and retrieval means for retrieving an image similar to an input pattern on the basis of the search information stored in said storage means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
89 words
An image retrieval apparatus for retrieving an image similar to an input pattern, comprising: calculation means for calculating a feature amount of image data in correspondence with a plurality of resolutions; generation means for generating search information on the basis of the feature amount calculated by said calculation means; storage means for storing the search information generated by said generation means in units of resolutions; and retrieval means for retrieving an image similar to an input pattern on the basis of the search information stored in said storage means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising resolution determination means for determining a resolution used for search on the basis of vertical and horizontal dimensions and an area of each of regions in the input pattern.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said calculation means calculates the feature amount by calculating a color histogram of pixel data in units of resolutions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the color histogram is a histogram of a hue in an HSV colorimetric system.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the feature amount is calculated on the basis of the number of pixels within a predetermined hue overlapping range.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the search information includes numbers of an image and a region having not less than a predetermined frequency of a specific color at each of the resolutions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
81 words
An image retrieval method for retrieving an image similar to an input pattern, comprising the steps of: calculating a feature amount of image data in correspondence with a plurality of resolutions; generating search information on the basis of the feature amount calculated in the calculating step; storing the search information generated in the generation step in units of resolutions; and searching for an image similar to an input pattern on the basis of the search information stored in the storing step.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
81 words
An image retrieval method for retrieving an image similar to an input pattern, comprising the steps of: calculating a feature amount of image data in correspondence with a plurality of resolutions; generating search information on the basis of the feature amount calculated in the calculating step; storing the search information generated in the generation step in units of resolutions; and searching for an image similar to an input pattern on the basis of the search information stored in the storing step.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method according to claim 7 , further comprising a resolution determination step of determining a resolution used for search on the basis of vertical and horizontal dimensions and an area of each of regions in the input pattern.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method according to claim 7 , wherein the calculation step includes a step of calculating the feature amount by calculating a color histogram of pixel data in units of resolutions.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method according to claim 9 , wherein the color histogram is a histogram of a hue in an HSV colorimetric system.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method according to claim 9 , wherein the feature amount is calculated on the basis of the number of pixels within a predetermined hue overlapping range.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-01-30 | 2004-07-31 | 2005-01-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-01-30 | 2008-07-31 | 2009-01-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-01-30 | 2012-07-31 | 2013-01-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |