JP2925716B2 - Image retrieval device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention stores a large number of image information such as characters and graphics created by a computer or the like and natural images input by a color scanner or the like as a database, and The present invention relates to an image search device for searching for a desired one of the images and displaying the same on an image display device.

Such an image search device has many application examples,
For example, a large number of meteorological data, etc., showing the distribution of clouds in the Japanese archipelago, taken from satellites, are stored as a database in memory for each calendar, and if necessary, one of them is retrieved and taken out and displayed on the screen. Examples of display and the like can be given.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, an image search apparatus has used character / graphic information created by a computer and natural image information input by a scanner or the like.
It is recorded in a large-capacity recording device together with the search character information necessary for the search, a desired image information is searched using the search character information, and the obtained image information is displayed or printed. Search method.

However, in the search method in these image search apparatuses, a desired image is searched by relying only on the search character information. Therefore, the recorded image information is accurately expressed only by the search character information. Therefore, it is difficult for an operator to search for and retrieve desired image information accurately and quickly.

Therefore, instead of these search devices, the recorded image information itself (original image) and reduced image information obtained by reducing the original image are both recorded simultaneously as image information to be searched. First, a plurality of reduced image information is taken out and displayed as a multi-screen on one screen. If desired reduced image information is selected from the multi-screen, then an original image corresponding to the selected reduced image is taken out. There has been proposed an image search device which improves search efficiency by displaying a large image on one screen instead of a multi-screen.

For example, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-235981, a presentation device for reducing an individual image information to make it a multi-screen and giving an effective presentation by using an interactive image processing technique is also disclosed. As described in JP-A-202766, two types of reduced image information are prepared to increase the number of multi-screen image information that can be displayed at a time using a reduced image with a large reduction ratio, thereby improving search efficiency. There has been proposed an apparatus or the like that changes the image information to a smaller reduction rate in accordance with the information and improves the certainty of the search.

[Problems to be solved by the present invention]

When a large amount of image information is searched by the multi-screen search, there is a demand to display as many reduced images as possible on a multi-screen as high as possible. Therefore, it is apt to increase the reduction ratio and increase the number of displayed images. Also, in a multi-screen search at the time of presentation, there are similar graphs and tables, and it is difficult to distinguish by a search using reduced images, and there is a demand to search by presentation order and contents in order to avoid it.

In the above-described conventional technology, when the reduction ratio of the reduced screen information is increased and the multi-screen display is performed, the distinction between the reduced screen information becomes clear and the search becomes difficult, or the contents of the image information are similar. In the case where the image information cannot be distinguished even if the reduction ratio of the image information is reduced and the search becomes difficult, the countermeasures have not been considered much.

The present invention solves the above-described problem, and enables high-speed and easy-to-confirm multi-screen search when searching large-capacity image information by multi-screen search or when performing multi-screen search at the time of presentation execution. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image search device that performs

[Means for solving the problem]

To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, a file recording unit (1) for storing a plurality of sets of unit image data to be displayed and corresponding character data in association with each other, A memory (2), an image data display control unit (6), a character data display memory (3),
A character data display control unit (7), a search information display management unit (8), a display device (5), and image data read from the image data display memory and read from the character data display memory. And an image synthesis output unit (4) for synthesizing the character data and displaying it on the display device.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 11, an image display device including a character data grinding unit for search (80) was used.

[Action]

When searching for any one of a plurality of unit image data recorded in the file recording unit and displaying it on the display device, the search information display management unit indicates that there is a search instruction input Each time the image data is detected, the image data display control unit is instructed to read out a predetermined fixed number of unit image data recorded in the file recording unit from the file recording unit and sequentially read out the image data display memory. The search information display management unit, every time it detects that there is a designation input to designate a specific one of a certain number of unit images displayed on the display device, The character data display control unit is instructed to read character data corresponding to the specified unit image from the file recording unit, and read out the character data. When the display information is written in a display memory and displayed on the display device in association with the specified unit image, and the search information display management unit detects that there is an input to select and confirm the specified unit image, the search data display management unit The display controller is instructed to replace the enlarged image of the specified unit image with a fixed number of unit images displayed so far, and to display the search result on the display device as a search result, thus ending the search.

Further, in the image search, when the search character data search unit receives search character data input from the outside, the search character data search unit searches the file recording unit with the received search character data. Then, the corresponding character data is selected, the unit image data corresponding to the selected character data is listed, and the list is passed to the search information display management unit.

Thereafter, the search information display management unit performs a similar search based on the list.

〔Example〕

 Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image search device that executes one embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes image data to be searched (original image data), its reduced image data, search character data corresponding thereto,
, A file recording unit for recording a database, an image data display memory for temporarily recording image data, and a character data display memory for temporarily recording character data. Reference numeral 4 denotes an image synthesis output unit which reads out image data and character data recorded in the image data display memory 2 and the character data display memory 3, respectively, and performs overlay display processing. A display for displaying the processed data.

Reference numeral 6 denotes an image data display control unit for reading the original image data and its reduced image data from the file recording unit 1 to the image data display memory 2 and writing the data at a designated position.
Is a character data display control unit that reads character data for search from the file recording unit 1 into the character data display memory 3 and writes it to a designated position. 8 is an image data display control unit 6 according to the instruction of the search operator. A search information display management unit that issues an instruction to display the original image data, its reduced image data, or character data to the character data display control unit 7, 9 is an instruction input unit to which an instruction of a search operator is input, 10 is the entire apparatus Is a system bus for exchanging data and control commands between the components of the apparatus.

First, image data to be subjected to an image search is stored in the file recording unit 1. More specifically, image data is captured from a camera, a color image scanner, or the like, the captured image data is used as original image data, and reduced image data of the original image data is created and recorded. Character data for
Many of them are recorded as a pair in the file recording unit 1.

FIG. 2 shows that image data (original image,
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a recording format when a reduced image and a pair of search characters are recorded.

In the figure, 21 is a data recording medium whose recording position is managed for recording data, 22 is a file management information area for recording file management information in the data recording medium 21,
Reference numeral 23 denotes a data recording area for recording image data (a pair of an original image, a reduced image, and a search character) in the data recording medium 21. In addition, LBN1 to LBN6 are recording positions on the data recording medium 21, C1 and C2 are information amounts of each search character data, and V1 to V4 are data amounts of each image data.

The data recording medium 21 is logically divided into blocks from which data can be read and written (hereinafter, referred to as sectors), and serial numbers (LBN1, LBN2, LBN) are used to distinguish each sector.
3, ...) is shaken. Data can be read and written by designating the serial number.

Further, the recorded data is managed as a file with a name, and information for managing the file is recorded in the file management information area 22, and the original image data belonging to each file, its reduced image data, and a search The pair with the character data is recorded in the data recording area 23.

In FIG. 2, among the pairs of original image data constituting picture 1 as a file, its reduced image data, and search character data, the search character data is reduced to the recording position LBN1 of the data recording area. This shows that the image data is recorded at the recording position LBN2 and the original image data is recorded at the recording position LBN3.

Similarly, of the pair of original image data constituting picture 2 as a file, its reduced image data, and search character data, search character data is at recording position LBN4, and reduced image data is at recording position LBN5. The original image data is stored at the recording position LB
N6 indicates that they are recorded.

By recording data in the file recording unit 1 in this manner, an original image, its reduced image, and character data for search can be reproduced and displayed.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the contents recorded in the file management information area 22 in FIG.

As described above, the pair of the original image data, the reduced image data thereof, and the character data for search is recorded in the data recording area 23 as described above, but the file management information recorded in the area 21 at that time is recorded. Is the file name for distinguishing each data, the amount of character data for search belonging to each file, its recording position (serial serial number,
For example, LBN1), the display range of the reduced image data on the display screen (the number of pixels in the X and Y directions, DX and DY), the recording position of the reduced image data on the data recording medium 21 (serial serial number, for example, LBN2 ), The display range of the original image data on the display screen (the number of pixels in the X and Y directions, DX and DY), and the recording position of the original image data on the data recording medium 21 (serial serial number, for example, LBN3). And as shown in FIG.

When reading data from the file recording unit 1 in FIG. 1, by searching the file management information from the area 22 shown in FIG. 3, important data, ie, original image data, its reduced image data, Character data can be read out by file name and recording position.

For example, when reading the reduced image data of the file name "picture 2" in FIG. 3, the file name in the file management information area 22 is searched, and the display range of the reduced image data of the "picture 2" file is From “DX, DY”, it can be seen that the recording position of the reduced image data is “LBN5”. Then, next, the reduced image data is converted to “V3” from “LBN5” in the data recording area 23 in FIG.
By reading out the reduced image data, the reduced image data of "picture 2" can be read out and displayed.

Here, for example, assuming that the image data is 24 bits per pixel, the data amount “V3” is obtained by the following calculation from the information of the display range.

V3 = DX × DY × 24 Next, returning to FIG. 1, the operation of associating image data with search character data and displaying them together on the display will be described.

Here, the image data (original image data or its reduced image data) and the character data for retrieval are separately read out as necessary and temporarily recorded in the image data display memory 2 and the character data display memory 3, respectively. Then, the images are synthesized by the image synthesis output unit 4 and displayed on the display 5.

First, the operation in which the image data recorded in the file recording unit 1 is written into the image data display memory 2 is performed by the search information display management unit 8 instructing the name of the file to be displayed, the type of image data, and the display position. It is sent to the display control unit 6. The image data display control unit 6 reads the designated image data from the file recording unit 1 and writes the designated image data in the designated position of the image data display memory 2.

Next, the operation of writing the search character data recorded in the file recording unit 1 to the character data display memory 3 is performed by the search information display management unit 8 when the file name and display position of the search character data are displayed in the character data display memory 3. It is sent to the display control unit 7. The character data display control unit 7 reads out the designated search character data from the file recording unit 1 and writes it in the designated position of the character data display memory 3.

The data written at this time is written as image data by expanding the read character data into a bit image.

Further, the image synthesizing output unit 4 reads out the image data and the character image data at the same display position one pixel at a time from the image data display memory 2 and the character data display memory 3 in accordance with the display operation of the display 5, and performs the image synthesis. As the processing, the pixel in which the character image data exists is selected as the character image data, and the pixel in which the character image data does not exist selects the image data, and the selected data is output to the display 5.

By performing the above operations by each unit, the image data read from the file recording unit 1 and the search character data are
When displayed on the display 5, it looks as if character data for search is pasted on the image data.

Next, when an image search is performed, when an operator's search instruction is given from the instruction input unit 9 shown in FIG. 1 based on the data stored as shown in FIGS. Next, a description will be given of how the search information display management unit 8 that receives the request calls up the multi-screen on the display 5 to perform the search, with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

Here, as an example of preconditions for explaining the operation of the search information display management unit 8, the file recording unit 1 stores the original image data, 1/16 reduced image data of the original image data, It is assumed that character data is recorded as a pair with a file name.

In addition, it is assumed that the contents of the search character data include a comment about the file creation date and the contents of the image data.

Further, when an image data search is performed, a search instruction to start a multi-screen search, an instruction to start a multi-screen search, and an instruction before or after the instruction can be input to the search information display management section 8 via the instruction input section 9 by the operator. A multi-screen switching instruction as an instruction for switching display to a multi-screen, and a selection position for changing the selection position, up, down, left and right, on the screen, which of a plurality of reduced images constituting the multi-screen is to be selected. It is assumed that there is a change instruction and a selection confirmation instruction for finally confirming the selected reduced image and calling and displaying the corresponding original image data.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of the operation performed by the search information display management unit 8 in FIG.

Please refer to FIG. First, the search information display management unit 8 waits for a search instruction from the instruction input unit 9 to be input (S1). Here, when there is no search instruction from the instruction input unit 9 (S1: NO), the processing of S1 is repeated.

When a search instruction is input from the instruction input unit 9 (S1: YE
S) is, for example, an image file (picture 1, picture 2, etc.) recorded in the file recording section 1 is converted into a multi-screen, for example, 16 pictures on one screen.
In order to display a set, 16 files are listed as one group (hereinafter, referred to as a multi-screen unit) (S2).

Next, the multi-screen unit (16
An instruction to display the reduced image data of the set of files is issued to the image data display controller 6 (S3). At this time, as in the multi-screen shown in FIG. 5, the display position of each reduced image is also instructed to the image data display control unit 6 so that the 16 reduced images instructed to be displayed are arranged without overlapping. .

Next, in the multi-screen (16 reduced images) displayed in this manner, a frame (hereinafter, referred to as a selection frame) for indicating which reduced image is currently selected is set at a predetermined position (hereinafter, referred to as a selection frame). A command to display the search data belonging to the selected reduced image and a command to display the search characters belonging to the selected reduced image are issued to the character data display control unit 7 (S4).

At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the selection frame instructed to be displayed is displayed at a display position surrounding the currently selected reduced image, and the search characters do not overlap the selection frame. The character data display control unit 7 is instructed to be displayed at the position as shown in FIG.

By the processing so far, the actual display on the display 5 is selected so that the selection frame does not overlap around the reduced image selected in the multi-screen as shown in FIG. Search characters (file name, creation date, contents) corresponding to the reduced image are displayed.

Next, the search information display management unit 8 determines whether a multi-screen switching instruction has been input from the instruction input unit 9 (S
Five). When a multi-screen switching instruction is input (S5: YE
S) issues an instruction to display the specified multi-screen in multi-screen units to the image data display control unit 6 (S6).

Further, returning to the process S4, the selection frame and the search characters are displayed. For example, when an instruction to display the next multi-screen is input from the instruction input unit 9, an instruction to display the next multi-screen unit is issued to the image data display control unit 6 together with the display position in the process S6, and We do S4.

As a result, the next multi-screen is displayed, a selection frame is displayed at the default position, and characters for searching the selected reduced image are displayed.

When no multi-screen switching instruction is input (S5: N
O) performs the following process S7. In process S7, the display input unit 9
It is determined whether or not a selection position change instruction has been input from.

When a selection position change instruction has been input (S7: YES)
Issues a command to delete the previously displayed selection frame and the search character to the character information display control unit 7, and displays an instruction to display the selection frame at a newly designated position, and an instruction to delete the newly selected reduced image. An instruction to display a search character is issued to the character data display control unit 7 (S8).

For example, when an instruction to change the selected position to shift the position of the reduced image to the right on the multi-screen by one is input from the display input unit 9, the selection frame previously displayed in the process S8 and the search frame The character is erased, a new selection frame is displayed at a position rightward by one, and the newly selected search character of the reduced image is displayed.

As a result, the selection frame is moved right by one, and the search character corresponding to the reduced image at the moved position is displayed.

When the selection position change instruction has not been input (S7: NO)
Performs the following processing S9. In the process S9, it is determined whether or not a selection confirmation instruction has been input from the instruction input unit 9.

If the selection confirmation instruction has been input (S9: YES), an instruction to delete the selection frame and the search character that has been displayed is issued to the character data display control unit 7, and at the same time, the selection has been made. An instruction to display the original image corresponding to the reduced image at the position is issued to the image data display control unit 6, and the image is displayed, thereby terminating the image search (S10).

As a result, an original image of the reduced image selected by the operator in the selection frame can be displayed as a search result from the plurality of reduced images forming the multi-screen. If the selection confirmation instruction has not been input (S9: NO), the flow returns to the processing S5, and it is determined whether or not another instruction has been input to the instruction input unit 9.

By repeating the above operation by the search information display management unit 8, the operator performing the image search selects one of the plurality of reduced images displayed on the multi-screen, and furthermore, selects the corresponding search character. A desired image can be searched by issuing the next search instruction while confirming (for example, a comment on the file name, the creation date, and the content).

As described above, in the present embodiment, the operator performing the image search performs the image search while confirming not only the reduced images on the multi-screen but also the search characters attached to each reduced image. When the reduction ratio of reduced images is increased and the number of reduced images to be displayed on the multi-screen is increased, the distinction between the reduced images becomes indistinct or the image content is similar, and the reduction ratio of reduced images In the case where it is not possible to distinguish even if the display is lowered and enlarged, the search characters work effectively to facilitate the search.

In the above embodiment, the image data and the character data are written into the image data display memory 2 and the character data display memory 3, respectively.
Although both are displayed in association with each other, if a configuration is adopted in which character data is overwritten in the image data display memory 2 so that only the character data can be erased and written, only one display memory is required. In addition, the image synthesizing function of the image synthesizing output unit 4 is not required.

Although the reduced image data is recorded in the file recording unit 1, if the reduced image data is created by thinning out the original image data every time the original image data is displayed and written into the image data display memory 2, the reduced image data is recorded in advance. You don't have to.

In FIG. 6, the search characters are displayed outside the selection frame. However, when the reduction rate of the reduced image is low and it is safe to write characters in the selection frame, or when the selected reduction If it is desired to check the reduced image around the image rather than the image, search characters may be written in the selection frame.

Search information display management unit 8 according to the flowchart of FIG.
In the description of the operation, when the reduced image is selected, the accompanying search characters are always displayed, but the display of the search characters can be displayed only when the search characters are required by adding the ON and OFF functions. You may do it.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart similar to FIG. 4, for explaining a modified embodiment of the embodiment described with reference to FIGS.

In this case, the search information display management unit 8 includes a search reduced image registration unit. The instruction input unit 9 registers not only one search reduced image but also a plurality of search reduced images to contribute to the search. Like that. Since this is an embodiment in that sense, refer to the flowchart of FIG. 8 for details of the operation.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart similar to FIG. 4 for explaining the modified embodiment. This embodiment is an embodiment in which search characters are displayed at a position where display of the selected reduced image is not hindered. In this regard, refer to the flowchart of FIG.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart similar to FIG. 4 for explaining the modified embodiment. This embodiment is an embodiment in which search characters are displayed within the display range of a selected reduced image. In this regard, refer to the flowchart of FIG.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image search device that executes still another embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 3, a block 80 newly added as compared with FIG. 1 is a search record recorded in the file recording unit 1 using character data input from the instruction input unit 9 by a search operator as a search condition. The search character data search unit instructs the search information display management unit 8 to search for the search character data and perform the multi-screen search using only the reduced image data of the search character data that matches the search condition.

This is because, when a multi-screen search using reduced images is performed for all image files recorded in the file recording unit 1 and a large number of image files are recorded in the file recording unit 1, Even if the reduction rate is increased, it is almost impossible to perform a fast and efficient search.

This is because there is a limit to the discriminating ability of the operator performing the search, and if the reduction ratio of the reduced images is increased, it becomes impossible to distinguish the reduced images.

Therefore, the search character data search unit 80 preliminarily searches the search character data recorded in the file recording unit 1 under the search conditions (character data) input from the instruction input unit 9 of the operator performing the search. Do.

For example, when the date when each image file was created is recorded as search character data, and the search operator inputs a condition “image data created within the last month” from the instruction input unit 9, the search Character data search unit 80
Reads out the date portion of the search character data recorded in the file recording unit 1 and compares it with the current date minus one month. Just list up.

Further, in order to perform a multi-screen search of the listed image file using the reduced image, the image file is passed to the search information display management unit 8, and the list file passed from the search information display management unit 8 and the search character data search unit 80 is displayed. The multi-screen search shown in the previous embodiment is performed using only the reduced image data of the image file obtained.

As a result, it is possible to perform a multi-screen search with search character data only for image files that meet necessary conditions without performing a multi-screen search for all the image files recorded in the file recording unit 1.

In the above embodiment, the search is performed under only one type of condition. However, the search may be naturally performed under a plurality of conditions.

Although the search character data search unit 80 does not have a configuration for displaying the search result and search progress of the search character data, the search character data search unit 80 displays the processing state and the processing result in the character data display control unit. 7, the search result and the search state may be displayed.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, a large number of pairs of original image data, reduced image data, and search character data of image data to be searched are recorded in the image information recording device, and when performing image inspection, The multi-screen display using the reduced image data, and in addition, by displaying only the character data for search added to each image data corresponding to the selected reduced image, the operator performing the search,
Since the image data can be searched while referring to both the reduced image data and the search character data, the usability is good.

Further, by displaying the search character data of only the selected reduced image, other reduced images can be confirmed. As a result, even in a multi-screen search in which the reduction ratio of the reduced image is increased, while the image identification of the entire multi-screen is performed, the reduced image or the configuration of a graphic or character such as a graph which is difficult to be distinguished if the reduction ratio is increased is similar. Even with reduced images such as landscapes,
There is an advantage that an accurate search can be performed by referring to the search character data.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an image retrieval apparatus for realizing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a recording format diagram of a part for recording an image file, and FIG. 3 is file management information at the time of recording an image file. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a layout diagram of multi-screen display using reduced image data, FIG. 6 is a display layout diagram of search character data, FIG. 8 is a layout diagram when a multi-screen and character data for search are superimposed and displayed. FIGS. 8 to 10 are flowcharts showing another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 11 is still another embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram showing the composition of the image search device which realizes an example. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... File recording unit 2 ... Image data display memory
3 ... Character data display memory, 4 ... Image synthesis output unit,
5 Display 6 Image data display controller 7
... character data display control unit, 8 ... search information display management unit, 21 ... data recording medium, 22 ... file management information area, 23 ... data recording area, 80 ... search character data search unit.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-60-156172 (JP, A) JP-A-62-226375 (JP, A) JP-A-2-26771 (JP, A) JP-A-2- 232769 (JP, A) Uraya, Shibata, Noguchi, Aizawa “Trial Production of Still Image Retrieval System FORKS” Transactions of the Information Processing Society of Japan, Vol. 28, No. 7, 1987 (Showa 62-7-15), p. 758-767 (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G06F 17/30 H04N 1/21 JICST Scientific and Technical Reference File

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] An image retrieval apparatus for selecting and displaying specific image information from a plurality of pieces of image information, wherein the image information, index image information of the image information, and character information are recorded in a recording unit in association with each other. In addition, index image information display means for displaying a plurality of index image information recorded in the recording means, and instruction input means for instructing a specific one of the index image information displayed on the index image information display means Character information corresponding to the index image information designated by the instruction input means, read from the recording means, and displayed near the designated index image information so as not to overlap with the index image information. An information display unit, and when there is a selection instruction from the instruction input unit with respect to the designated index image information, The image search apparatus characterized by the image information corresponding to the designated index image information, comprising an image information display means for displaying read from the recording means. 2. The image search device according to claim 1, wherein
Search condition input means for instructing a search for character information recorded in the recording means, and a search index for displaying only index image information corresponding to the character information searched under the search condition specified by the search condition input means An image search device comprising image information display means. 3. The image search device according to claim 1, wherein
An image search device, wherein the index image information is a reduced image of the image information.