Abstract: A representative image display system for selecting and displaying representative images so that a user can easily grasp contents of videos displayed in a list is provided. A video selector selects a video satisfying an input search condition. A representative image combination extractor extracts an image representing the selected video. An evaluation value calculator calculates an evaluation value of the extracted image. A representative image combination selector selects a combination of images to be displayed as representative images based on the calculated evaluation value. An output device displays the selected combination of images as the representative images.

Abstract: A video playing device includes a classification unit classifying a video or a video section to be played according to a degree of user's necessary concentration on a video. A user's concentration derivation unit calculates a degree of user's concentration on the video. A video selection unit selects the video or the video section to be played based on a classification result and the degree of user's concentration on the video. A video playing unit plays the video or the video section selected by the video selection unit, and operates so as to preferentially play videos or video sections which the degree of user's concentration necessary to watch each video or video section is lower than the current degree of user's concentration.

Abstract: A viewing surveillance system which make it possible to carry out the viewing surveillance independently from the broadcasting form like analog broadcasting or digital broadcasting. The viewing surveillance system also make it possible to carry out the viewing surveillance without any restriction set to viewers or any burden to the broadcast stations. The image feature data generating unit 12 receives a picture signal from the image viewing terminal 50, and generates the image feature data which represents a feature of the image from the picture signal. The image information transmitting unit 13 transmits the image feature data generated by the image feature data generating unit 12 to the viewing surveillance server 2. On the other hand, the image feature data generating units 21a to 21c also generates the image feature data based on the broadcasted programs and stores the image feature data in the program image feature data storing unit 22.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed for generating image feature data from an image having an arbitrary shape for use in image search. The apparatus includes rectangular area generating unit (2); rectangular image generating unit (3); padded-pixel value selecting unit (5); and image feature data generating unit (4). First, rectangular image generating unit (2) draws a rectangular area around input image (1) such that input image (1) is included therein. Rectangular image generating unit (3) pads a pixel value in an area of the rectangular area generated by rectangular area generating unit (2) which does not include pixels associated with input image (1) to generate a rectangular image. Image feature data generating unit (4) generates feature data from the image generated by rectangular image generating unit (3).

Abstract: An image retrieval device and an image retrieval method are provided which are capable of improving performance of image retrieval, of retrieving images at higher speed with simplified configurations and of retrieving images by simplified calculating processes.

Abstract: A video playing device includes a classification unit 121 classifying a video or a video section to be played according to a degree of user's necessary concentration on a video, a user's concentration derivation unit 140 calculating a degree of user's concentration on the video, a video selection unit 122 selecting the video or the video section to be played based on a classification result and the degree of user's concentration on the video, and a video playing unit 130 playing the video or the video section selected by the video selection unit, and operates so as to preferentially playing videos or video sections which the degree of user's concentration necessary to watch the each video or the each video section is lower than the current degree of user's concentration on a video.

Abstract: A representative image display system for selecting and displaying representative images so that a user can easily grasp contents of videos displayed in a list is provided. Video selection means 21 selects a video satisfying an input search condition. Representative image combination extraction means 22 extracts an image representing the selected video. Evaluation value calculation means 23 calculates an evaluation value of the extracted image. Representative image combination selection means 24 selects a combination of images to be displayed as representative images based on the calculated evaluation value. An output device 4 displays the selected combination of images as the representative images.

Abstract: When switching a content playback, it is possible to easily judge that switching has been performed. Switching source content metadata acquisition means and switching destination content metadata acquisition means acquire the metadata on the switching source content currently displayed and the metadata on the switching destination content to be displayed next from a metadata storage unit (31), respectively. Display effect decision means references a display effect table stored in a display effect storage unit and selects a display effect according to a combination of the metadata for the switching source content and the metadata for the switching destination content. Display effect insert means calls a switching destination content from the content storage unit, changes an image of the switching destination content according to the display effect decided by the display effect decision means, and outputs the image to an output device. The output device displays the image.

Abstract: A contents display system for displaying contents including video data including a plurality of video intervals and concomitant data associated with the video data includes a contents display mode determiner for determining, per video interval, a display mode for displaying video data and concomitant data included in the contents to be displayed on a display screen, and a contents arrangement unit for generating, per video interval, contents in which the video data and the concomitant data are arranged according to the display mode determined by the contents display mode determiner.

Abstract: The picture retrieving apparatus includes: an orthogonal conversion coefficient memory 13 of a retrieval target picture storing an orthogonal conversion coefficient of a picture targeted for a retrieval; a picture feature amount converter 2 converting an orthogonal conversion coefficient 21 read from the orthogonal conversion coefficient memory 13 of the retrieval target picture into a color histogram information; and a color histogram similarity calculator 4 calculating a similarity 42 between a color histogram information 41 of a query picture and a color histogram information 25 generated by the picture feature amount converter 2. It unifies the kinds of the picture feature amounts to calculate the similarity between the picture feature amounts. Thus, it can specify the picture similar to the query picture from the retrieval target picture, on the basis of the calculated similarity.

Abstract: The picture retrieving apparatus includes: an orthogonal conversion coefficient memory 13 of a retrieval target picture storing an orthogonal conversion coefficient of a picture targeted for a retrieval; a picture feature amount converter 2 converting an orthogonal conversion coefficient 21 read from the orthogonal conversion coefficient memory 13 of the retrieval target picture into a color histogram information; and a color histogram similarity calculator 4 calculating a similarity 42 between a color histogram information 41 of a query picture and a color histogram information 25 generated by the picture feature amount converter 2. It unifies the kinds of the picture feature amounts to calculate the similarity between the picture feature amounts. Thus, it can specify the picture similar to the query picture from the retrieval target picture, on the basis of the calculated similarity.

Abstract: The picture retrieving apparatus includes: an orthogonal conversion coefficient memory 13 of a retrieval target picture storing an orthogonal conversion coefficient of a picture targeted for a retrieval; a picture feature amount converter 2 converting an orthogonal conversion coefficient 21 read from the orthogonal conversion coefficient memory 13 of the retrieval target picture into a color histogram information; and a color histogram similarity calculator 4 calculating a similarity 42 between a color histogram information 41 of a query picture and a color histogram information 25 generated by the picture feature amount converter 2. It unifies the kinds of the picture feature amounts to calculate the similarity between the picture feature amounts. Thus, it can specify the picture similar to the query picture from the retrieval target picture, on the basis of the calculated similarity.

Abstract: In the similarity calculating portion, a similarity between frame feature vectors of the subject videos for retrieval, stored in the frame feature vector storing portion, and image feature vectors of the query images extracted by the image feature vector extracting portion is calculated, further in the frame feature vector selecting portion, the frame feature vectors of which the similarities are higher than a predetermined threshold value are selected, and furthermore, in the similar segment generating portion, the frame feature vectors that are continuous in time, out of those selected by the frame feature vector selecting portion, are integrated into one group. Thereafter, in the similar image selecting portion, at least one frame feature vector of the highest similarity inside the integrated group is selected so as to present an image having the selected frame feature vector as a result of retrieval.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an image retrieval system for computing similarity in the case when components are different between an image feature vector of a query image and the image feature vectors of images to be retrieved when retrieval is carried out by using features of images. A first image feature vector conversion device converts a query image feature vector into a first image feature vector for use in a similarity computation according to similarity computation image feature vector configuration information describing a given configuration of an image feature vector for use in a similarity computation. A second image feature vector conversion device converts an images-to-be-retrieved feature vector into a second image feature vector for use in a similarity computation according to the similarity computation image feature vector configuration information.

Abstract: A viewing surveillance system which make it possible to carry out the viewing surveillance independently from the broadcasting form like analog broadcasting or digital broadcasting. The viewing surveillance system also make it possible to carry out the viewing surveillance without any restriction set to viewers or any burden to the broadcast stations. The image feature data generating unit 12 receives a picture signal from the image viewing terminal 50, and generates the image feature data which represents a feature of the image from the picture signal. The image information transmitting unit 13 transmits the image feature data generated by the image feature data generating unit 12 to the viewing surveillance server 2. On the other hand, the image feature data generating units 21a to 21c also generates the image feature data based on the broadcasted programs and stores the image feature data in the program image feature data storing unit 22.

Abstract: The picture retrieving apparatus includes: an orthogonal conversion coefficient memory 13 of a retrieval target picture storing an orthogonal conversion coefficient of a picture targeted for a retrieval; a picture feature amount converter 2 converting an orthogonal conversion coefficient 21 read from the orthogonal conversion coefficient memory 13 of the retrieval target picture into a color histogram information; and a color histogram similarity calculator 4 calculating a similarity 42 between a color histogram information 41 of a query picture and a color histogram information 25 generated by the picture feature amount converter 2. It unifies the kinds of the picture feature amounts to calculate the similarity between the picture feature amounts. Thus, it can specify the picture similar to the query picture from the retrieval target picture, on the basis of the calculated similarity.

Abstract: According to an image description system, a feature extracting unit extracts a layout feature from each of frames of an image sequence. A representative feature calculating unit calculates a layout feature representative of the image sequence from a group of the layout features extracted by the feature extracting unit.

Abstract: A similarity determining apparatus is disclosed which determines whether a query signal and a search signal are similar to each other or not. The similarity determining apparatus determines weighting values for elements of a signal characteristic of a first type, which are used in determining the distance between a signal characteristic of a first type of a search signal and a signal characteristic of a first type of a query signal, depending on a second type of signal characteristics. The similarity determining apparatus calculates the distance between the signal characteristic of the first type of the search signal and the signal characteristic of the first type of the query signal, based on the determined weighting values. The similarity determining apparatus calculates the distance between a signal characteristic of a second type of the search signal and a signal characteristic of a second type of the query signal.

Abstract: An image retrieval device and an image retrieval method are provided which are capable of improving performance of image retrieval, of retrieving images at higher speed with simplified configurations and of retrieving images by simplified calculating processes.

Abstract: An image search system for determining a similarity of an image whose feature are represented by either one of image features amounts, a color distribution features or a frequency distribution features, to search for a similar image, including a to-be-searched image features storage unit for referring to data of an image features amount of each image to be searched, an inquiry image features input unit for receiving input of data of an image features amount of an inquiry image, a data processing unit for converting a kind of an image features amount of an image set to be an object whose kind of image features amount is to be changed to make a kind of image features amount of each image to be searched and a kind of image features amount of the inquiry image be coincident with each other, and a similarity calculation unit for comparing the image features amount of the inquiry image and the image features amount of each image to be searched based on the converted image features amount and determining a similarit