Abstract: An image processing method performs reduction processing on an input image to acquire a reduced image, extracts a feature point from a group of images including the input image and one or more of the reduced images, determines as a matched feature point the feature point extracted from a matching position in each of two or more images in the group of images, calculates a local feature quantity of the matched feature point determined by the determination unit, and registers the calculated local feature quantity as a local feature quantity of the input image.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus executes smoothing processing (reduction conversion) of an input image to acquire a smoothed image (reduced image), acquires a normalization parameter for normalization from the smoothed image, and normalizes pixel values of the input image based on the normalization parameter.

Abstract: A face image is detected for each frame at a predetermined interval in moving image data, and the face image is traced using a frame in which the face image is detected and frames subsequent to the frame. A face sequence including an interval in which the face can be traced and motion velocity vectors of the face indicating a change in the position of the face image in the interval is generated based on the tracing result. Further, camera operation information about when the moving image data is acquired is generated from the frame image of the moving image data. When there is an overlap in the plurality of intervals in which the face images are traced, the face being tracked by the camera is determined using the face sequence and the camera operation information of each of the plurality of face images. The face determined to be tracked is then determined to be a key object.

Abstract: A page image is acquired. Area information that includes information on existence or absence of a text area and a picture area is extracted from the acquired page image. The page image is divided into a plurality of blocks. An image feature amount of each of the divided blocks is calculated. Whether the page image includes a picture area is determined on the basis of the extracted area information and the calculated image feature amounts of the blocks.

Abstract: An information input apparatus for inputting content information and obtaining attribute information for identifying the content information. By transmitting the obtained attribute information to other apparatuses when the content information is input, attribute information can be easily added to the content information. Then, the attribute information added to the content information can be distributed.

Abstract: A image processing apparatus extracts a plurality of feature points, comprising a local feature amount, from an inputted image, and a region information that relates to the feature point, identifies at least one of the plurality of feature points, associates the feature point thus identified with a feature point with a high relational degree between the feature point thus identified and a region that is denoted by the region information of the feature point thus identified, and registers the feature point thus identified and associated as an index of the inputted image.

Abstract: In storing main information such moving image data and metadata accompanying the main information, for a metadata item for which a plurality of description forms are present, a priority table in which the priority of each description form is set for each item is held in advance. Under limitation conditions related to metadata storage due to the data collection time of metadata or the calculation time of a value corresponding to a description form, a metadata item and description form are employed in descending order of priority held in the priority table (S122) whereby metadata is formed and stored in correspondence with main information (S126). With this arrangement, it is reliably possible to use supplementary information in a form that can be used at least in wide-ranging devices and control schemes, and it is also possible to use supplementary information that can make use of the characteristic feature of each device or control scheme.

Abstract: A plurality of feature points are extracted from an inputted image, and a feature amount is computed with regard to the feature point thus extracted. A prescribed plurality of alterations, i.e., a rotation, an enlargement, or a reduction, are applied to the inputted image, a plurality of altered feature amounts are estimated with regard to the feature point, and an image is retrieved from among stored images that are stored upon a storage apparatus and that is most similar to the inputted image, in accordance with the plurality of the estimated altered feature amounts.

Abstract: When retrieving an image from an archive of stored images that is similar to an inputted image, an image-processing apparatus (200) extracts more than one characteristic point from the inputted image (S504), computes a characteristic amount for the characteristic points thus extracted (S505), and evaluates the fluctuation in the characteristic amount when a prescribed alteration is applied to the inputted image (S506). The image-processing apparatus selects a characteristic point from among the characteristic points thus extracted from the inputted image, and retrieves (S508) a stored image that is similar to the inputted image, in accordance with the characteristic amount of the characteristic point thus selected.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide a data structure description method and processing method, which can present the contents of data to the user in every devices as much as possible. A data processing method of this invention has a parsing step of parsing a structured document having second data which is included in first data described in a first markup language, is described in a second markup language, and is required to present contents corresponding to the first data, and a processing step of executing, if it is determined in a determination step that a part described in the first markup language of the parsed structured document cannot be understood, a process of data on the basis of a part described in the second markup language.

Abstract: This invention provides structured document data and a contents processing method, which can assure high versatility and process each individual required information using an application corresponding to processing performance in each device, so as to solve the problems in the aforementioned conventional description method. Structured document data according to this invention has designation information that designates an item position of a list held in a first document element which holds item information associated with a reference destination of contents as a list, and a second document element that holds information required to present the contents at the reference destination described in the item information corresponding to the designation information.

Abstract: Metadata corresponding to each segment is added to a content. Each metadata describes a metadata item such as the dominant color or person of the segment. Each metadata item describes metametadata for representing an editing content to the content that influences the effectiveness of the metadata item. When the content is edited, an information processing apparatus adds to the metametadata a description representing executed editing. From the metametadata, the information processing apparatus which processes the content can determine the effectiveness of each metadata item. As a result, the effectiveness of each metadata can be reliably determined.

Abstract: A moving image data management apparatus which manages moving image data and representative image data by using one or plural representative image data in correspondence with each moving image data. A thumbnail representing an arbitrary section in a moving image represented by moving image data is generated, and stored in a thumbnail area of the moving image file. Indexes corresponding to the respective thumbnails are stored in an index area of the moving image file. Each index includes start point/end point indicating a section in moving image data represented by the thumbnail image and attribute information indicating usage of the thumbnail. By this attribute information, operability of moving image data using representative images can be improved upon execution of various moving image data processing, and management of the representative images can be simplified.

Abstract: In a search system in which a plurality of first devices which store multimedia contents, a plurality of second devices which store attribute information on multimedia contents and have a search function of searching for the multimedia contents on the basis of the attribute information, and a third device which stores information on the respective second devices and selects, from the plurality of second devices, a device caused to execute search based on a search instruction received from the user terminal are connected to each other via a network, the third device receives a search instruction from the user terminal, and selects, from the plurality of second devices on the basis of the search instruction, a device caused to execute search based on the search instruction. The third device collects and integrates search results based on the search instruction, from the selected second device. The third device transmits the integrated search result to the user terminal.

Abstract: According to this invention, upon managing a plurality of data by individually appending meta data used to search for the data, an input sheet that describes predetermined candidates of meta data is prepared, the user selects meta data from the candidates of meta data, and the selected meta data is saved in association with the data. Upon making a search, a data search is conducted using meta data, and after the data found by search are partially provided to the user, the user selects desired data. In this way, everyone can easily and efficiently append information for a search to data to be managed.

Abstract: An information input apparatus for inputting content information and obtaining attribute information for identifying the content information. By transmitting the obtained attribute information to other apparatuses when the content information is input, attribute information can be easily added to the content information. Then, the attribute information added to the content information can be distributed.

Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide a data structure description method and processing method, which can present the contents of data to the user in every devices as much as possible. A data processing method of this invention has a parsing step of parsing a structured document having second data which is included in first data described in a first markup language, is described in a second markup language, and is required to present contents corresponding to the first data, and a processing step of executing, if it is determined in a determination step that a part described in the first markup language of the parsed structured document cannot be understood, a process of data on the basis of a part described in the second markup language.

Abstract: This invention provides structured document data and a contents processing method, which can assure high versatility and process each individual required information using an application corresponding to processing performance in each device, so as to solve the problems in the aforementioned conventional description method. Structured document data according to this invention has designation information that designates an item position of a list held in a first document element which holds item information associated with a reference destination of contents as a list, and a second document element that holds information required to present the contents at the reference destination described in the item information corresponding to the designation information.

Abstract: For multiple moving-image recorded on a storage medium, one piece of meta-data or each of multiple pieces of meta-data recorded for a part or all of the moving-image is managed by meta-data indices. A meta-data index keeps invalidity information indicating whether a piece of meta-data is going to be invalid and validity information indicating validity of the current piece of meta-data in the same form, when operations such as editing and processing are performed on a part or all of a moving-image that is an object of a piece of meta-data. When cutting-out occurs on a section of a moving-image that is an object of a piece of meta-data and the piece of meta-data cannot be recalculated, the invalidity information is copied to the validity information. In this manner, a meta-data added to the moving-image can be adapted and be used after the moving-image is edited.

Abstract: A moving image data management apparatus which manages moving image data and representative image data by using one or plural representative image data in correspondence with each moving image data. A thumbnail representing an arbitrary section in a moving image represented by moving image data is generated, and stored in a thumbnail area of the moving image file. Indexes corresponding to the respective thumbnails are stored in an index area of the moving image file. Each index includes start point/end point indicating a section in moving image data represented by the thumbnail image and attribute information indicating usage of the thumbnail. By this attribute information, operability of moving image data using representative images can be improved upon execution of various moving image data processing, and management of the representative images can be simplified.