Abstract: A moving image processing apparatus gives an ID to a video segment obtained by dividing moving image data, and stores information for associating a section of each video segment with the ID as video segment section information. Here, meta-data corresponding to each video segment is managed by associating the meta-data with the ID given to each video segment. In editing operations, editing in units of a video segment is performed, and an arrangement of video segment IDs is manipulated. Therefore, even if the editing is performed, there arises no inconsistency in referring to meta-data information so that it is equivalent to having the meta-data updated in synchronization with the moving image editing. Thus, it is possible to have virtual editing of the moving image automatically followed by an update of the meta-data and also alleviate a burden of reediting the meta-data of an editor.

Abstract: A moving image playback apparatus plays back moving image data, and synchronously displays a thumbnail image sequence obtained from the moving image data. In this state, when a cursor used to designate a thumbnail image falls within a predetermined area including the display area of the thumbnail image, synchronous display of the thumbnail image sequence is interrupted. When a thumbnail image is designated by the cursor, the playback position jumps to a corresponding scene to start playback of the moving image, and synchronous display of the thumbnail image sequence is restarted. When the thumbnail image sequence has been scrolled in the time-axis direction, synchronous display of the thumbnail image sequence is interrupted, and an instruction interface used to instruct restart of synchronous display is provided. When the instruction interface is operated in this state, synchronous display of the thumbnail image sequence is restarted.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating a scaled image divides an image, which comprises a plurality of pixels, into a plurality of blocks by partitioning the image vertically and horizontally, whereby the color space of this image is divided into a plurality of subspaces, referred to as bins (S10501 to S10503). The apparatus applies a histogram analysis, on a bin-by-bin basis, to the pixels constituting a block of interest among the plurality of blocks. Then, using the result of the histogram analysis, the apparatus decides the representative color of the block of interest in accordance with the average color of pixels belonging to a most frequent bin among the plurality of bins. A scaled image of this image is obtained by applying the above operation to all of the blocks (S10504 to S10510).

Abstract: Image data and their image feature amounts are managed in correspondence with each other using an image storage unit and an information management DB. A desired one of query conditions each of which is defined by image feature amounts set with ambiguity levels is designated by an input unit. A matching unit matches the image feature amounts that define the designated query condition, with corresponding managed image data. Image data as search results are output to a display on the basis of the matching results.

Abstract: A retrieval condition for retrieving desired image data is input from a user interface, and the input retrieval condition is analyzed by a text processing unit. On the basis of the analysis result, a retrieval result notification unit outputs a question to prompt the user to input a retrieval condition different from the previously input retrieval condition. A retrieval condition is input from the user interface in accordance with the output question. A retrieval unit retrieves image data on the basis of the input retrieval condition.

Abstract: Image data and coordinate of sought image data contained in this image data are entered from an image input unit. Next, the sought image data is extracted by a sought-object extraction unit based upon the coordinates of the entered sought image data. An image feature of the extracted sought image data is then calculated by an image-feature extraction unit. The calculated image feature and the entered image data are mapped in an image memory unit and managed.

Abstract: An image feature amount extraction unit segments an image into a plurality of blocks and calculates the feature amount of each block. A feature amount label string generation unit adds a label to each block in accordance with the feature amount acquired for the block and arranges the labels on the basis of a predetermined block sequence to generate a label string. In retrieval, the similarity between the label string of a specified image and that of an image to be compared is calculated, and an image whose similarity exceeds a predetermined value is output as a retrieval result. In this way, similar image retrieval can be performed in consideration of the arrangement of feature amounts of images, and simultaneously, similar image retrieval can be performed while absorbing any difference due to a variation in photographing condition or the like.

Abstract: An image data selecting unit selects image data which stores image attribute information to be additionally registered, and image data to which new image attribute information is to be additionally registered, from those displayed by a search result display unit. An image attribute information additional registration unit additionally registers image attribute information selected by an image attribute information selecting unit to the image data which is selected by the image data selecting unit and to which the new image attribute information is to be additionally registered. By automatically assigning attribute information which is not assigned upon registration of image data, the load on the user upon registration is reduced.

Abstract: Image data and coordinate of sought image data contained in this image data are entered from an image input unit. Next, the sought image data is extracted by a sought-object extraction unit based upon the coordinates of the entered sought image data. An image feature of the extracted sought image data is then calculated by an image-feature extraction unit. The calculated image feature and the entered image data are mapped in an image memory unit and managed.

Abstract: When a result obtained upon character recognition of an input image is to be used as text data for a search operation, a proper search operation can be performed even if a character different from the actual character image is stored as text data due to a character extraction error in character recognition processing. An information processing apparatus includes an image scanner for inputting image information, OCR software for recognizing the input image, a text information storage section for storing a recognition result, and document search software for assuming addition of an extra character in a designated search word, forming a pattern obtained by deleting a character from the search word, and searching a document using this pattern.

Abstract: Information indicating image data and the number of times (the number of votes) the image data was found upon search are managed in an image management unit in correspondence with each other in units of image data stored in an image storage unit. A search condition is input from a user interface, and image data matching the input search conditions are searched for. The numbers of votes for the obtained image data are acquired from the image management unit, and the obtained image data are sorted and displayed on a search result notifying unit on the basis of the acquired numbers of votes.

Abstract: A document management system which can flexibly cope with an access right range of a secret document while efficiently sharing document data is provided. The document management system has a data server, a full-text search service server connected to the LAN, and a fire wall arranged between the full-text search service server and the data server. When the user wants to refer to document/document image data accumulated in the data server, a client terminal designates a character train included in the document/document image data to be referred to, thereby performing the searching process. When the user wants to designate an access-limited character train as a search word, a password for the access-limited character train is simultaneously designated. When the access-limited character train and the password are not designated, the document including the access-limited character train is not displayed as a search result but is seen as if the document including the access-limited character train does not exist.

Abstract: When texts recognized by an OCR are registered and those texts are searched by a search word, a state in which the search cannot be performed depending on an error recognition at the time of the recognition by the OCR is eliminated. It is an object of the invention to realize a process such that no burden is exerted on an operator or an apparatus by the above state. There are provided an OCR processor for recognizing stored image information and outputting a recognition result while switching the number of candidate characters to be outputted as a recognition result in accordance with a degree of a likelihood; and a document searcher for forming character trains for search from the recognition result and for registering as a search file.