Abstract: According to an aspect of an embodiment, a method of operating an apparatus having a display device for analyzing a plurality of images each representing a similar item, includes the steps of: displaying the plurality of the images in parallel by the display device; enabling a user to select partial regions of the images such that each of the partial regions represents a similar portion of the each item; extracting information associated with each of the partial regions of the images; and displaying data of the information of each of the partial regions in parallel in a format different from that appeared in the images.

Abstract: A difference emphasizing apparatus aligns a first three-dimensional model and a second three-dimensional model in orientation and position in accordance with a predetermined rule, and gets data of respective apices of the first three-dimensional model and the second three-dimensional model. Based on the gotten data, the apparatus finds a corresponding point on the first three-dimensional model, which corresponds to the apex of the second three-dimensional model in a direction of a particular axis. When the corresponding point is detected, the apparatus calculates a difference between the first three-dimensional model and the second three-dimensional model in the direction of the particular axis based on the corresponding point and the apex of the second three-dimensional model. The apparatus enlarges the difference in the direction of the particular axis, and calculates a position of the apex of the second three-dimensional model after the enlargement.

Abstract: The present invention relates to three-dimensional model retrieval apparatus and method.

Abstract: This invention discloses an image retrieval apparatus. The image retrieval apparatus comprises an unlabelled image selector for selecting one or more unlabelled image(s) from an image database; and a main learner for training in each feedback round of the image retrieval, estimating relevance of images in the image database and a user's intention, and determining retrieval results, wherein the main learner makes use of the unlabelled image(s) selected by the unlabelled image selector in the estimation. In addition, the image retrieval apparatus may also include an active selector for selecting, in each feedback round and according to estimation results of the main learner, one or more unlabelled image(s) from the image database for the user to label.

Abstract: According to an aspect of an embodiment, a method for searching a set of image data from a database which contains a plurality of sets of image data, at least one of the sets of the image data being associated with text data, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining keyword information; detecting first set of image data in said database associated with text data corresponding to said keyword information; and detecting second set of image data in said database on the basis of the feature of an image represented by said first set of image data.

Abstract: According to an aspect of an embodiment, a method for searching image data representing an image from a database by using a query image, the image data including information indicative of a shape of a contour of the image, comprising: obtaining a query image data representing the query image; extracting information indicative of a shape of a contour of the query image; and determining the image data in the database on the basis of correlation of the topological characteristics of the shapes of the contours of the images and the query image.

Abstract: A computer readable recording medium stores an information attachment program for attaching meta-information to multimedia data executed by a computer. The program causes the computer to perform an acquisition step of acquiring a search word of a text search done at a search site; a monitoring step of monitoring whether or not a search frequency of the search word acquired in the acquisition step satisfies a predetermined criterion; a determination step of determining whether or not at least a portion of the search word matches a character recognition processing result of the multimedia data when the search frequency of the search word is determined to satisfy the predetermined criterion in the monitoring step; and a registration step of registering the search word as meta-information of the multimedia data when, as a determination result of the determination step, the search word matches the character recognition processing result.

Abstract: A design support apparatus extracts feature data corresponding to design data to be searched upon receiving the design data to be searched. The apparatus checks the extracted feature data against the feature data associated with the feature associated information, ordering the design data associated with the feature associated information in descending order of similarity to the design data to be searched, retrieving one piece of the ordered design data. The apparatus generates a classification hierarchy consisting of pieces of classification data obtained by classifying a set of the retrieved design data based on a degree of feature similarity using the feature data associated with the feature associated information. The apparatus selects the design information closely associated with the classification data by fetching the design information corresponding to the design data contained in the classification data from the design associated information associating the design data and the design information.

Abstract: A resin composition which can be used to form a prepreg having sufficient flexibility to prevent cracking from occurring therein is provided. Further, a prepreg having sufficient flexibility to prevent cracking from occurring, a prepreg having excellent workability even in the case where the resin composition in the prepreg is in an uncured state, and a laminate provided with such a prepreg are also provided. The resin composition is used to form a sheet-shaped prepreg by impregnating a base material with the resin composition, and the composition comprises a first thermosetting resin, a second thermosetting resin having a lower weight average molecular weight than that of the first thermosetting resin, a curing agent, and a filler. The prepreg is formed by impregnating a base sheet material with the resin composition described above. The laminate is formed by laminating a metallic foil on the prepreg and then molding them by heating under pressure.

Abstract: This invention is to enable retrieving of a content the searcher imagines in mind. The search method includes: obtaining a query brain image representing a brain activity state of a searcher when perceiving or imagining the content to be retrieved; identifying the content corresponding to the query brain image by using a structure associating a content with a brain image representing the brain activity state when perceiving the content; and outputting the content corresponding to the query brain image. Thus, by using the query brain image, without specifically indicating the content such as a drawing, the searcher can extract the pertinent content only by imaging the content.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a shape comparison apparatus and method based on contour decomposition and correspondence. The apparatus comprises a polygonal approximation unit for approximating an image object contour as a polygon, namely representing the image object contour into an ordered contour primitive sequence; an attribute generation unit for calculating attribute value for contour primitive and contour primitive composition; and a comparison unit for establishing correspondence of polygons and hence calculating similarity between contours. Preferably, the apparatus further comprises an image object contour extraction unit for extracting, in the case the input into the apparatus is an image object rather than an image object contour, an image object contour of an image object inputted into the apparatus.

Abstract: A pattern retrieving unit includes an acquiring unit that acquires a representative pattern image; a setting unit that sets a use condition of a type of shape feature of the representative pattern image; a receiving unit that receives a query pattern image used as a query; a determining unit that determines the type of shape feature of the representative pattern image to be the type of shape feature of the query pattern image, based on the use condition; a retrieving unit that retrieves a pattern image identical or similar to the query pattern image, using determined type of shape feature; and an output unit configured to output a result of retrieval by the retrieving unit.

Abstract: Thumbnails of pages of a key document are arranged sequentially according to a page order in a row. Thumbnails of pages of a target document are arranged sequentially according to a page order in a row parallel to the row of the key document. A key page of the key document is compared with each page of the target document. When a page of the target document that is most similar to the key page is found, the row of the target document is shifted in a horizontal direction so that the page of the target document that is most similar to the key page is positioned next to the key page.

Abstract: After thinning an input image (drawing), a primitive is extracted. First, a rough primitive is extracted, and then the rough primitive becomes a primitive in a merge-split process according to a greedy strategy. Based on the primitive and the spatial correlation among primitives, an attribute graph describing the contents and the structure of the drawing is generated. The attribute graph is generated using a modified Delaunay triangle and an attribute set. An attribute graph having an attribute set is generated for each of an inquiry drawing and a comparison drawing which are compared with each other, thereby perform drawing comparison.

Abstract: A rule discovery program which enables discovery of a rule by automatically searching for a feature portion which is effective for generation of a rule in multimedia data. When sample data items are inputted, a search unit selects evaluation positions on a data array constituting each of the sample data items so as to generate a selection pattern. Next, an integration unit integrates the evaluation positions in the selection pattern so as to generate a predetermined number of evaluation regions, and a rule-candidate generation unit generates a rule candidate indicating a relationship common to the sample data items. A rule-candidate evaluation unit evaluates the generated rule candidate, and an output unit outputs, as a rule, the rule candidate when the rule candidate satisfies a predetermined criterion.

Abstract: A query device part image and an assembly drawing image from a drawing database which is a search target are input. The assembly drawing image is classified into text and non-text areas in the layout analysis unit 10. In the device part extraction unit 11, part images are extracted from non-text areas. The device part comparison unit 12 collates the extracted part image and the query device part image.

Abstract: A method of assisting analysis of a production process assisting work for analyzing the relationship between quality factors and characteristic of a product and a program product and a recording medium for the same, comprising receiving a designation of a factor from a user at a computer, arranging images corresponding to said image data related to the received factor in a virtual space in a display device connected to the computer (S13), displaying the virtual space in which the images are arranged in the display device (S14), repeating the designation reception, arrangement, and display until the user judges that there is similarity between adjoining images in the displayed images, receiving designation of at least one image by the user from images having similarity between adjoining images (S15), automatically extracting common factors among factors of the designated image (S16), receiving a hypothesis of a relationship between the common factors designated by the user and quality of products, and verifyin

Abstract: A knowledge discovery device analyzes a relation between a feature value of an image and attribute data, and discovers a knowledge on the relation. The knowledge discovery device includes a feature-value extraction unit that extracts, as a feature value, each degree of changes in luminance of frequency components at each position on the image, from image data, a relation analysis unit that analyzes a relation between the feature value and attribute data, and a rule generation unit that generates an association rule using content of the feature value having a correlation value not more than a predetermined correlation value and content of the attribute data.

Abstract: A method of assisting analysis of a production process assisting work for analyzing the relationship between quality factors and characteristic of a product and a program product and a recording medium for the same, comprising receiving a designation of a factor from a user at a computer, arranging images corresponding to said image data related to the received factor in a virtual space in a display device connected to the computer (S13), displaying the virtual space in which the images are arranged in the display device (S14), repeating the designation reception, arrangement, and display until the user judges that there is similarity between adjoining images in the displayed images, receiving designation of at least one image by the user from images having similarity between adjoining images (S15), automatically extracting common factors among factors of the designated image (S16), receiving a hypothesis of a relationship between the common factors designated by the user and quality of products, and verifyin

Abstract: An image retrieval apparatus includes an extracting unit that extracts a plurality of feature values from a key image, a determining unit that determines presence or absence of similarity based on whether the similarity fitted to the human's feeling regarding the similarity is calculated for the type of each feature, a calculating unit that calculates a similarity between the key image and each of a plurality of target images based on a result of determination obtained by the determining unit, and an selecting and outputting unit that selects and outputs image data that matches with the similarity calculated by the calculating unit.