Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Utility Patent
1998-07-07
2001-01-02
Amsbury, Wayne (Department: 2771)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C707S793000, C707S793000, C707S793000
Utility Patent
active
06169998
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The current invention is generally related to a method of and a system for generating ranked database for references to images, and more particularly related to the database which contains references or key text to images of predetermined degrees of relevance.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the area of image processing, there have been attempts to organize images so as to retrieve a particular image in an efficient manner. In particular, a large number of images including pictures, figures, table, diagrams and flow charts appear in primarily textual documents, and these images are independently searched. In order to efficiently retrieve a particular image, prior art attempts have focused upon three major approaches in creating an image search database.
One approach is to extract image characteristic information from the images themselves. For example, “Query by Image and Video Content: The QBIC System,” Computer, IEEE (1995) discloses that databases are generated based upon color, shape and texture and images are subsequently searched based upon these visual clues. Although these visually orientated search keys are intuitive, complex searches involving other high level non-visual descriptions are not feasible.
A second prior art approach involves additional keys or references that are individually associated to each of the images. These keys or references are determined by a person who generates an image search database as disclosed in Proceedings For Academy of Electronics Information Communication, D-II Vol. J73-D-II No. 4, pp. 526-534 (1990). Although the key words can be hierarchical for complex searches, if the key words are not properly assigned at the database generation, the images may not be properly retrieved.
Lastly, a third approach utilizes a part of images to determine proper key words. For example, Japanese Patent Laid Publication Hei 3-62169 discloses that a certain portion such as a header or a legend in a graphical or non-textual image is optically scanned and converted into textual character data. The converted characters are used as key words or labels for the images for later retrieval. The same patent publication also discloses the links between image references in a text portion and the images.
The above described approaches are useful in retrieving images. To further promote efficiency in image retrievals and searches, it is desired to extensively use associated text as key words or relevant text portions in image database generation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the above and other problems, according to a first aspect of the current invention, a method of generating a database for images, includes inputting input document data containing text data and image data, the image data further including images; selecting relevant text portions of the text data according to predetermined degrees of relevancy for each of the images, the predetermined degrees of the relevancy each defining a level of relevance in reference to the images; and storing the relevant text portions and the images.
According to a second aspect of the current invention, a system for generating a database for images, includes an input unit for inputting input document data containing text data and image data, the image data further including images; a processing unit connected to the input unit for selecting relevant text portions of the text data according to predetermined degrees of relevancy for each of the images, the predetermined degrees of the relevancy each defining a level of relevance in reference to the images; and a storage unit connected to the processing unit for storing the relevant text portions and the images.
These and various other advantages and features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages, and the objects obtained by its use, reference should be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof, and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5031121 (1991-07-01), Iwai et al.
patent: 5325297 (1994-06-01), Bird et al.
patent: 5845288 (1998-12-01), Syeda-Mahmood
patent: 5913221 (1999-06-01), Kano et al.
patent: 6043819 (2000-03-01), LeBrun et al.
patent: 3-62169 (1991-03-01), None
Masahiro Shibata et al. , Associate Retrieval Method for Image Database, vol. J73-D-II, No. 4, pp. 526-534 (1990).
Myron Flickner et al.,Query by Image and Video Content: The QBIC System pp. 24-32 (1995).
Huang Yingjieh
Iwasaki Masajiro
Amsbury Wayne
Knoble & Yoshida LLC
Ricoh & Company, Ltd.
Trinh William
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