JP2000099234A - Image retrieval device, image retrieval method and computer-readable memory - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image retrieval device which can execute image retrieval wherein the security of document image data is made certain. SOLUTION: A 1st management table for managing the levels of access to document image data and operators so that they correspond to each other and a 2nd management table for managing annotations added to the document image data and the levels of access to the annotations so that they correspond to each other are stored. Retrieval conditions and operator information on the operator inputs the retrieval conditions are inputted from a keyboard 7. A CPU 1 retrieves document image data which meet the inputted retrieval conditions and satisfy the access level of the operator that the operator information indicates by referring to the 1st management table. The access level of the operator that the operator information indicates is compared with the access level of the annotation added to the retrieved document image data by referring to the 2nd management table. According to the comparison result, document image data as a retrieval result among retrieved document image data is outputted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image retrieval apparatus and method for managing document image data to which annotations are added, and for searching desired document image data from the managed document image data, and a computer-readable memory. It is about.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a document management system for managing a plurality of document image data, a search method for searching for one or a plurality of specific document image data includes a document name existing for each document image data, In some cases, the document image data corresponding to the search condition is searched by determining whether the document creation date, update date, or the like is a search condition and whether the document matches the search condition or is within a predetermined range.

[0003] One of other typical search methods is a full text search method (FTS: Full Text Search).
h). In this full-text search method, text data in each document image data is examined to determine whether or not a character string corresponding to a search condition is included. And
Normally, a registration process is performed in which information on the character string is registered in advance in order to shorten the search time.

In the registration process, a character string included in the document image data is extracted, and the extracted character string is associated with the document image data, and is managed, for example, in a table as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, the document image data is managed by ID. For example, it can be seen that the document image data of ID1 includes character strings of “abc”, “cd”, and “ghi”. By managing the character strings included in each document image data as described above, for example, a character string “
In the case of the document image data including "abc" in the case of the table shown in Fig. 11, the document image data of ID1 and ID3 can be searched.
ghi ”, that is, when the AND condition is used as a search condition, the document image data containing“ abc ”corresponds to the document image data of ID1 and ID3, and“ ghi ”
The document image data of ID1 and ID2 correspond to the document image data including the character string. Thus, the document image data of ID1 is obtained as the search result as the document image data corresponding to the search condition.

However, the character strings in the table shown in FIG.
Since an upper limit is set for the maximum number of characters, when a long character string is searched as a search condition, the search is divided into two or more character strings. In this case, the continuity of the actual search condition consisting of a long character string cannot be confirmed.
Performs a search called next search. In the secondary search, for example,
The operator directly checks whether or not the searched document image data really includes a character string that satisfies the search condition.

In some cases, access rights are provided to document image data to be searched in order to keep the document image data confidential. In this case, the document image data is associated with the group or operator to which the access right is set, and is managed, for example, in a table as shown in FIG. Then, referring to FIG. 12, only when the access right of a certain operator is set to the retrieved document image data, the retrieved document image data is displayed to the operator as a final retrieval result. Further, as described above, the access right can be set in units of groups, and in this case, the operators included in the groups are managed in a table as shown in FIG. 13, for example. Further, a table as shown in FIG. 14 may be used instead of the table as shown in FIG.
This is a table that manages document image data that can be accessed by operators and groups.
It is sufficient that the information is separately managed in a table as shown in FIG. 13, and it is not necessary to have information indicating who the operators included in the group are on the table shown in FIG.

According to this table, if the operator who has performed the search is, for example, the operator B, the logic of the ID of the document image data accessible to the operator B and the ID of the searched document image data The product ID is obtained, and the IDs present in both of them finally become the document image data to be displayed to the operator B as a search result.

In the process of registering a character string contained in the document image data, if the document image data is not a code data such as a text but an image data consisting of a bitmap, the document image data is converted into monochrome binary data. O
The text data obtained by performing CR (character recognition) is registered as a character string included in the document image data.

[0009]

However, in the conventional image retrieval apparatus, no problem occurs even if the access right is set for each document image data. Descriptive notes for the text in the data, line markers to call attention,
In some cases, such as graphics, the surface color is a rectangle without a white frame in order to erase characters), and it is possible to set the access right separately from the document image data for each annotation, and achieve full text search That was impossible. For example, opaque annotations are pasted on document image data, and if you do not want operators who do not have the access right to delete or move them to output search results, full-text search will use characters that exist in the document image data. Since the column itself is searched, if the character string corresponding to the search condition exists in the portion where the opaque annotation is pasted, it is output as the search result. In other words, even if document image data is not desired to be output as a search result by some operators due to confidentiality, the document image data is output as a search result depending on search conditions, so that security for the document image data can be reliably executed. Did not.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides an image retrieval apparatus and method capable of executing an image retrieval while ensuring security for document image data, a method thereof, and a computer-readable memory. With the goal.

[0011]

The image retrieval apparatus according to the present invention for achieving the above object has the following arrangement.
That is, an image retrieval apparatus that manages document image data to which annotations are added and searches for desired document image data from the managed document image data. A first storage unit that stores a first management table that is associated and managed; a second storage table that stores an annotation added to the document image data and an access level to the annotation in association with each other; A storage unit, a search condition, an input unit for inputting operator information indicating an operator who inputs the search condition, and a search condition input by the input unit with reference to the first management table; Search means for searching for document image data satisfying the access level of the operator indicated by the operator information; and the second management table A comparing unit that compares the access level of the annotation added to the document image data retrieved by the retrieval unit with the access level of the operator indicated by the operator information, based on a comparison result of the comparison unit. Output means for outputting document image data as a search result from the document image data searched by the search means.

[0012] Preferably, the second storage means includes:
Further, the annotation is associated with the attribute and type of the annotation and managed in the second management table.

[0013] Preferably, the comparing means, based on an attribute and a type of the annotation managed in the second management table, includes: A selecting unit for selecting an annotation to be compared with an access level of the operator indicated by the operator information; and comparing an access level of the annotation selected by the selecting unit with an access level of the operator.

Preferably, the annotation selected by the selection means includes at least an opaque memo or graphic.

[0015] Preferably, the output means outputs, as a search result, document image data to which an annotation whose access level of the operator is equal to or higher than the access level of the annotation is added from among the comparison results of the comparison means. I do.

An image search method according to the present invention for achieving the above object has the following arrangement. That is, an image search method for managing document image data to which annotations are added, and searching for desired document image data from the managed document image data, wherein an access level to the document image data, A storage step of storing, in a storage medium, a first management table for managing the association, an annotation added to the document image data, and a second management table for managing the access level to the annotation in an associated manner; A condition, an input step of inputting operator information indicating an operator who inputs the search condition, and referring to the first management table, including the search condition input in the input step, and the operator information A search step of searching for document image data that satisfies the access level of the operator indicated by, and referring to the second management table, A comparing step of comparing the access level of the annotation added to the document image data searched in the search step with the access level of the operator indicated by the operator information; and performing the searching step based on a comparison result of the comparing step. And outputting document image data as a search result from the document image data searched in step (1).

A computer readable memory according to the present invention for achieving the above object has the following configuration. That is,
Manages document image data with annotations added,
A computer-readable memory storing an image retrieval program code for retrieving desired document image data from the managed document image data, wherein an access level to the document image data and an operator are managed in association with each other. A program code for a storage step of storing in a storage medium a first management table to be stored, an annotation added to the document image data, and a second management table for managing an access level to the annotation in association with each other; And a program code of an input step of inputting operator information indicating an operator who inputs the search condition; and a search condition input in the input step with reference to the first management table; Program in the search process for searching for document image data that satisfies the access level of the operator indicated by the A comparing step of comparing the access level of the annotation added to the document image data searched in the search step with the access level of the operator indicated by the operator information by referring to the code and the second management table. And a program code of an output step of outputting document image data as a search result from the document image data searched in the search step based on the comparison result of the comparison step.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an image search device on which application software including a full-text search process according to an embodiment of the present invention operates.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a CPU which performs various controls for executing the processing of this embodiment. Reference numeral 2 denotes a CD-ROM drive, which is used for taking in data from outside and taking out data to outside. Reference numeral 3 denotes a printer, which prints images and the like displayed on the display device 9. Reference numeral 4 denotes a hard disk drive, which is mainly used as a main storage, and stores processing programs, applications, and the like executed in the present embodiment. Also, it stores a plurality of types of document image data. Reference numeral 5 denotes a floppy disk drive, which is used for taking in data from outside and taking out data to outside.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a communication unit which enables connection with a network or the like, and can exchange data with an external computer, a scanner, a printer or a disk device on the network. Reference numeral 7 denotes a keyboard which receives an instruction of a process to be executed in the present embodiment and interactive input of an operator such as input of a character string such as a search condition. Reference numeral 8 denotes a pointing device such as a mouse, which receives an interactive input of an operator together with the keyboard 7. Reference numeral 9 denotes a display device, which includes a display card or a monitor having a memory for displaying an image, and displays a window for executing the processing of the present embodiment, a processing result, and the like.

The overall hardware configuration is a general personal computer and peripheral devices, and the program executed by the CPU 1 enables the characteristic operation of the present invention, thereby effectively utilizing hardware resources.

Next, a window display screen during application operation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a window display screen during application operation according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Note that this window display screen is, for example,
It is displayed on the monitor of the display device 9.

Reference numeral 18a denotes a minimize button for displaying the window 200 as an icon. 18b is window 2
This is a maximize button for maximizing and displaying 00 on the entire monitor. Reference numeral 18c denotes a close button for deleting the display of the window 200. Reference numeral 12 denotes a title bar for displaying the title of the window 200. Reference numeral 17 denotes an area in which the name of the currently activated application and the document name of the displayed image are displayed. Reference numeral 13 denotes a menu for displaying various processing functions, and reference numeral 14 denotes a tool button for displaying a processing function similar to the processing function displayed in the menu 13 as a button. By selecting the menu 13 or an arbitrary button displayed on the tool button 14 using the pointing device 8, it is possible to execute the selected processing function. A toolbar 11 is used to select an operation in a specific mode. Reference numeral 22 denotes an area for displaying a window background portion outside the frame of the document image displayed as a search result. Reference numeral 16 denotes a status display unit that displays the current status (status) of the application. Reference numeral 15 denotes a document image displayed as a search result.

In FIG. 2, "Tool" in the menu 13 is displayed.
When the menu is selected, a pull-down menu as shown in FIG. 3 is displayed. The pull-down menu includes a registration process of a character string included in the document image data, a “registration process” for executing a full-text search, and a “full-text search” menu. The registration process in the present embodiment is an operation for making the input document image data a search target, and may be automatically executed, for example, at night or when the system is idle. This registration process may be the same as that of the prior art, and thus the details thereof will be omitted. Also, at the time of startup, the operator must input his / her user name and password. On the other hand, when the "full text search" menu is selected, a dialog box as shown in FIG. 4 is displayed. When the operator executing the search inputs a character string in the edit box 31 and presses an add button 33, the character string input in the keyword list 32 is added as a keyword. The delete button 34 can delete a selected keyword by selecting and pressing one of the keyword lists 32.

Check buttons 35 and 36 are used to specify AND and OR logics. When searching for document image data including all keywords in the keyword list 32, A is used.
The ND check button 35 is checked, and when searching for document image data containing any one or more of a plurality of keywords, the OR check button 36 is checked. A cancel button 38 is pressed to cancel the full-text search, and a clear all button 39 is pressed to delete all the keywords in the keyword list 32. The search button 37 is enabled when one or more keywords are listed in the keyword list 32, and when the search button 37 is pressed, a search is performed using the keywords in the keyword list 32 as search conditions.

Next, the processing executed in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing processing executed in the embodiment of the present invention.

When the search button 37 is pressed, step S
In step 11, the keyword set in the keyword list 32 is acquired, and the states of the check buttons 35 and 36 are acquired to determine information such as which of the AND and OR search conditions to search. Next, in step S12, the obtained keyword and AND /
An OR condition is set and full text search processing is performed. The module that performs the full-text search process is made by a conventional technique that cannot perform the process related to the access right, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In step S13, the result of the full-text search process in step S12 is received. In the present embodiment, the document image data is managed by ID, and when the full-text search process is executed, an ID list for managing the ID of the searched document image data is created. This ID list may be directly returned by the full-text search processing in step S12, or the file name or document name of the document image data searched by the full-text search processing is returned, and is managed separately from the file name or the document name. The ID may be obtained.

At step S14, each ID in the ID list
The access right of each document image data corresponding to is checked. Then, as a result of the check, if there is an ID of the document image data which does not have the access right, the ID of the document image data is deleted from the ID list.

In step S15, as in step S14, the type and access right of the annotation information of the document image data corresponding to each ID in the ID list are checked.
Then, as a result of the check, if there is an ID of the document image data having the annotation for which the operator does not have the access right, the ID of the document image data is deleted from the ID list. Note that the IDs of step S14 and step S15
The process of deleting the ID of the document image data from the list is referred to herein as a filtering process.

In step S16, the document image data corresponding to the IDs existing in the finally remaining ID list after the filtering is displayed as a hit list. If the ID list is empty, no hit list is displayed. The hit list is displayed in a hit list window as shown in FIG.

Here, the hit list window shown in FIG. 5 will be described.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a hit list window according to the embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 5, the number of IDs in the ID list is displayed in the display box 45 as the number of hits indicating the number of searched document image data. Reference numeral 46 denotes a hit document list display section, in which the name, size, number of pages, creation date, update date, etc. of the searched document image data are checked and displayed based on the ID list. The close button 48 is a button pressed when closing the hit list window. The search button 49 has the same function as the “full text search” menu in the pull-down menu of the “tool” menu of the menu 13.
The open button 47 is for displaying the document image data focused on the hit document list display section 46 on the document display section 23 in FIG.

The text display section 50 extracts and displays the text portion in the document image data focused on by the hit document list display section 46, and the keyword used for the search is indicated by a hatched frame 53. Is highlighted. By pressing the next hit button 51 and the previous hit button 52, the cursor is placed on the hatched frame 53, the position of the cursor is moved to the preceding and following hatched frame 53, and the display area of the text portion is automatically scrolled. .

When the document image data is not a code data but an image, the text display section 50 displays a text portion obtained by OCR (character recognition) of the document image data.

Next, the details of the processing in step S15 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 10 shows step S1 of the embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a flowchart illustrating details of the process of FIG.

In step S21, the annotation of the document image data corresponding to the ID in the ID list is obtained. For example, the annotation is managed in association with the security level (access right) by an annotation management table as shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the configuration is such that the access right of each annotation can be set in four levels in association with the security level. Level 4 has various access rights such as read, write, move, size, etc., and the lower the number of levels, the narrower the range of access rights. As described above, if the access right (security level) of the operator does not reach the security level of the annotation of the retrieved document image data, no operation is allowed on the document image data, and In this case, only the operation according to the security level can be performed on the document image data.

In step S22, the type and attribute of the annotation are checked with reference to the annotation management table.

In step S23, it is determined from the contents of the annotation management table whether or not the document image data to be processed is not subject to security level investigation.
For example, if the annotation is of the type of line or rectangular frame and the line width is "thin", the document image data under the annotation is not hidden and thus excluded from the target. In addition, types such as line markers are also excluded.

If it is determined in step S23 that the document image data to be processed is not the subject of the security level check (YES in step S23), the process proceeds to step S26, and the check for all the annotations of the document image data to be processed has been completed. Check whether or not. When processing for all annotations has not been completed (step S
(NO at 26), returning to step S22 to check the next annotation. On the other hand, if the processing has been completed for all the annotations (YES in step S26), the process proceeds to step S28.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S23 that the document image data to be processed is not excluded from the security level check (NO in step S23), step S24 is performed.
Go to and investigate the security level. The annotation to be investigated is, for example, an opaque memo or an opaque figure with a surface, and sometimes a rectangle without a white frame with a white color to erase characters.

As for the details of the processing in step S24, referring to a management table as shown in FIG. 7 in which security levels are associated with operators having the security levels, it is possible to first determine which security level the annotation has. Find out. For example, in FIG. 10, since the operator A has a security level of level 2,
If the annotation is at a security level of level 2 or lower, the annotation can be operated.
Further, as shown in the management table of FIG. 12, if the operator A belongs to the group 1, the operator A can operate the annotation of the higher security level 3, that is, the security level. Note that the management table in FIG. 7 is a table in FIG.
It is also possible to replace with a management table as shown in FIG. Further, the management table in FIG. 7 may be configured by only one, or may be individually provided for each annotation. In the latter case, the operator changes his / her security level for each annotation.

In step S25, the presence / absence of an access right is determined based on the annotation management table shown in FIG. In this determination, if the security level of the annotation under investigation exceeds the security level of the operator and the deletion, movement, resizing, etc. of the corresponding annotation is possible with the security level of the operator, the part hidden in the annotation is determined. Since it is possible to view, it is determined that there is an access right.

In step S25, if there is an access right (YES in step S25), the flow advances to step S26. On the other hand, if there is no access right (NO in step S25), the process proceeds to step S27, where the ID of the document image data corresponding to the annotation to be processed is deleted from the ID list, and the process proceeds to step S28.

In step S28, it is determined whether or not the processing for all document image data has been completed. If not completed (NO in step S28), the process returns to step S22. On the other hand, if the processing has been completed (YES in step S28),
The process ends.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the search condition is included in the annotation, the document image data as the search result to be output to the operator is output in accordance with the access right to the annotation. The display can be controlled. [Modification 1] In the above embodiment, the registration processing of the input (imported) document image data will be supplemented. First, when the registration target is document image data of an image, the image is subjected to OCR to extract a text portion, and the text portion is registered as document image data. In the case of a color image, OCR is performed after conversion into a monochrome image depending on the OCR capability. Also, after actually pasting the text such as a memo as an annotation to the image (document image data),
R may be applied. In this case, since the text part and the annotation (text) in the document image data are registered together in the full-text search, it is necessary to install a function to search and search only the annotation (text) separately from the full-text search Disappears. Alternatively, registration may be performed by simply adding only the text of the annotation to the result of OCR of the image without pasting the annotation to the image. In the case of this modification, FIG.
In step S22 and step S23, the annotation having no security level needs to be checked for the security level, and step S24 needs to be executed. [Modification 2] Further, in the registration process, it is also possible to perform OCR after always attaching an opaque annotation to an image (document image data). In this case, since the partial image (text character string) hidden by pasting the opaque annotation is not converted to text by OCR, even if a full-text search is performed without checking the security level of the annotation, Is protected. In this case, even an operator having a security level for operating the annotation cannot perform a search for a partial image (text character string) hidden in the annotation as a search target. However, it is very effective when the partial image hidden in the annotation is not to be searched. [Modification 3] In the above embodiment, the annotations and their security levels are managed in association with each other in the annotation management table shown in FIG. 6, but in addition to this, the names of the users who are allowed to access the annotations are displayed. It goes without saying that the group names may be managed in association with each other. [Modification 4] In the above embodiment, it is possible to paste an annotation (text data) in which the document image data is not an image but also code data. In this case, the portion where the annotation is pasted corresponds to the deletion of the code data, and the OCR is not performed.

Even if the present invention is applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, a printer, etc.), a single device (for example, a copying machine, a facsimile machine) Etc.).

Another object of the present invention is to supply a storage medium storing a program code of software for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or apparatus, and to provide a computer (or CPU) of the system or apparatus.
And MPU) read and execute the program code stored in the storage medium.

In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a floppy disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD
-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, or the like can be used.

When the computer executes the readout program code, not only the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized, but also the OS (Operating System) running on the computer based on the instructions of the program code. ) May perform some or all of the actual processing, and the processing may realize the functions of the above-described embodiments.

Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written in a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, based on the instruction of the program code, It goes without saying that the CPU included in the function expansion board or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.

[0059]

As described above, according to the present invention,
It is possible to provide an image search apparatus and method capable of executing an image search with secure security for document image data, and a computer-readable memory.

[0060]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image search device on which application software including a full-text search process according to an embodiment of the present invention operates.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a window display screen during application operation according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a pull-down menu according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a dialog box for performing a search according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a hit list window according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of an annotation management table according to the embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a management table according to the embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a management table according to the embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing processing executed in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating details of a process in step S15 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a table used in a conventional image search device.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a table used in a conventional image search device.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a table used in a conventional image search device.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a table used in a conventional image search device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 CPU 2 CD-ROM drive 3 Printer 4 HDD 5 FDD 6 Communication part 7 Keyboard 8 Mouse 9 Display device

Claims (11)

[Claims] An image retrieval apparatus for managing document image data to which an annotation has been added and searching for desired document image data from the managed document image data, comprising: an access level for the document image data; A first storing a first management table for managing operators in association with each other
A storage unit, a second storage unit for storing an annotation added to the document image data, a second management table for managing an access level to the annotation in association with each other, a search condition, and inputting the search condition An input unit for inputting operator information indicating an operator, and referring to the first management table, including a search condition input by the input unit and satisfying an access level of the operator indicated by the operator information. A search unit for searching document image data; and an access level of an annotation added to the document image data searched for by the search unit and an access of an operator indicated by the operator information with reference to the second management table. Comparing means for comparing levels; and searching the document image data searched by the searching means based on a comparison result of the comparing means. Results and image search apparatus characterized by comprising an output means for outputting the document image data to be. 2. The image retrieval apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second storage unit further manages the annotation in the second management table in association with the attribute and the type of the annotation. . 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the comparing unit determines, based on an attribute and a type of the annotation managed in the second management table, the annotation added to the document image data retrieved by the retrieval unit, The system according to claim 1, further comprising a selection unit that selects an annotation to be compared with an access level of the operator indicated by the information, wherein the access level of the annotation selected by the selection unit is compared with the access level of the operator. 3. The image search device according to 2. 4. The image search device according to claim 3, wherein the annotations selected by the selection unit include at least opaque memos and graphics. 5. The output unit outputs, as a search result, document image data to which an annotation whose access level of the operator is equal to or higher than the access level of the annotation is added from among the comparison results of the comparison unit. The image search device according to claim 1, wherein: 6. An image search method for managing document image data to which an annotation is added, and searching for desired document image data from the managed document image data, comprising: an access level for the document image data; A storage step of storing, in a storage medium, a first management table that associates and manages operators, an annotation added to the document image data, and a second management table that associates and manages an access level to the annotation. A search condition, an input step of inputting operator information indicating an operator who inputs the search condition, and referring to the first management table, including the search condition input in the input step, and A search step of searching for document image data that satisfies the access level of the operator indicated by the operator information; and referring to the second management table A comparison step of comparing the access level of the annotation added to the document image data searched for in the search step and the access level of the operator indicated by the operator information, based on a comparison result of the comparison step, An output step of outputting document image data as a search result from the document image data searched in the search step. 7. The image search method according to claim 6, wherein in the storing step, the annotation is managed in the second management table in association with the attribute and type of the annotation. 8. The comparing step includes, based on the attribute and type of the annotation managed in the second management table, from the annotation added to the document image data searched in the searching step, A selection step of selecting an annotation to be compared with an access level of the operator indicated by the information, wherein the access level of the annotation selected in the selection step is compared with the access level of the operator. 7. The image search method according to 7. 9. The image search method according to claim 8, wherein the annotations selected in the selection step include at least opaque memos and figures. 10. The output step includes outputting, as a search result, document image data to which an annotation whose access level of the operator is equal to or higher than the access level of the annotation is added from among the comparison results of the comparison means. 7. The image search method according to claim 6, wherein: 11. A computer-readable memory storing an image retrieval program code for managing document image data to which an annotation has been added and retrieving desired document image data from the managed document image data, A first management table for managing the access level to the document image data in association with the operator; a second management table for managing the annotation added to the document image data in association with the access level to the annotation; With reference to the first management table, a program code of a storage step of storing in a storage medium, a search condition, and a program code of an input step of inputting operator information indicating an operator who inputs the search condition. The search condition input in the input step, and the operator information indicated by the operator information A program code for a search step of searching for document image data satisfying the access level; and an access level of an annotation added to the document image data searched for in the search step with reference to the second management table and the operator A program code for a comparison step of comparing the access level of the operator indicated by the information; and an output for outputting document image data as a search result from the document image data searched for in the search step based on the comparison result of the comparison step A computer readable memory comprising program code for a process.