JP2002328925A - System, device and method for product retrieval - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a system, a device and a method for product retrieval which facilitate a purchase of a desired product. SOLUTION: In the system, device and method for product retrieval, an information processing device, according to an image sent from a terminal, sends the terminal an address of a web site in a network which is established by a seller of the product corresponding to the image of the product that is the same as or similar to the image.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a product search system,
The present invention relates to a product search device and a product search method, which are suitable for application to, for example, window shopping using a network system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, digital cameras for recording a captured image of a subject captured via an optical system on a recording medium have become widespread.
Computers equipped with mobile computers such as DA (Personal Digital Assistants) have also been commercialized.

[0003] If such a digital camera is carried, when a user shopping at a street corner, a desired product is imaged as necessary, and the image of the product is recorded on a recording medium in the digital camera. Can be recorded.

[0004] At home or the like at a later date, the user determines whether or not to purchase the product based on the captured image of the desired product recorded on the recording medium, and places an order with a dealer.

[0005] On the other hand, in recent years, a Web (ie, WWW: World Wi-Fi), which is an information network in which various information in each server distributed on the Internet can be searched for in association with each other.
de Web) is widely used as an information service, and using the Web, a server on the merchant side
It is considered that by exchanging data with the personal terminal of the product purchaser, order reception processing of the product transmitted from the product purchaser using the personal terminal can be performed.

[0006]

However, in such a product ordering service on the Web, when a user orders a desired product using his / her own personal terminal, information on the desired product is obtained using a keyboard or the like. I had to enter the language.

[0007] For this reason, the user must recognize in advance various kinds of product information such as the product name and the manufacturer of the product shown in the picked-up image, and can use only the picked-up image without any knowledge of the product information. It was very difficult to order a desired product.

At present, digital camera functions have been developed to be mounted on mobile phones, PHSs (Personal Handy Phone Systems), and the like, and the frequency of use by users on street corners is increasing. Therefore, it is considered that demand for a product ordering service using a captured image of a product increases.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to propose a product search system, a product search device, and a product search method that allow a desired product to be easily purchased.

[0010]

According to the present invention, there is provided a terminal for transmitting an image via a network, and an information processing apparatus connected to the network. A storage unit for storing a product image representing the product; and at least one image matching or similar to the image based on the image received via the network.
A search means for searching for the above product images from the product images stored in the storage means, and a network for a site established by a seller of the product corresponding to each product image based on a search result by the search means. The above address,
There is provided a transmission means for transmitting to a terminal via a network.

As a result, in this product search system, based on the image transmitted from the terminal, the information processing apparatus establishes, on a network, a site established by a seller of a product corresponding to or similar to the image. Is transmitted to the terminal, the user of the terminal can easily access the site of the seller of the desired product based on the received address and purchase the product easily.

Further, in the present invention, a storage means for storing product images representing various products, and at least one product image matching or similar to the image based on the image received via the network, is stored in the storage means. A search means for searching from among the product images stored in the product image, and a network address of a site established by a seller of the product corresponding to each product image based on the search result by the search means, via the network. And a transmitting means for transmitting to the terminal.

As a result, based on the image transmitted from the terminal, the product search device sets the network address of the site established by the seller of the product corresponding to the product image that matches or is similar to the image. By transmitting to the terminal, the user of the terminal can easily access the site of the seller of the desired product based on the received address and easily purchase the product.

Further, according to the present invention, based on an image received via a network, at least one or more product images that match or are similar to the image are searched from prestored product images representing various products. After that, based on the search result, an address on a network of a site established by a seller of the product corresponding to each product image is transmitted to the terminal via the network.

As a result, in this product search method, based on the image transmitted from the terminal, the address on the network of the site established by the seller of the product corresponding to the product image matching or similar to the image is entered. By transmitting to the terminal, the user of the terminal can easily access the site of the seller of the desired product based on the received address and easily purchase the product.

[0016]

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

(1) Configuration of Product Retrieval System According to this Embodiment In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a product retrieval system according to this embodiment as a whole, and a plurality of servers arranged by a service provider that provides a product ordering service. Server system 3 composed of 2A to 2D and individual terminals 4 used by a plurality of users
(4 ₁ to 4 _n ) are connected to each other via the network 5 and the site information management device 6
Are connected.

The server system 3 is configured by interconnecting a plurality of servers including a communication server 2A, an image search server 2B, a database server 2C, and a resource delivery server 2D.

Each of these servers 2A to 2D has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) as shown in FIG.
10. ROM (Read Only) in which various programs are stored
Memory) 11, RA as work memory of CPU 10
M (Random Access Memory) 12, network interface 13, and hard disk drive (HDD: Hard
Disk Drives) 14 are connected to each other via an internal bus 15, and the network interface 13 is connected to the network 5 (FIG. 1) or another server (not shown).

In this case, the CPU 10 fetches, via the network interface 13, data and commands provided from the personal terminal 4 accessed via the network 5, and based on the data and commands and the software stored in the ROM 11. To execute various processes.

As a result of this processing, the CPU 10 transmits, for example, screen data of a predetermined Web page read from the hard disk device 14 or data of another program or command to the network interface 1.
3 to the corresponding personal terminal 4.

In this way, each of the servers 2A to 2D can transmit and receive screen data of a Web page and other necessary data to and from the personal terminal 4 that has accessed the server. Each server 2A ~
A plurality of databases (not shown) are stored in the hard disk device 14 in the 2D, and necessary information can be read from the corresponding database when executing various processes.

In FIG. 1, each personal terminal 4 (4A ₁ -4
_An ) is a general personal computer equipped with a Web browser and a dedicated program for performing various processes related to a product ordering service as described below.
Necessary data is transmitted and received by communicating with the other personal terminals 4 and the servers 2A to 2D of the server system 2 via the network 5, and a Web page screen or the like based on the screen data obtained by the communication is displayed. It has been made possible.

In FIG. 3, a communication server 2A is a Web server that performs various processes when providing a product ordering service to a user, and displays screen data of a Web page for image search to the personal terminal 4 of the user. It can transmit and receive necessary data by communicating with the image search server 2B and the database server 2C.

The image search server 2B is a server equipped with an image search function for image data, and performs image search processing on image data transferred from the communication server 2A so that the physical characteristics of the image are exposed. The search result is sent to the database server 2C.

The database server 2C performs an image interpretation process based on the image search result provided from the image search server 2B, and according to the result of the interpretation process, a product candidate analogized from an image based on the original image data. Search multiple times.

Subsequently, the database server 2C stores, for each of the plurality of search candidates, a URL (Unifor
m Resource Locator) in advance in the resource distribution server 2
After extracting from the URLs of a plurality of websites registered in D, the URLs of the extracted websites are extracted.
To the personal terminal 4 via the communication server 2A.

Further, the database server 2 C
A server on which a program for registering and managing a URL of a site is installed, and in response to various requests supplied from the site information management device 6, a resource distribution server 2D
And stores image data (hereinafter referred to as "product image data") relating to the product for the resource, and registers a URL of a Web site corresponding to each of the product image data.

The resource distribution server 2D stores the product image data supplied from the site information management device via the database server, and determines the determined product image data in response to a request supplied from each personal terminal. The screen data of the Web page screen corresponding to the URL of the seller corresponding to the URL is transmitted.

(2) Product Retrieval Processing Procedure In the product retrieval system 1 shown in FIG. 3, each personal terminal 4 stores an image of a desired product previously captured by a user with a digital camera or the like on a recording medium. From the communication server 2A via the network 5 while displaying the image data on the display.
, The product search processing procedure RT1 shown in FIG. 4 is started from step SP0.

When the communication server 2A accesses the image search Web site via the network 5 based on the address designation of the personal terminal 4 of the user, the communication server 2A displays a Web page screen (hereinafter, referred to as an entrance of the Web site). This is called an image search screen) (not shown) is displayed on the display of the personal terminal 4 (step SP1).

The image search screen is provided with an image display field for displaying a captured image prepared by the user as a search target, and a plurality of selection buttons are sequentially displayed in the vicinity of the image display field by a GUI (Graphical). User Interface)
It is displayed, and when a user selectively clicks a desired selection button with a mouse operation, the function assigned to the selection button can be executed.

The communication server 2A transmits a reception response of the image data D1 of the captured image transmitted from the personal terminal 4 owned by the user via the network 5 to the personal terminal 4, and performs image search of the image data D1 as it is. Send it to server 2B.

The image search server 2B stores the image data D
1 is divided into a plurality of regions, the position of the center of gravity, the area, the shape, the color distribution, and the like are extracted for each of the regions. Based on the plurality of obtained extraction results, one frame image ( Hereinafter, this is referred to as an image search image) (hereinafter, this series of processing is referred to as image search processing).
Thereafter, the image search server 2B sends image search image data D2 representing the image search image to the database server 2C (step SP2).

This database server 2C stores each Web
A server on which a program for registering and managing a URL of a site is installed, and in response to various requests supplied from the site information management device 6, a resource distribution server 2D
And stores image data (hereinafter, referred to as product image data) D3 related to the product for the resource, and registers a URL of a Web site corresponding to each of the product image data D3.

The resource distribution server 2D stores the commodity image data supplied from the site information management device 6 via the database server 2C, and determines the commodity image data in response to a request supplied from each personal terminal 4. The URL of the seller corresponding to the product image data is stored in the database server 2C.
To be sent to.

The database server 2C stores image search image data D2 provided from the image search server 2B.
Performs an image interpretation process on the image search image based on the search result, and searches for a plurality of product candidates analogized from the image search image according to the result of the interpretation process, and enumerates products in order from the most relevant product I do. Thereafter, the database server 2C sends the product image data D3 corresponding to the plurality of products listed as search candidates to the resource distribution server 2D (step SP3).

The resource distribution server 2D pre-registers a URL of a Web site established by a seller as a sales source for each corresponding product based on the product image data D3 received from the database server 2C. After extracting from the URLs of the plurality of Web sites, the extracted URLs of the Web sites are transmitted to the communication server 2A via the image search server 2B together with the corresponding product image data D3 (step SP).
4).

The communication server 2A has a plurality of Web sites U obtained from the database server 2C.
A web page screen (hereinafter, referred to as a search result screen) for constructing a so-called hyperlink based on the RL and corresponding product image data (not shown)
Then, the screen data D4 of the search result screen is transmitted to the corresponding personal terminal 4 via the network (step SP5).

As described above, when the search result screen based on the screen data D4 transmitted from the communication server 2A via the network is displayed on the display, the personal terminal 4 corresponding to the personal terminal 4 is listed on the search result screen. By selectively clicking the URL corresponding to the desired product image from the URLs and the corresponding product images with the mouse, it is possible to access the Web site associated with the URL.

(3) Operation and Effect of the Present Embodiment In the above configuration, in the product search system 1, the user accesses the server system 3 owned by the service provider via the network 5 using the personal terminal 4. By using an image search screen which is a Web page screen obtained from the server system 3, a captured image of a desired product is displayed on the server system 3.
Send to

The server system 3 performs an image search process on a captured image obtained from the personal terminal 4 and performs physical search such as a barycentric position, an area, a shape, and a color distribution for each region obtained by dividing the captured image. An image search image composed of a frame image obtained by synthesizing the plurality of extraction results is generated.

As described above, the server system 3 performs the image interpretation process on the image search image, searches for a plurality of product candidates analogized from the image search image, and enumerates the most relevant products in order. After that, for each of the products, the U
The RL is extracted and transmitted to the personal terminal 4 together with the image data of the corresponding product.

As a result, in the corresponding personal terminal 4, while viewing the image search screen displayed on the display, the personal terminal 4 is created based on the URLs of a plurality of Web sites and the image data of the corresponding products. The search result screen is displayed.

Thus, at the personal terminal 4, a plurality of URs listed on the search result screen displayed on the display are displayed.
By selectively clicking a URL corresponding to a desired product image from among L and the corresponding product images with a mouse, it is possible to access a Web site associated with the URL.

Therefore, in the personal terminal 4, a Web site obtained from an accessed Web site via a network
The page screen is displayed on the display, and as a result, the user can access the Web site established by the seller of the product only from the image of the product taken by himself, and order and purchase the product.

According to the above-described configuration, in this product search system, the user uses the personal terminal 4 to display a captured image of a desired product on a Web page screen provided by a service provider in response to an access request. In the server system 3, the server system 3 performs image search processing and image interpretation processing for the captured image, searches for a plurality of product candidates analogized from the captured image, and lists them in order from the most relevant product. By extracting the URL of the Web site established by the distributor as the selling source for each product and transmitting it to the corresponding personal terminal 4 together with the image data of the corresponding product, on the display of the personal terminal 4 Stores multiple URLs and product images corresponding to these URLs
It can be displayed as a page b screen, and as a result,
The user can access the Web site associated with the URL by specifying the URL corresponding to the desired product image using the Web page screen, and thus can easily purchase the desired product. Product search system 1 can be realized.

(4) Other Embodiments In the above-described embodiment, the personal terminal (terminal)
4 (4 ₁ to 4 _n ), a general personal computer has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a mobile phone or a mobile terminal can be used as long as it can be accessed via a network. Etc. can be widely applied to various terminals.

[0049] In the present embodiment described above, the personal terminal (terminal) _{4 (4} 1 ~4 _n) and the service provider has arranged the server system (communication server 2A, the image search server 2B, the database server 2C and resources A case has been described in which the distribution server 2D) (information processing device and product search device) 3 are mutually connected via a network 5 such as the Internet.
The present invention is not limited to this.
The present invention can be widely applied not only to a wired communication network such as an AN (Local Area Network) but also to a network including a wireless communication network.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, as an image transmitted from the terminal to the server system (information processing device, product search device) 3, the user previously captures an image with a digital camera or the like, and the personal terminal (terminal) 4 (4 ₁ to 4 _n ) A case has been described in which a captured image of a desired product recorded on a recording medium provided inside or externally loaded is applied, but the present invention is not limited to this. As long as it is an image showing a desired product, an image obtained by reading a poster showing the product or a painting very close to a real image by a scanner may be used.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which the resource distribution server 2D of the server system 3 is applied to the storage means for storing product images representing various products. The present invention is not limited to this. In other words, as long as the product image to be searched can be uniquely read, various other configurations may be applied as the storage means.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, based on an image received via the network 5, at least one or more product images that match or are similar to the image are determined.
An image search server 2 of a server system 3 as a search means for searching from among product images representing various products stored in advance.
Although the case where B is applied has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, but the point is that if at least one or more matching or similar product images can be searched based on the received images, the search means Various other configurations can be widely applied.

In this case, as a search method, the image search processing as described above, that is, the image is divided into regions, and physical characteristics such as the position of the center of gravity, the area, the shape, and the color distribution are determined for each region. Extraction and the method of generating an image search image composed of frame images obtained by synthesizing the plurality of extraction results have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. If it can be used as a search object by extracting it, it can be widely applied to other various search methods.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, for each product image searched for as being similar or similar to the received image, a network for a site established by a seller of the product corresponding to each product image is displayed on the network. Has been described in the case where the transmission means for transmitting the address to the terminal via the network is constituted by the communication server 2A and the database server 2C of the server system 3, but the present invention is not limited to this. If the user having the terminal can transmit information that allows access to the site established by the seller of the product related to the image transmitted by the terminal, various other configurations may be applied as the transmission means. May be.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, a case has been described in which the product search system 1 according to the present invention is applied to the purchase of a product based on an image. The present invention can also be applied to a system for searching for various information such as places and shops related to the landscape based on the captured landscape image.

If the person is a celebrity based on the face image of the person taken at the street corner, he / she can search for various information such as activities related to the person, while the person is a wanted person. The criminals can also access the criminal search site established by the police to contribute to the search target. Further, even if a general person has established a homepage, the general person can access the homepage of the person based on the captured face image.

[0057]

As described above, according to the present invention, in the product search system, the information processing apparatus, based on the image transmitted from the terminal, sells the product according to the product image that matches or is similar to the image. Transmits the address on the network of the site to be opened to the terminal, so that the user of the terminal can easily access the site of the desired product based on the received address and easily download the product. Thus, it is possible to realize a product search system that can be purchased and thus enables a desired product to be easily purchased.

Further, according to the present invention, in the product search device, based on the image transmitted from the terminal, a product sales source corresponding to a product image that matches or is similar to the image is set up on a network for a site established by each. By transmitting the address of the terminal to the terminal, the user of the terminal can easily access the site of the seller of the desired product based on the received address and easily purchase the product,
In this way, it is possible to realize a product search device that enables a desired product to be easily purchased.

Further, according to the present invention, in the product search method, based on an image transmitted from a terminal, a network of a site established by a product seller according to a product image that matches or is similar to the image is established. By transmitting the address of the terminal to the terminal, the user of the terminal can easily access the site of the seller of the desired product based on the received address and easily purchase the product, and thus can easily obtain the desired product. A product search method that enables the user to make purchases can be realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a product search system to which the present invention has been applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of each server illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of a product search system shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a commodity search processing procedure.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... product search system, 2A ... communication server, 2B ... image search server, 2C ... database server, 2D ... resource distribution server, 3 ...
Server _{system, 4 (4 1 ~4 n)} ...... personal terminal, 5 ...... network, 6 ...... site information management device, RT1 ...... product search procedure.

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat II (reference) G06F 17/60 502 G06F 17/60 502 ZEC ZEC G06T 7/00 300 G06T 7/00 300F

Claims (6)

[Claims] An information processing device connected to the network, wherein the information processing device includes: a storage unit configured to store product images representing various products; A search unit configured to search, based on the image received via the network, at least one or more product images that match or are similar to the image from the product images stored in the storage unit; And transmitting means for transmitting, via the network, an address on the network for a site established by a seller of the product corresponding to each of the product images to the terminal based on the search result. Product search system. 2. The transmitting means transmits each product image to the terminal via the network together with an address on the network for a site established by a seller of the product corresponding to each product image. The product search system according to claim 1, wherein: 3. A storage means for storing product images representing various products, and at least one product image matching or similar to the image based on the image received via the network.
A search unit for searching from the product images stored in the storage unit, and a network for a site established by a seller of the product corresponding to each of the product images based on a search result by the search unit. Transmitting means for transmitting the address of the product to the terminal via the network. 4. The transmission means transmits each product image to the terminal via the network together with an address on the network of a site established by a seller of the product corresponding to each product image. The product search device according to claim 3, wherein: 5. A first method for retrieving, based on an image received via a network, at least one or more product images matching or similar to the image from among product images representing various products stored in advance. And a second step of transmitting, based on the search result, an address on the network for a site established by a seller of the product corresponding to each of the product images to a terminal via the network. A product search method characterized by being provided. 6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of transmitting the product image together with an address on the network for a site established by a seller of the product corresponding to the product image via the network. The product search method according to claim 5, wherein the product is transmitted.