JPH0887519A - Image retrieving device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To easily decide a specific document that is coincident with the image which is displayed in a fast retrieving mode by displaying the retrieving information corresponding to each document in response to a continuous retrieving instruction and then successively retrieving and displaying the images for these documents. CONSTITUTION: When a fast document 1-page turn-over mode is instructed and a retrieving key is inputted, a CPU 34 extracts the document number storing the retrieving key out of a title management table 26c of a magnetic disk 26 and shows a list (retrieving information) on a CRT display device 24. Then the retrieving number corresponding to the document to be turned over by one page is clicked by a mouse 29 out of the list, and the corresponding document number, etc., are extracted out of a page management table 26b of the disk 26. Thus a record calling table 38a is prepared in a main memory 38. When a function key is clicked to designate a page turn-over operation, the CPU 34 reads out the corresponding record number and reproduces the image of an optical disk 20 based on the logical address corresponding to the record number.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image retrieving apparatus such as an image filing apparatus for registering and retrieving images.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an image such as a large amount of documents is read by a scanner (two-dimensional scanning device), the read image is stored in an optical disk, and any stored image is searched and read out. Output it to an output device, eg C
An image filing device that outputs (displays or prints) an RT display device or a recording device in a visually recognizable state has been put into practical use.

In such a device, high-speed continuous search (fluttering), that is, page turning sequentially displayed for each page of a plurality of documents, or document turning sequentially displayed for each first page of a plurality of documents, It is supposed to be done at high speed. These page turning or document turning can be displayed in reverse order, and in this case, it may be called page turning or document turning.

For example, in the state where page turning is performed, all pages of the retrieved document are processed from the start page to the last page. For this reason, the executed high-speed page turning does not end until the final page is reached or "interrupt" is pressed. Therefore, it is difficult to determine which document the displayed image belongs to during high-speed page turning.

[0005]

As described above, it is possible to eliminate the drawback that it is difficult to determine which document the image to be displayed is in the high speed search display.
An object of the present invention is to provide an image search device that makes it easy to determine which document the displayed image belongs to.

[0006]

An image retrieval apparatus of the present invention stores a plurality of images in a storage means together with retrieval information composed of a plurality of retrieval keys corresponding to a document unit composed of one to a plurality of pages, and stores at least one image. In a method of searching a desired image from the storage means and displaying it on the display means by designating one search key, a first instruction means for instructing continuous retrieval of a plurality of images, and a continuous retrieval by the first instruction means In response to an instruction, a first processing unit that causes the display unit to display the search information corresponding to each of the documents, and a second processing unit that instructs the continuous search of images for the document for which the search information is displayed by the first processing unit. In response to the instruction means of the second instruction means and the instruction of the continuous search by the second instruction means, the second processing for sequentially searching the images of the document from the storage means and displaying the images on the display means. And a means.

The image retrieval apparatus of the present invention stores a plurality of images in the storage means together with retrieval information consisting of a plurality of retrieval keys corresponding to a document unit consisting of one to a plurality of pages, and at least one retrieval key is designated. A first instruction means for instructing continuous retrieval of a plurality of images, in which desired images are retrieved from the storage means and displayed on the display means,
Further, according to the instruction of the continuous search by the first instruction means, a plurality of images are sequentially searched from the storage means and displayed on the display means, and the search information for each document corresponding to the display image is displayed on the image. It is composed of processing means which is displayed on the display means in an overlapping manner.

The image retrieval apparatus of the present invention stores a plurality of images in the storage means together with retrieval information consisting of a plurality of retrieval keys corresponding to a document unit consisting of one to a plurality of pages, and by specifying at least one retrieval key. A first instruction means for instructing continuous retrieval of a plurality of images, in which desired images are retrieved from the storage means and displayed on the display means,
Second instructing means for instructing display of search information for each document corresponding to the displayed image when performing continuous search for a plurality of images,
When the continuous search is instructed by the first instructing means and the search information corresponding to the display image is not instructed by the second instructing means, a plurality of images are sequentially searched from the storage means and the display is performed. When the continuous processing is instructed by the first processing means to be displayed on the means and the first instructing means, and the display of the search information corresponding to the display image is instructed by the second instructing means, Second processing means for displaying corresponding search information on the display means, third instructing means for instructing continuous retrieval of images for the document on which the search information is displayed by the second processing means, and this third It comprises third processing means for sequentially retrieving images for the document from the storage means and displaying the images on the display means in response to an instruction for continuous retrieval by the instructing means.

The image retrieval apparatus of the present invention stores a plurality of images in the storage means together with retrieval information consisting of a plurality of retrieval keys corresponding to a document unit consisting of one to a plurality of pages, and by designating at least one retrieval key. A first instruction means for instructing continuous retrieval of a plurality of images, in which desired images are retrieved from the storage means and displayed on the display means,
Second instructing means for instructing display of search information for each document corresponding to the displayed image when performing continuous search for a plurality of images,
When the continuous search is instructed by the first instructing means and the search information corresponding to the display image is not instructed by the second instructing means, a plurality of images are sequentially searched from the storage means and the display is performed. The storage means when the continuous processing is instructed by the first processing means displayed on the means and the first instructing means, and the search information corresponding to the display image is instructed by the second instructing means. A second processing means for sequentially retrieving a plurality of images from the display means and displaying the plurality of images on the display means, and displaying the retrieval information for each document corresponding to the display image on the display means on the display means. There is.

[0010]

According to the present invention, a plurality of images are stored in the storage means together with search information consisting of a plurality of search keys corresponding to a document unit consisting of one to a plurality of pages, and a desired image is designated by designating at least one search key. In what is retrieved from the storage means and displayed on the display means, a continuous retrieval of a plurality of images is instructed, and in response to the instruction, the retrieval information corresponding to each of the documents is displayed on the display means, and the retrieval information is displayed. Is instructed to continuously retrieve images for the displayed document, and in response to the instruction, the images for the document are sequentially retrieved from the storage means and displayed on the display means.

According to the present invention, a plurality of images are stored in the storage means together with search information composed of a plurality of search keys corresponding to a document unit composed of one to a plurality of pages, and a desired image is designated by designating at least one search key. In what is retrieved from the storage means and displayed on the display means, a continuous retrieval of a plurality of images is instructed, and in response to this instruction, a plurality of images are sequentially retrieved from the storage means and displayed on the display means. The search information for each document corresponding to the display image is superimposed on the image and displayed on the display means.

According to the present invention, a plurality of images are stored in the storage means together with search information composed of a plurality of search keys corresponding to a document unit composed of one to a plurality of pages, and a desired image is designated by designating at least one search key. In what is retrieved from the storage means and displayed on the display means, when a continuous search of a plurality of images is instructed and a continuous search of a plurality of images is performed,
When the display of the search information for each document corresponding to the display image is instructed, the continuous search is instructed, and the display of the search information corresponding to the display image is not instructed, a plurality of images are sequentially searched from the storage unit. When the continuous search is instructed and the search information corresponding to the display image is instructed, the search information corresponding to each document is displayed on the display unit, and An image for the document is sequentially retrieved from the storage means and displayed on the display means in response to an instruction for continuous retrieval of images.

According to the present invention, a plurality of images are stored in the storage means together with search information composed of a plurality of search keys corresponding to a document unit composed of one to a plurality of pages, and a desired image is designated by designating at least one search key. In what is retrieved from the storage means and displayed on the display means, when a continuous search of a plurality of images is instructed and a continuous search of a plurality of images is performed,
When the display of the search information for each document corresponding to the display image is instructed, the continuous search is instructed, and the display of the search information corresponding to the display image is not instructed, a plurality of images are sequentially searched from the storage means. And display it on the display means,
When the continuous search is instructed and the display of the search information corresponding to the display image is instructed, a plurality of images are sequentially searched from the storage unit and displayed on the display unit, and the display image corresponding to the display image is displayed. The search information for each document is displayed on the display means while being superimposed on the image.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an example of the structure of an image retrieval apparatus of the present invention, for example, an electronic filing apparatus. That is, the electronic filing apparatus includes the control module 1
0, memory module 12, image processing module 14,
Communication control module 16, scanner device 18, optical disk 20, optical disk device 22, keyboard 23, C
RT display device 24, printer device 25, magnetic disk 26 and magnetic disk device 27, mouse 29,
It is composed of a system bus 30 and an image bus 32.

The control module 10 is a CPU 34 that performs various controls for image storage, retrieval, edit processing, and the like.
And an interface circuit 36.
The interface circuit 36 is used in the optical disc device 2
2, the magnetic disk device 27, the keyboard 23, the mouse 29, and the CPU 34 are connected.

The memory module 12 is an image memory having a main memory 38 for storing various control programs for image storage, retrieval, editing, etc., and management information, and an image memory having a storage capacity corresponding to several pages of an A4 size document. The page memory 40, the display memory 42 as a display interface, the display controller 44, and the like.

The main memory 38 is displayed at the time of turning a page or turning a document, which will be described later (optical disk 2).
A record call table 38a is provided for storing a list of image record numbers (read from 0). As shown in FIG. 2, the record calling table 38a stores document numbers, page numbers, and record numbers in association with each other. This record calling table 38
The value of the pointer PTR for scanning a is stored in the internal memory 34a of the CPU 34.

A buffer memory area 40a is provided in a part of the page memory 40. The buffer memory area 40a is controlled to write and read by a counter (not shown). The page memory 40 is a memory for temporarily storing, for example, an image stored in the optical disc 20 or an image read from the optical disc 20. The display memory 42 is for temporarily storing an image displayed by the CRT display device 24. In the display memory 42, the image actually displayed in the display window of the CRT display device 24, that is, the image of the page memory 40 is enlarged, reduced, rotated, inserted, or inverted in black and white. The image is stored. The display control unit 44 controls the display processing of the CRT display device 24 and the like.

The image processing module 14 includes an enlarging / reducing circuit 46 for enlarging and reducing an image, a vertical / horizontal converting circuit 48 for rotating an image, and an encoding process for compressing an image (reducing redundancy). A compression / decompression circuit (CODEC) 50 for performing a decoding process for applying and decompressing (restoring the reduced redundancy), a scanner interface 52 for the scanner device 18, a printer interface 54 for the printer device 25, and scaling. The internal bus 56 connects the circuit 46 and the vertical / horizontal conversion circuit 48 with the compression / expansion circuit 50, the scanner interface 52, and the printer interface 54.

The compression / expansion circuit 50 uses an MH (Modify).
ed Huffman) method or MR (Modi)
Bandwidth compression or bandwidth expansion is performed using a fied read) method or the like.

The communication control module 16 is, for example, an LA.
BCP (Bus Communicat) connected to N
Ion Processor) or the like. Further, the communication control module 16 is connected to an external device such as an FCP (facsimile connection mechanism) or a personal computer through an interface, and a UCP (Universal Communicat).
Ion Processor) may be provided.

The system bus 30 is a bus for control signals of various devices and connects the control module 10 with the memory module 12, the image processing module 14, and the communication control module 16. The image bus 32 is an image bus, and connects the memory module 12, the image processing module 14, and the communication control module 16.

The scanner device 18 is, for example, a two-dimensional scanning device and obtains an electric signal corresponding to an image on the original by scanning the original (document) two-dimensionally with a laser beam.

The optical disk device 22 is the scanner device 18
The images read by the method are sequentially stored in the optical disc 20. Further, the optical disc 20 is searched for an image corresponding to the search information designated by the keyboard 23 or the like.

The keyboard 23 stores unique search information corresponding to the image stored in the optical disk 20 and storage, search,
It is for inputting various operation commands for editing processing and the like.
The mouse 29 is, for example, the CRT display device 2
By moving a cursor (not shown) displayed on the display window 4 in up and down and left and right directions and giving an instruction at a desired position, the display content (various operation modes, Area designation or icon etc. for image editing) is selected or designated.

The CRT display device (cathode ray tube display device) 24 displays an image read by the scanner device 18 and an image retrieved from the optical disk 20. The display area for displaying the image of the CRT display device 24 is divided into 1, 2, 4, and 6 display windows, that is, 6 display windows using a maximum of 6 display windows.
A multi-window type display device capable of displaying one image at a time. The image data displayed in each display window is independently subjected to editing processing such as enlargement, reduction, rotation and scrolling.

At the bottom of the window, a display showing the contents of the function keys F1 to F10 of the keyboard 23 is displayed. It is also used as an icon.

For example, when turning a page or turning a document, "interrupt" is displayed as F7. In addition, a display corresponding to a search instruction, a page turning instruction, a document turning instruction, or a restart instruction after a stop is displayed.

FIG. 3 shows an image displayed on the CRT display device 24 when a document is selected. For example, the property sheet 61 for high-speed document / page turning is open on the screen 60 of the corresponding title list.

The property sheet 61 includes a mode setting section 6
2 and a function icon portion 63. In the mode setting portion 62, selection contents of each mode at the time of high-speed document / page turning are displayed. The number of screen divisions, the display speed, the selection contents of each mode of whether to select an arbitrary document or not to check the document are displayed. The default value is that the number of screen divisions is "1",
The display speed is set to "0", the optional document selection is set to "No", and the document confirmation is set to "No".

The icon portion 63 is an execution key (F1) 63.
a and a cancel key (F8) 63b. The property sheet 61 is a high-speed document / page turning icon 6
4 is opened by designating it with the mouse 29 or the like, and closed by designating the execution key 63a with the mouse 29 or the like.

The printer device 25 prints out (hard copy) the image read by the scanner device 18, the image retrieved from the optical disk 20, or the image displayed on the CRT display device 24.

The magnetic disk device 27 stores various control programs on the magnetic disk 26 mounted on the magnetic disk device 27, and also stores search information input from the keyboard 23 and an image corresponding to this search information. It stores search data including a storage address on the optical disc 20, an image size, an image attribute, and the like.

The search data is managed by a document management table, which is a title management table 26a, as shown in FIG.
Page management table 26b and record management table 2
6c. In the title management table 26a, one document number is stored for each piece of search information (image name) consisting of a plurality of search keys.
In the page management table 26b, record numbers are stored page by page of one document, and one record number is stored corresponding to each page. The record management table 26c stores, for each record number, a storage address (storage start position) of an image on the optical disc 20, a document size (image size), and image attributes such as a compression method and a resolution.

The storage address is a logical address, and the physical track address and the physical sector address are calculated from this at the time of access.
The document management system in this embodiment has four layers of cabinet, binder, and document page, and the cabinet corresponds to one side of the optical disk 20. Up to 8 binders can be defined in the cabinet, and up to 30,000 documents can be stored in the binder. Each document has a title, and its structure is defined for each binder. The document is a basic unit of the file, and in addition to the title, an annotation (description of the document) can be added. The document is composed of up to 4095 pages.

Next, the operation of image storage and retrieval processing in the electronic filing apparatus having such a configuration will be described. First, the image storage process will be described. For example, now, the registration mode is selected and set by the keyboard 23, and the search information of the image to be stored in the optical disc 20 is input. This search information is composed of multiple items of search keys, and the contents of the items of this search key are as follows:
It is set in advance. The CPU 34 checks the validity of the input search information according to a predefined format. Further, the double registration is checked by comparing with the search information already registered on the optical disc 20. The input search information is stored in the main memory 13 according to the result of this check.

Next, the original is set on the scanner device 18, and the CPU 34 operates the optical disk device 22 and the scanner device 18. The scanner device 18 two-dimensionally scans and photoelectrically converts an image of a set document or the like. The line information of the photoelectrically converted image is sequentially stored in the page memory 40. The image stored in the page memory 40 is stored in the display memory 42 and displayed on the CRT display device 24. The skew, density, resolution, etc. of the image displayed on the CRT display device 24 are confirmed, and when the displayed image is satisfactory, a memory key (not shown) is input. Then, the CPU 34 causes the compression / expansion circuit (CODEC) 50 to convert the image stored in the page memory 40 into known M
Encoding processing is performed by band compression using an R (Modified Read) method or the like. The encoded image is supplied to the optical disc device 22 and stored in the optical disc 20.

When the storage of the image on the optical disk 20 is completed, the CPU 34 stores the logical address determined from the physical track address and the physical sector address where the image is stored,
The image length represented by the block length, the image attribute, and the like are stored in the main memory 38 in association with the search code (search information). Then, the CPU 34 supplies the search data stored in the main memory 38 to the magnetic disk device 27. As a result, the magnetic disk device 27 stores the supplied search data in the magnetic disk 26.

Next, the mode setting for high speed document / page turning will be described. For example, high-speed document / page turning icon 6
By clicking 4 with the mouse 29 or the like, the high-speed document / page turning property sheet 61 opens on the screen 60.
By clicking "Yes" corresponding to the arbitrary document selection mode on the property sheet 61 with the mouse 29 or the like, the setting is changed to the mode for performing arbitrary document selection, and "Yes" corresponding to the document confirmation mode is changed with the mouse 29 or the like. Click to change the settings to the mode for checking documents.

The high-speed document / page turning processing (search processing) in the state in which the mode setting is changed as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.
First, a binder is selected by the keyboard 23 (or mouse 29) (ST1), and a high speed document / page turning mode is designated (ST2).

Further, the search key corresponding to the image to be searched is input with the keyboard 23 (ST3). CPU
34 sequentially compares and collates the input search key with the search information stored in the title management table 26c of the magnetic disk 26, and sequentially checks whether or not the search information having the input search key is stored. Extract the relevant document number (ST4).

Then, the CPU 34 displays a list of relevant documents (search information) using the CRT display device 24 (ST5). According to this display, if the operator does not find the desired document, the process returns to step 3 and the search key is input again. If you can find it, use the mouse 2 to enter the search number corresponding to the document / page turning document in the list.
By clicking (one-clicking) at 9, documents / documents to be turned over are sequentially selected (ST6).

As a result, the CPU 34 extracts the relevant document number, page number and record number from the page management table 26b of the magnetic disk 26, and stores the document number, page number, and page number in the main memory 38 as shown in FIG. A record call table 38a composed of record numbers is created, and this record call table 38a is rearranged (sorted) in the document number order and page number order (ST7). In this case, the top of the record calling table 38a is associated with the smallest document number and the smallest page number.

Further, by clicking (double-clicking) the search number corresponding to the first displayed document with the mouse 29, the first document to be paged / page-turned is selected (ST8). As a result, the CPU 34 scans the record calling table 38a with the internal memory 34a.
The value of the pointer PTR stored in is set to the value corresponding to the first page of the selected document.

Then, the function key F6 for designating page turning is clicked with the mouse 29 (ST9).
As a result, the CPU 34 reads the record number corresponding to the value of the pointer PTR, reads the logical address corresponding to this record number from the record management table 26c in the magnetic disk 26, and sets the physical track address corresponding to this address. The physical sector address is calculated, and the image is reproduced from the optical disk 20 by the optical disk device 22 using these addresses (ST10).

The CPU 34 also supplies the image (compression information) for each scanning line supplied from the optical disk device 22 to the compression / expansion circuit 50, performs band expansion processing, and sequentially supplies it to the display memory 42. As a result, the display memory 42
The image stored in is displayed on the CRT display device 24 (ST11). Then, the CPU 34 increments the value of the pointer PTR by "+1" (ST12).

Then, the CPU 34 makes the pointer PT
The record number corresponding to the value of R is read, the logical address corresponding to this record number is read from the record management table 26c in the magnetic disk 26, and the physical track address and physical sector address corresponding to this address are calculated. The optical disc 20 is provided by these addresses.
The reproduction of the image from the optical disc device 22 is performed (ST1
0).

The CPU 34 also supplies the image (compression information) for each scanning line supplied from the optical disk device 22 to the compression / expansion circuit 50, performs band expansion processing, and sequentially supplies it to the display memory 42. As a result, the display memory 42
The image stored in is displayed on the CRT display device 24 (ST11).

Thereafter, every time an image is displayed on the CRT display device 24, the pointer PTR is incremented by "+1",
The next image is displayed in sequence. Then, the CPU 34, when the document number corresponding to the value of the pointer PTR becomes a new document number different from the previous document numbers (ST1
3) The search information corresponding to the document number is read from the title management table 26a, and as shown in FIG. 6, the property sheet 65 displaying the search information is opened on the screen 60 (ST14). Based on the display content of the property sheet 65, the search information for the next page turning is confirmed. The function keys below the screen 60 of FIG. 6 include document return (F3), document turning (F4), page return (F5),
Page turning (F6), printing (F7), and document selection (F8) are set.

Then, by clicking on the screen 60 with the mouse 29, the start of page turning is instructed (S
T15). As a result, the CPU 34 closes the property sheet 65, and reproduces the image of the record number corresponding to the value of the pointer PTR from the optical disc 20 (ST1
6), display on the CRT display device 24 (ST1
7). Thereafter, similarly to the above, the value of the pointer PTR is incremented by "+1" (ST18), and the corresponding image is displayed.

Then, when the interruption is clicked in the middle of the page turning (ST19), the page turning is interrupted, and when the image of the last page of the final document is displayed (ST20), the page turning is ended.

When the page turning is not interrupted and the final page of the final document is not displayed, the CPU 34 causes the document number corresponding to the value of the pointer PTR to be a new document number different from the previous document numbers. It is checked whether or not (ST21), and if not different, step 16
Then, the image is reproduced and displayed. If they are different, the process returns to step S14 to open the property sheet 65 displaying the search information corresponding to the document number.

In step 15, the mouse 29
By clicking, the start of page turning is instructed and the property sheet 65 for displaying the search information is closed, but the property sheet 65 for displaying the search information may be displayed for a predetermined time and then closed.

Although the property sheet 65 for displaying the search information for the first document is not displayed when the page is turned over for the first document, the property sheet 65 for displaying the search information for the first document is set to 2 Similar to the second document, it may be displayed.

Also, when a document turning, page turning, or document turning is instructed, the operation is similar to the processing for page turning. However, when the document is turned over or returned, the record call table corresponds to one record (first page) for one document.

Further, the mode setting for high speed document / page turning is
When the optional document selection mode is set to "No" and the document confirmation mode is set to "Yes", the selection of the document in step 6 and the selection of the first-displayed document in step 8 are omitted. .

Further, the mode setting for high speed document / page turning is
If the optional document selection mode is set to "No" and the document confirmation mode is set to "No", Step 6
The selection of the document according to step 8 and the selection of the document for initial display according to step 8 are omitted, and steps 13 to 1 are performed.
The operations of 8 and step 21 are also omitted.

As described above, in the case of page-turning or page-turning in which images are continuously displayed at high speed, a property sheet for displaying search information for each document is displayed.
The search information can be confirmed in document units.

In addition, high-speed page turning can be performed for each document. This makes it easy to determine which document the displayed image belongs to during high-speed search display.

In the above embodiment, the case where the property sheet for displaying the search information is displayed at the switching of the documents has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the first page where the documents are switched is displayed. While displaying, a property sheet displaying the search information may be displayed overlapping with the image of the page, or a property sheet displaying the search information may be displayed overlapping with the image of each page of each document. . Also in these cases, it becomes easy to determine which document the displayed image belongs to.

[0061]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention,
It is possible to provide an image search apparatus that makes it easy to determine which document the displayed image belongs to during high-speed search display.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of an electronic filing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a record calling table.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display example of a CRT display device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a storage example of a document management table.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining high-speed document / page turning processing.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display example of a CRT display device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 20 ... Optical disk 22 ... Optical disk device 23 ... Keyboard 24 ... CRT display device 25 ... Printer device 26 ... Magnetic disk 27 ... Magnetic disk device 29 ... Mouse 34 ... CPU 38 ... Main memory 38a ... Record call table

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of images are stored in a storage means together with search information composed of a plurality of search keys corresponding to a document unit including one to a plurality of pages, and a desired image is stored by designating at least one search key. In the image retrieval device for retrieving from the means and displaying it on the display means, first instruction means for instructing continuous retrieval of a plurality of images, and, according to the instruction of continuous retrieval by the first instructing means, First processing means for displaying corresponding search information on the display means, second instruction means for instructing continuous search of images for a document for which the search information is displayed by the first processing means, and second processing means Second processing means for sequentially retrieving images for the document from the storage means and displaying the images on the display means in response to the continuous retrieval instruction by the instruction means. Image retrieval device to. 2. A plurality of images are stored in a storage means together with search information including a plurality of search keys corresponding to a document unit including one to a plurality of pages, and a desired image is stored by designating at least one search key. In the image retrieval apparatus for retrieving from the means and displaying on the display means, the first instructing means for instructing continuous retrieval of a plurality of images, and the storage means in response to the instruction for continuous retrieval by the first instructing means A plurality of images are sequentially searched and displayed on the display unit, and a processing unit that causes the display unit to display the search information for each document corresponding to the displayed image on the image is displayed. Image search device. 3. A plurality of images are stored in a storage means together with search information composed of a plurality of search keys corresponding to a document unit composed of one to a plurality of pages, and a desired image is stored by designating at least one search key. In the image retrieval device for retrieving from the means and displaying on the display means, a first instruction means for instructing continuous retrieval of a plurality of images, and a document for each document corresponding to the display image when performing the consecutive retrieval of a plurality of images When a continuous search is instructed by the second instructing means for instructing the display of the search information and the second instructing means does not instruct the display of the search information corresponding to the display image, A first processing means for sequentially retrieving a plurality of images from the storage means and displaying them on the display means, and a continuous retrieval instruction by the first instructing means, and a display image by the second instructing means. When the display of the search information corresponding to is instructed, the second processing means for displaying the search information corresponding to each document on the display means, and the document for which the search information is displayed by the second processing means Third instructing means for instructing continuous retrieval of images with respect to the document, and in response to the instruction for continuous retrieval by the third instructing means, sequentially retrieving images for the document from the storage means and displaying the images on the display means. An image retrieval apparatus comprising: the processing unit 3; 4. A plurality of images are stored in a storage means together with search information composed of a plurality of search keys corresponding to a document unit composed of one to a plurality of pages, and a desired image is stored by designating at least one search key. In the image retrieval device for retrieving from the means and displaying on the display means, a first instruction means for instructing continuous retrieval of a plurality of images, and a document for each document corresponding to the display image when performing the consecutive retrieval of a plurality of images When a continuous search is instructed by the second instructing means for instructing the display of the search information and the second instructing means does not instruct the display of the search information corresponding to the display image, A first processing means for sequentially retrieving a plurality of images from the storage means and displaying them on the display means, and a continuous retrieval instruction by the first instructing means, and a display image by the second instructing means. When it is instructed to display the search information corresponding to, the plurality of images are sequentially searched from the storage unit and displayed on the display unit, and the search information for each document corresponding to the display image is displayed on the image. An image retrieval apparatus comprising: a second processing unit that displays the image on the display unit in an overlapping manner.