Patent ID: 7146382
Filing Date: 2006-12-05
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
1. An image processing apparatus to communicate with a server using a user interface which accesses a search function of the server, to search an image database for an image, the image database storing plural images and feature amounts of the stored images, comprising: a communication section, arranged to perform communication with the server; a first input section, arranged to input an image; an extractor, arranged to extract a feature amount from the image input by said first input section, wherein the feature amount indicates a feature of the input image; a first transmitter, arranged to transmit the feature amount extracted by said extractor to the server through said communication section; a receiver, arranged to receive information from the server through said communication section, wherein the received information indicates a search result based on the search function of the server, wherein the search function compares the feature amount transmitted by said first transmitter with each feature amount stored in the image database, and wherein the received information indicates at least one Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) defned by a Component Object Model (COM),wherein the GUID specifies the image database; a first controller, arranged to display at least one reduced image on a monitor based on the search result indicated by the information received by said receiver; a second input section, arranged to input a user's designation one of the at least one reduced image displayed on the monitor; and a second controller, arranged to request the server for an image based on the GUID, which corresponds to the reduced image designated by the user's designation, and to display the image, which is received from the server through said communication section in response to the request, on the monitor.