Patent ID: 6493692
Filing Date: 2002-12-10
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
An information search apparatus for managing a plurality of kinds of multimedia information, and searching the managed multimedia information for desired multimedia information, comprising:an image content word holding unit for storing the multimedia information, and content words which verbalize concepts expressed in the multimedia information in correspondence with each other; an associative word dictionary for storing the content words and non-associative words which do not evoke bilateral association with the content words in correspondence with each other; input means for inputting a query word; first search means for acquiring a non-associative word corresponding to the query word input by said input means from said associative word dictionary, and searching multimedia information on the basis of the acquired non-associative word; second search means for extracting a feature amount corresponding to the query word input by said input means, and searching multimedia information on the basis of the extracted feature amount; and integration means for integrating first and second search results obtained by said first and second search means on the basis of the first search results.