Patent ID: 6567563
Filing Date: 2003-05-20
Classification: G06F,H04N

Abstract:
An apparatus to search an image from a plurality of image data stored in a data base, comprising:a search unit to search and retrieve from the data base one of the stored image data similar to the image; a restoring unit to partially restore the one retrieved image data; a comparator to compare the partially restored one retrieved image data with the image; and an image element extracting unit to extract a dominant image element from the image, the search unit searching the data base for image data similar to the extracted dominant image element, wherein the image element extracting unit further comprises: a compression unit to compress the image using a transform linear equation, and a determining unit to determine a frequency of generation of fixed points of the transform linear equation according to values of decision elements of a matrix in an equation from which the fixed points are generated, wherein the dominant image element is extracted from the image element extracting unit according to a desired probability, and the frequency of generation of the fixed points corresponds to the probability, and &par;Ai&par; corresponds to the values of the decision elements so that a probability of a transform linear equation is &LeftDoubleBracketingBar;Ai&RightDoubleBracketingBar;&Sum;k=1m&it;&LeftDoubleBracketingBar;Ak&RightDoubleBracketingBar;,â€ƒ&it;and&it;â€ƒ&it;&LeftDoubleBracketingBar;Ai&RightDoubleBracketingBar;&Sum;k=1m&it;&LeftDoubleBracketingBar;Ak&RightDoubleBracketingBar;of the image is regenerated.