Patent Publication Number: US-2011075949-A1

Title: Image searching system and method thereof

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to an image searching system and a method thereof. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Conventionally, finding an image file involves entering a file name or a partial file name and then searching a part or all of the available storage devices or the web for a match of the file name. The conventional way works well when the file name or part of it is known. However, it is difficult to find images without knowing file names. 
     Therefore, what is needed is an image searching system which can searches image files. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of the hardware infrastructure of an image searching system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram indicating one area of an image being as a search condition in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a flowchart of an image searching method implemented by the image searching system of  FIG. 1  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIG. 1  that is a block diagram of the hardware infrastructure of the image searching system  100  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. The image searching system  100  includes an input unit  10 , a storage unit  20 , a processing unit  30 , and a display unit  40 . 
     The input unit  10  is configured for receiving a user input. In the exemplary embodiment, the input unit  10  may be a mouse, a keyboard or other suitable input devices. 
     The storage unit  20  is configured for storing a database, link information and a color code list. The database includes a plurality of image files. Content of each of the plurality of image files includes a color code. The link information is configured for linking to an image file. In the exemplary embodiment, the link information may be a hyperlink. The color code list records a plurality of numeric codes corresponding to each color code. In the exemplary embodiment, the numeric code may be a binary code etc. For example, the binary code for the red is “000000001”, the binary code for the green is “000010000”, the binary code for the blue is “100000000”, the binary code for the black is “111111111”, and the binary code for the white is “000000000”, and so on. In the exemplary embodiment, the storage unit  20  includes a nonvolatile storage module  210  and a volatile storage module  220 . The nonvolatile storage module  210  is configured for storing link information, and the color code list etc. The volatile storage module  220  is configured for temporarily storing the database. 
     The processing unit  30  includes a read module  310 , a searching condition selection module  320 , a color scan module  330 , a color encoding module  340 , an image search module  360 , and a search control module  370 . 
     The read module  310  is configured for acquiring an image file according to the user input from the input unit  10 . For example, the read module  310  acquires an image file among the plurality of image files stored in the database or acquires an image file to which the link information directs. In the exemplary embodiment, when the acquired image file is displayed on the display unit  40 , the image file can be operated by the user, for example, selecting an area of the image file, or editing the image file, etc. 
     The searching condition selection module  320  is configured for receiving an area selection of the acquired image file as a search condition according to the user input from the input unit  10 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the image file shows a panda, the searching condition selection module  320  receives an eye area of the panda as the search condition according to the user input. 
     The color scan module  330  is configured for scanning and analyzing the search condition to acquire a color code corresponding to the search condition in a scan manner. In the exemplary embodiment, the scan manner may be a landscape orientation scan, a portrait orientation scan, etc. Simultaneously, the color scan module  330  is configured for scanning and analyzing the image files to acquire the color code of each of the image files. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the searching condition selection module  320  receives the area of the eye of the panda as the search condition; the color scan module  330  scans and analyzes the search condition to acquire a color code (i.e., white black white black white) in the landscape orientation scan manner. 
     The color encoding module  340  is configured for converting the color code of the selected area of the acquired image into the numeric code of the search condition according to the color code list. Simultaneously, the color encoding module  340  is configured for converting the color code of each of the image files stored in the database into the numeric codes according to the color code list. As shown in  FIG. 2 , the color scan module  330  scans and analyzes the search condition to acquire the color code: white black white black white. The color encoding module  340  coverts the color-code into the corresponding numeric codes: 000000000111111111000000000111111111000000000, according to the color code list. 
     The image searching module  360  is configured for searching the image files from the database, whose numeric code matches the numeric code of the search condition, and outputting a result. 
     The search control module  370  is configured for displaying the searched image on the display unit  40  according to the result. 
       FIG. 3  is a flowchart of a searching image method implemented by the image searching system of  FIG. 1  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. 
     In step S 310 , the read module  310  acquires an image file according to the user input from the input unit  10 . 
     In step S 320 , the search condition selection module  320  receives an area selection of the acquired image as the search condition according to the user input from the input unit  10 . 
     In step S 330 , the color scan module  330  scans and analyzes the search condition to acquire a color code of the search condition in a scan manner. Simultaneously, the color scan module  330  scans and analyzes the image files stored in the database to acquire the color code of each of the image files in a scan manner. 
     In step S 340 , the color encoding module  340  converts the color code of the search condition into the numeric codes of the search condition according to the color code list. Simultaneously, the color encoding module  340  converts the color code of each of the image files into the numeric codes according to the color code list. 
     In step S 350 , the image searching module  350  searches for image files from the database whose numeric code matches the numeric code of the search condition, and outputs a result. 
     In step S 360 , the searching controlling module  370  displays a matched image file on the display unit  40  according to the result. 
     the searching controlling  370  further detects whether to continue searching, if yes, returns to the step S 310 ; if no, ends the flowchart. 
     Although the present disclosure has been specifically described on the basis of the exemplary embodiment thereof, the disclosure is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various changes or modifications may be made to the embodiment without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure.