Patent ID: 8326090

Claim:
A search apparatus for executing a search of data corresponding to a search key, comprising: a reading unit configured to read a document on a sheet to obtain image data of the document; a mode selection unit configured to receive, from a user, an instruction for selecting one of an image search mode to execute a search using an image as the search key and a keyword search mode to execute a search using a keyword as the search key; an image extraction unit configured to extract images from the image data if the image search mode has been selected by the user; a keyword extraction unit configured to extract keywords from the image data if the keyword search mode has been selected by the user; a list display unit configured to display a list of the images which are on the sheet and extracted by said image extraction unit to enable the user to select an image as the search key from the list if the image search mode has been selected by the user, and to display a list of the keywords which are on the sheet and extracted by said keyword extraction unit to enable the user to select a keyword as the search key from the list if the keyword search mode has been selected by the user; and an input unit configured to input an instruction, from the user, for selecting an image as the search key from the list of the extracted images if the image search mode has been selected by the user, and to input an instruction, from the user, for selecting a keyword as the search key from the list of the extracted keywords if the keyword search mode has been selected by the user.