Patent ID: 7848598

Claim:
An image retrieval apparatus, comprising: a storage unit that stores static image data associated with time positions in a video data, the static image data being displayed with the video during time positions with which the static image data are associated; an input unit that accepts an input keyword from a user; an extraction unit that extracts a character string contained in the static image data by at least one of (1) extracting text data from the static image data which has the text data, and (2) performing character recognition processing on the static image data and extracting text data which is a result of the processing; a retrieval unit that matches the extracted character string with the input keyword to retrieve relevant static image data, the retrieval unit retrieving meta-data and voice index data that include the input keyword; a retrieval result display unit that displays the retrieved relevant static image data, varying size of the displayed relevant static image data based on (1) a time length of a corresponding video scene in which the static image data is associated, and (2) an amount of change in scene contents of a corresponding video scene in which the static image data is associated; and a video display unit that, according to the user's operation for selecting at least one of the displayed relevant static image data, reproduces and displays associated video data during time positions with which the selected static image data are associated.