PICTURE RETRIEVAL METHOD, DEVICE THEREFOR AND RECORD MEDIUM RECORDING PICTURE RETRIEVAL PROGRAM

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate the addition and deletion of a keyword and the addition of a database, to dissolve the difference of retrieval conditions in respective database management systems and to retrieve plural picture database different in the retrieval conditions with a common keyword by defining a meanwise upper/lower relation between the keywords and unitiedly managing the feature vector type corresponding to the keyword and weighting. SOLUTION: An inquiry sentence is analyzed and a keyword is extracted (S4). A retrieval condition formed of the feature vector type of a picture against the extracted keyword and weighting is decided (S5). The retrieval condition is converted into a retrieval condition that can access a picture database becoming an access object (S6 and S7). A retrieval instruction sentence corresponding to the respective picture databases is generated with the converted retrieval condition (S8). The respective picture databases are accessed and picture data is retrieved (S9). The multiplex management of the feature vector type and the weighting is eliminated by making the low-order keyword succeed the retrieval condition of the high-order keyword.