JP2585826B2 - Database search method and apparatus - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Summary] The present invention relates to a database search method and apparatus in an information processing apparatus for searching data on a search target having a characteristic in a combination of a shape and a color of each part using the appearance of the target as a search condition. The object of the present invention is to provide a database search method and a database search device capable of easily specifying a visual search condition such as a figure or a color to search a database. It has a database that stores data on the object using the combination of the partial figure representing the external characteristic and the color of each partial figure as a key. At the time of retrieval, the whole consists of a plurality of partial figures that represent the external characteristic of the object A line drawing of the figure is displayed on the display means, and a part or a plurality of each of the plurality of partial figures of the entire figure displayed on the display means are displayed. Then, when an input for designating a color occurs from the input means, the database is searched using the combination of each input part and the color as a search condition, and data on an object having a key that matches the search condition is searched. Is output.

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a database search method and apparatus.

In recent years, databases have been created for various tasks and have been used effectively by computers. It is desired that such a database can be used in a format easily understood by humans.

[Prior Art] Conventional databases are mostly constructed with character data, and it is necessary for a user to input character data in order to retrieve necessary data.

In recent years, graphic databases such as figures and photographs have been created, but the method of specifying search conditions is still performed using character data.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Figures and colors are visual, and complicated figures and subtle colors are difficult to express in words. When characterized by the color of each part, for example, animals, plants, structures,
In the case of the object and the like, there is a problem that a complex combination of characters is used when expressed with characters, and that it is not possible to use a simple operation to make it into a database.

For this reason, it has been difficult for conventional databases to search for data using visual features such as figures and their colors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a database search method and apparatus capable of searching a database by simply specifying visual search conditions such as graphics and colors.

[Means for Solving the Problems] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the basic configuration of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes a processing device, 11 denotes an input device, 12 denotes a display device, and 13 denotes a database.

In the processing device 10, 101 is a menu output means, 1
02 is selected information storage means, 103 is selected figure creation means, 104 is search means, and 105 is search data output means.

The present invention stores a large number of figures and combinations of parts of the figures in a database, displays a figure filled with a corresponding color on the screen according to the figure and color designated by the user on a menu screen, and displays the figure and the color. The database is searched by the combination and the corresponding data is output.

[Operation] The database 13 stores a large number of data and combinations of figures and colors representing characteristics of each data. When the processing device 10 is started, first, the menu output means 101 outputs a plurality of graphic menus and color menus representing data in the database and displays them on the display device 12.

On the other hand, when the user designates the figure selected from the input device 11 and inputs the color of each part of the figure, the selection information is stored in the selection information storage means 102. Then, the selected figure creating unit 103 creates a screen in which the selected figure is filled with the selected color, and outputs the screen to the display device 12. In parallel with this display, the search means 104 searches the database 13 based on the data of the combination of the selected figure and the color stored in the selection information storage means 102. When data meeting the conditions is obtained from the database 13, the data is output to the display device 12 by the search data output means 105 and displayed.

[Embodiment] FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an information processing system in which the present invention is implemented, FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a search process of the embodiment, FIG. 4 is a specific example of a menu display of figures and colors, FIG. Shows a specific example of a database, and FIG. 6 shows a display example of a search result.

Each of the specific examples in FIGS. 4 to 6 is an example of searching for information related to the type (name) of a bird based on the shape of a “bird” and the color of each part.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 20 denotes a keyboard, 21 denotes a mouse, 22 denotes an input / output interface, 23 denotes a memory, 24 denotes a CPU (central processing unit), 25 denotes an external storage device storing a database, and 26 denotes a color display.

Keyboard 20 and mouse 21 are input / output interface 22
The CPU 20 is connected to the CPU 24 via a keyboard 20 to input character data from the keyboard 20 and position data from the mouse 21. A color display 26 is used as an output device.
Is connected via a, and displays arbitrary figures and colors.

FIG. 3 is a search processing flow of the embodiment executed in the configuration of FIG. 2, and the contents of FIG. 3 will be described below using specific examples shown in FIG. 4 to FIG.

First, when the operation is started, a menu of figures is displayed (step 30), and then a color menu is displayed (step 31). This menu is for external storage device 25
Is stored in the memory 23 via the input / output interface 22 and the CPU 24 and output to the color display 26.

The figure and color menu display is as shown in the example of FIG.
A plurality of different bird shapes and a color menu (right side of the screen) are displayed on the screen of the color display 26.

Here, the user operates the mouse 21 and the keyboard 20 to select a specific figure (step 32), and selects the color of each part of the selected figure from the color menu (step 33). CP
The U24 identifies and stores the selected contents in the memory, and displays each part of the selected figure in a selected color in accordance with the contents (step 34).

In the example shown in Fig. 4, when the bird shape is selected from the figure menu and the colors of the bird's beak, head, chest, tail, feet, etc. are selected from the color menu, the selected bird figure is displayed. Each part is displayed filled with the selected color.

In FIG. 3, in this selection operation, the processing of steps 32 to 34 is repeatedly executed until the selection is completed, and when the selection end (by operating the end key or the like) is instructed, the information of the selected figure and color is displayed. Search the database of the external storage device 25 (step 36). When data matching the search condition is searched, the search result is displayed (step 37).
finish.

In the case of the specific example shown in FIG.
For each data number of data 2, ..., the name of the bird, the color of each part of the bird, that is, the beak, head, chest, ...
The color of each part of the foot is stored. After that, it is composed of an explanatory sentence corresponding to each bird (a sentence explaining the characteristics of each bird), image data (representing a photograph of the bird), and the like. The data shown in the example of FIG. 5 is stored corresponding to the shape of the bird, and the data in the corresponding database is searched by the above-described figure selection (steps 32 and 36).

When such a database is searched using the bird shape selected by the menu in FIG. 3 and the color of each part as search conditions (step 36), the color display 26 is displayed.
The name, picture, and description of the bird whose search conditions are matched are displayed on the screen shown in FIG. 6 as shown in the example of FIG.
7).

[Effect of the Invention] According to the present invention, when searching a database, search conditions for graphics and colors can be specified in a visual form such as the shape and color of graphics. Therefore, it is possible to easily search a graphic database such as a figure or a photograph by inputting a visual condition.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the basic configuration of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an information processing system in which the present invention is implemented, FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a search process of the embodiment, and FIG. FIG. 5 shows a specific example of a database, and FIG. 6 shows a display example of a search result. In FIG. 1, 10: processing unit 101: menu output unit 102: selection information storage unit 103: selected figure creation unit 104: search unit 105: search data output unit 5 11: input unit 12: display unit 13: database

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Yurie Hirao 1-6-4 Osaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Fujitsu Social Science Laboratories Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kazuo Takahashi 1-6-1, Osaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo No. 4 Inside Fujitsu Social Science Laboratory (56) References JP-A-1-300379 (JP, A) JP-A-60-83179 (JP, A) JP-A-3-174657 (JP, A)

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A database search method in an information processing apparatus for searching data relating to a search object having a characteristic in a combination of a shape and a color of each part using an appearance of the object as a search condition, wherein an external characteristic of the object is determined. Equipped with a database that stores data related to the object using classified combinations of the partial figures representing the external features and the color of each partial figure as keys, and consists of a plurality of partial figures that represent the external features of the object when searching The line drawing of the whole figure is displayed on the display means, and an input for designating a color for a part of each of the plurality of partial figures or each of the plurality of partial figures of the whole figure displayed on the display means is made by the input means. When this occurs, the database is searched using the combination of each of the inputted partial figures and colors as a search condition, and a pair having a key matching the search condition is generated. Database searching method in an information processing apparatus and outputs data regarding the object as a search result. 2. When an input for designating a color for each partial figure is generated from the input means, the inside of each partial figure is painted in a designated color and displayed on a display means, and after the display, the confirmation is made. 2. The database search method according to claim 1, wherein the search of the database is started when an input representing "?" 3. The database stores data on an object corresponding to a plurality of whole figures of an object to be searched, using a plurality of partial figures constituting each whole figure and a combination of colors of the respective partial figures as keys. Displaying a plurality of whole figures of the object on the display means, and designating the whole figure of the object to be searched by selecting one of the plurality of displayed whole figures by the input means. 3. The database search method in an information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: 4. A database search apparatus using a display device, an input device, a database having a database and a processing device, and a search object having a feature in a combination of shapes and colors of respective parts as search conditions. , Corresponding to a plurality of whole figures representing the appearance characteristics of the search object, a plurality of partial figures representing the appearance characteristics of the search object constituting each whole figure and a combination of the colors of the respective partial figures are represented. Image data and related data of the object are stored as keys, and the processing device displays on the display device a plurality of selectable graphic menus, each of which includes a plurality of whole figures of the object together with a plurality of internal partial figures. A menu output means for displaying a color menu for displaying a color, and one of a plurality of whole figures is selected from an input device, and a color is assigned to a plurality of partial figures within the whole figure. Selection information storage means for storing the type of the selected whole figure and the color of each partial figure when selected, and creating a screen in which each partial figure of the selected whole figure is filled with the selected color Selected figure creating means for outputting the selected figure to the display device, and searching the database using the combination of the type of the selected whole figure and the color of each partial figure as a search condition, and selecting image data having a key that matches the search condition. A database search device comprising: a search unit that outputs related data; and a search data output unit that outputs the image data and the related data obtained by the search to a display device.