Server and method for searching for images using image pre-fetch, designating database and storage devices for searching, and setting retrieval and processing parameters for search

Abstract

In an image search server which is connected to databases storing images and to image display terminals and searches the databases in response to a request from any of the image display terminals for displaying a search result on the terminal, responsiveness of an image search is improved while a search of all the databases is possible if necessary. An image search server stores images fetched from databases of image archiving apparatuses in storing means thereof, such as a hard disc. For each of the image display terminals, the image search server has setting defining whether the databases and the storing means or only the storing means are searched, and selects where to search according to the setting.

1 - 62 . (Cancelled).  
     
     
         63 . A medical image search apparatus connected to a search requesting apparatus and to a database storing medical images with text information, for carrying out a search of the database for a desired image according to search information from the search requesting apparatus and for sending a search result including text information to the search requesting apparatus, the medical image search apparatus comprising: 
 character type converting means for carrying out conversion between a character type used by the database and a character type used by the search requesting apparatus, wherein    the search is carried out after converting the search information received from the search requesting apparatus into search information in the character type used by the database and different from the character type used by the search requesting apparatus; and    a result of the search is sent to the search requesting apparatus after conversion of the search result into the character type used by the search requesting apparatus.    
     
     
         64 . A medical image search apparatus as claimed in  claim 63 , the medical image search apparatus being connected to a plurality of databases, wherein the medical image search apparatus searches all the databases after converting the search information received from the search requesting apparatus into search information in a character type used by each of the databases and 
 sends the search result to the search requesting apparatus after converting the search result into the character type used by the search requesting apparatus.    
     
     
         65 . A medical image search apparatus as claimed in  claim 63 , the medical image search apparatus being connected to a plurality of search requesting apparatuses, wherein 
 the character type converting means can carry out character type conversion between character types used by each of the search requesting apparatuses and the database.    
     
     
         66 . A medical image search apparatus as claimed in  claim 65 , the medical image search apparatus being connected to a plurality of databases, wherein 
 the medical image search apparatus searches all the databases after converting the search information received from the search requesting apparatus into search information in a character type used by each of the databases and    sends the search result to the search requesting apparatus after converting the search result into the character type used by the search requesting apparatus.    
     
     
         67 . A medical image search apparatus as claimed in any one of  claims 63  to  66 , the medical image search apparatus being connected to a multiple character-type database in which a plurality of images each having text information in different character types are stored, wherein the medical image search apparatus obtains search information in all character types used by the database from the search information received from the search requesting apparatus and searches the database according to the search information in each character type so that the search result can be sent to the search requesting apparatus after conversion of the result into the character type used by the search requesting apparatus.  
     
     
         68 - 76 . (Cancelled).