Image processing apparatus, image processing method, image processing program, and recording medium storing program

Abstract

An image processing apparatus, an image processing method, a program, and a recording medium storing the program capable of extracting, from an input first image group, an image similar to an image extracted from a reference image group are provided. A first image group including a plurality of images of a user is transmitted to an order reception server. A second image group similar to the first image group is searched from a plurality of reference image groups stored in the order reception server. An image similar to an image previously extracted from the second image group is extracted from the first image group. An album is generated by arranging the image extracted from the first image group in a layout similar to a layout of an album generated from the second image group.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An image processing apparatus comprising:
 a first image group reception device that receives an input of a first image group; and   an image extraction device that, among a plurality of reference image groups each having information about an extracted part of images, extracts, from the first image group, an image similar to the part of the images extracted from a second image group similar to the first image group.   
     
     
         2 . An image processing apparatus comprising:
 a first image group input device that receives an input of a first image group; and   an extraction device that extracts, from the first image group, a plurality of images for which similarity with a plurality of consultation images extracted from a consultation image group is greater than or equal to a threshold value.   
     
     
         3 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein a plurality of the consultation image groups are present,   the image processing apparatus further comprises a consultation image group detection device that detects, from the plurality of consultation image groups, the consultation image group for which similarity with the first image group is greater than or equal to a threshold value, and   the extraction device extracts, from the first image group, a plurality of images for which similarity with the plurality of consultation images extracted from the consultation image group detected by the consultation image group detection device is greater than or equal to a threshold value.   
     
     
         4 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein each consultation image of the plurality of consultation images extracted from the consultation image group is pasted in an image pasting region of a template, and   the image processing apparatus further comprises an image pasting device that pastes, in the image pasting region of the template, an image for which similarity with the consultation image pasted in the image pasting region of the template is greater than or equal to a threshold value among the plurality of images extracted in the extraction device.   
     
     
         5 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , 
 wherein the image pasting device pastes, in an image pasting region corresponding to the image pasting region in which the consultation image is pasted, the image for which the similarity with the consultation image pasted in the image pasting region of the template is greater than or equal to the threshold value among the plurality of images extracted in the extraction device.   
     
     
         6 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , 
 wherein the image pasting device pastes, in an image pasting region corresponding to the image pasting region in which the consultation image is pasted, an image for which the similarity with the consultation image pasted in the image pasting region of the template is greater than or equal to the threshold value and that is captured at a timing at which an image corresponding to the consultation image is expected to be captured.   
     
     
         7 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a template designation device that designates one template from a plurality of templates,   wherein each consultation image of the plurality of consultation images extracted from the consultation image group is pasted in the image pasting region of the template designated by the template designation device.   
     
     
         8 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein an order of the plurality of consultation images is determined, and   the image processing apparatus further comprises a first similarity adjustment device that increases the similarity with the consultation image for an image captured in an order corresponding to the order of each consultation image of the plurality of consultation images or an image captured at a timing at which an image corresponding to the consultation image is expected to be captured among images included in the first image group.   
     
     
         9 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a second similarity adjustment device that increases the similarity with the consultation image for an image having information similar to information about a face included in the consultation image among images included in the first image group.   
     
     
         10 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a third similarity adjustment device that increases the similarity with the consultation image for an image including a person for which the number of appearances in the image is greater than or equal to a threshold value among images included in the first image group.   
     
     
         11 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a person designation device that designates a desired person among persons appearing in images included in the first image group; and   a fourth similarity adjustment device that increases the similarity with the consultation image for an image including the person designated by the person designation device.   
     
     
         12 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a face image detection device that detects a face image from the images included in the first image group; and   a face image display control device that controls a display device to display the face image detected by the face image detection device on a display screen,   wherein the person designation device designates the desired person by designating the face image displayed on the display screen.   
     
     
         13 . The image processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 an image product creation device that creates an image product using the images extracted by the extraction device.   
     
     
         14 . An image processing method comprising:
 receiving, by a first image group reception device, an input of a first image group; and   among a plurality of reference image groups each having information about an extracted part of images, extracting, by an image extraction device, from the first image group, an image similar to the part of the images extracted from a second image group similar to the first image group.   
     
     
         15 . An image processing method comprising:
 receiving, by a first image group input device, an input of a first image group; and   extracting, by an extraction device, from the first image group, a plurality of images for which similarity with a plurality of consultation images extracted from a consultation image group is greater than or equal to a threshold value.   
     
     
         16 . A recording medium storing the computer-readable program controlling a computer of an image processing apparatus, the program controlling the computer of the image processing apparatus to perform:
 receiving an input of a first image group; and   among a plurality of reference image groups each having information about an extracted part of images, extracting, from the first image group, an image similar to the part of the images extracted from a second image group similar to the first image group.   
     
     
         17 . A recording medium storing the computer-readable program controlling a computer of an image processing apparatus, the program controlling the computer of the image processing apparatus to perform:
 receiving an input of a first image group; and   extracting, from the first image group, a plurality of images for which similarity with a plurality of consultation images extracted from a consultation image group is greater than or equal to a threshold value.