Search supporting system, search supporting method and search supporting program

Abstract

In a database, product image data is accumulated. A search portion acquires product image data having the image characteristics information that is the same as or similar to the image characteristics information that indicates the characteristics of the image of input image data from the database for the input image data. A search server outputs information on another product that is different from the product corresponding to the product image data together with the product image data acquired by the search portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A search supporting system comprising:
 a combined product database in which attribute information of product items acquired from an image medium is accumulated for each same category;   a combination information database in which, for each of the product items, combination information with another product item of a different category that is used in combination with the each of the product items is stored;   a product item database in which attribute information of product items that are sold is stored;   a similar-item searching portion that selects the image data of a product input by a user and a candidate group of the product items of which attribute information is the same as or similar to that of the image data from the combined product database;   a combination searching portion that, in correspondence with each of the product items of the candidate group, searches for other product items that are combined with the each of the product items from the combination information database; and   a product-item searching portion that searches for image data of a product item that is the same as or similar to the image data of the another product item of the combination that is selected by the user from combinations of the product item and the another product item from the product item database based on the attribute information of the image data and outputs the image data of the another product item as a recommended product.