Information processing apparatus

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a detecting unit that detects a feature location in an image;

a sorting unit that sorts regions in the image into a plurality of regions different in terms of attribute;

a memory that stores a rule that associates an attribute of a region with a priority of the region; and

a determining unit that checks the feature locations detected from two images against each other, and determines a similarity between the two images by accounting for, in check results, the priority of the region associated by the rule with the attribute of the region containing the feature locations.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the rule further associates a position of the region in the image with the priority of the region, and

wherein the determining unit determines the similarity by accounting for the priority of the region associated by the rule with the position of the region containing the feature locations to be checked.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the rule further associates a magnitude of a deviation between the positions of regions having a common attribute in the two images with the priority of the region, and

wherein the determining unit determines the similarity by accounting for the priority of the regions associated by the rule with the magnitude of the deviation between the positions of the regions containing the feature locations to be checked.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the rule further associates a size of a feature quantity of the feature location contained in the region with the priority of the region; and

wherein the determining unit determines the similarity by accounting for the priority associated by the rule with the size of the feature quantity of the region containing the feature locations to be checked.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising an identifying unit that identifies a type of an application program that has been used to designate an image that serves as a determination target for the similarity,

wherein the rule associates the attribute of the region with the priority of the region, on each type of the application program, and

wherein the determining unit determines the similarity by accounting for the priority associated by the rule with the attribute of the region containing the feature locations to be checked, and the type of the identified application program.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the rule further associates a size of a feature quantity of the feature location contained in the region with the priority of the region; and

wherein the determining unit determines the similarity by accounting for the priority associated by the rule with the size of the feature quantity of the region containing the feature locations to be checked.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising an identifying unit that identifies a type of an application program that has been used to designate an image that serves as a determination target for the similarity,

wherein the rule associates the attribute of the region with the priority of the region, on each type of the application program, and

wherein the determining unit determines the similarity by accounting for the priority associated by the rule with the attribute of the region containing the feature locations to be checked, and the type of the identified application program.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the region contains a first region where characters are displayed, and a second region where a photograph or a picture is displayed,

wherein the rule associates the attribute with the priority such that a priority of the first region is set to be higher than a priority of the second region if the application program is configured to edit a character string, and such that the priority of the second region is set to be higher than the priority of the first region if the application program is configured to edit an image.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the rule further associates a magnitude of a deviation between the positions of regions having a common attribute in the two images with the priority of the regions, and

wherein the determining unit determines the similarity by accounting for the priority of the regions associated by the rule with the magnitude of the deviation between the positions of the regions containing the feature locations to be checked.

10. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the rule further associates a size of a feature quantity of the feature location contained in the region with the priority of the region; and

wherein the determining unit determines the similarity by accounting for the priority associated by the rule with the size of the feature quantity of the region containing the feature locations to be checked.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising an identifying unit that identifies a type of an application program that has been used to designate an image that serves as a determination target for the similarity,

wherein the rule associates the attribute of the region with the priority of the region, on each type of the application program, and

wherein the determining unit determines the similarity by accounting for the priority associated by the rule with the attribute of the region containing the feature locations to be checked, and the type of the identified application program.

12. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the rule further associates a size of a feature quantity of the feature location contained in the region with the priority of the region; and

wherein the determining unit determines the similarity by accounting for the priority associated by the rule with the size of the feature quantity of the region containing the feature locations to be checked.

13. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an identifying unit that identifies a type of an application program that has been used to designate an image that serves as a determination target for the similarity,

wherein the rule associates the attribute of the region with the priority of the region, on each type of the application program, and

wherein the determining unit determines the similarity by accounting for the priority associated by the rule with the attribute of the region containing the feature locations to be checked, and the type of the identified application program.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the region contains a first region where characters are displayed, and a second region where a photograph or a picture is displayed,

wherein the rule associates the attribute with the priority such that a priority of the first region is set to be higher than a priority of the second region if the application program is configured to edit a character string, and such that the priority of the second region is set to be higher than the priority of the first region if the application program is configured to edit an image.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a content determining unit that determines content of an image,

wherein the rule associates the attribute of the region with the priority of the region on a content basis of the image, and

wherein the determining unit determines the similarity by accounting for the priority associated by the rule with the attribute of the region containing the feature locations to be checked, and the determined content of the image.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the region contains a first region where characters are displayed, a second region where a photograph or a picture is displayed, and a third region where a graphic is displayed,

wherein the content of the image includes a description material for a conference, a form, or a graphic, and

wherein the rule associates the attribute with the priority such that a priority of each of the second region and the third region is set to be higher than a priority of the first region if the content includes the description material, and such that the priority of the third region is set to be higher than the priority of each of the first region and the second region if the content includes the form or the graphic.

17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein if a user has selected one of the attributes of the regions, the rule associates the attribute with the priority such that a priority of the region having the selected attribute is set to be higher than a priority of another region.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a dividing unit that divides the feature locations in the region into a plurality of groups different in the size of the feature quantity,

wherein the rule associates the attribute of the region with the priority of the region on a group basis, and

wherein the determining unit determines the similarity by accounting for the priority associated by the rule with the attribute of the region containing the feature locations to be checked, and the group to which the feature locations belong.

19. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the two images is read from printed matter, and

wherein the determining unit determines the similarity in a manner that excludes a location specific to the printed matter if the specific location appears in the image read from the printed matter.

20. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a layout determining unit that determines a layout of an image,

wherein the determining unit determines the similarity between two images having the determined layouts similar to each other.