Patent attributes
Operability of an image database is improved. To achieve this, a manipulator is displayed on a horizontal axis at the center thereof. If the manipulator is dragged upward or downward, the scale of graduations on the horizontal axis is enlarged or reduced (e.g., month of photography becomes year of photography or day of photography). If the manipulator is dragged rightward or leftward, the values of the graduations on the horizontal axis increase or decrease (e.g., from January to December, 2000, to either January to December, 2001 or January to December, 1999). If a search command is applied, images that fall within a search range the graduations of which have been changed are searched. Merely dragging the manipulator makes it possible to change not only the values of the graduations but also the scale thereof.
