Microsoft patents image search that finds pictures with similar meanings
Microsoft has filed a patent for a method that searches for images based on their meaning rather than just their visual appearance. The system uses machine learning to understand the relationships between objects in a photo and compares this structure to a database of other images to find matches.
In the filing’s own words
In various examples, an image search is performed based on a query image where the result includes images with semantic information that matches the query image. For example, image encoders are used to extract information from images that are stored in an index. Continuing this example, when a query is obtained the index is searched to determine potential matches, and a comparison is performed between the query image and the potential matches to determine images with semantic information matching the query image.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving a query image; extracting, using one or more machine-learned models, semantic structure information from the query image, the semantic structure information representing relationships among elements depicted in the query image; accessing an index storing semantic structure information corresponding to a plurality of stored visual representations; determining, based on a comparison between the semantic structure information extracted from the query image and the semantic structure information stored in the index, one or more stored visual representations that are semantically similar to the query image; and providing an output identifying the one or more stored visual representations.
Facts
- Company
- Microsoft (Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC)
- Official title
- SEMANTIC IMAGE SIMILARITY
- Publication number
- US20260300384A1
- Application number
- 19700777
- Filed
- Jun 8, 2026
- Published
- Oct 1, 2026
- Inventors
- 4
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
G06F 16/535 Physics & computingG06F 16/51 Physics & computingMore from Microsoft in AI & software
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.