A multi-feature description scheme for image and video database retrieval

This paper reports about a description scheme for visual information content, which has been developed in the context of the forthcoming MPEG-7 standard. The system supports similarity-based retrieval of visual (image and video) data along feature axes like color, texture, shape/geometry and motion. The descriptors for these features have been developed in a way such that invariance against common transformations of visual material, e.g. filtering, contrast/color manipulation, resizing etc. is achieved, and that they are fitted to human perception properties. Furthermore, descriptors have been designed that allow a fast, hierarchical search procedure. A search engine has been developed on the basis of this description scheme, which allows similarity-based retrieval from an image or video database. The results show that efficient search and retrieval in visual database systems is possible based on a normative feature description such as MPEG-7.