Patent ID: 6744935
Filing Date: 2004-06-01
Classification: G06F,G06K,Y10S

Abstract:
A content-based image retrieval apparatus via relevance feedback by using fuzzy integral, the apparatus comprising:image input means for receiving images from a user; feature extraction means for extracting image features necessary for image similarity operation from the images inputted via said image input means; first storage means for storing the image features extracted by said feature extraction means; thumb nail generating means for dividing the images inputted via said image input means to generate thumb nails; second storage means for storing the thumb nails generated by said thumb nail generating means; similarity calculation means for calculating similarities between a query image and the images based on the image features stored on said first storage means, to thereby generate individual similarities for each image feature; similarity measuring means for performing fuzzy integral of the individual similarities calculated via said similarity calculation means, to thereby measure final image similarities; query processing means for interpreting the query image from the user to measure similarities, and for sequentially calling and transmitting the thumb nails stored on said second storage means according to the calculated similarities; user interface means for performing relevance feedback about the image data transmitted from said query processing means, and for transmitting selective information according to relevance feedback to said query processing means wherein the final image similarities are measured based on an equation as: Cg(S, i, j)=k=1, . . . , n[S(k)(xi(k), xj(k))âˆ’S(kâˆ’1)(xi(kâˆ’1), xj(kâˆ’1))g(A(k)),]where S={s1, . . . , sn} is a set of similarity measurement functions between two images, X={x1, . . . , xn} is a set of image features, xi(k) and xj(k) are kth image features of query images i and j, n is the total number of used image features, g(A(k)), which is also expressed as gk, denotes relevance of a feature subset A(k)={x1, . . . , x(k)}, and 0&lE;s(1)(xi(1), xj(1))&lE; . . . &lE;s(n)(xi(n), xj(n)) &lE;1.