Indexing Multispectral Images for Content-Based Retrieval

This paper discusses our view of image databases, content-based retrieval, and our experiences with an experimental system. We present a methodology in which efficient representation and indexing are the basis for retrieval of images by content as well as associated external information. In the example system images are indexed and accessed based on properties of the individual regions in the image. Regions in each image are indexed by their spectral characteristics, as well as by their shape descriptors and position information. The goal of the system is to reduce the number of images that need to be inspected by a user by quickly excluding substantial parts of the database. The system avoids exhaustive searching through the image database when a query is submitted.