Collaborative image retrieval via regularized metric learning

In content-based image retrieval (CBIR), relevant images are identified based on their similarities to query images. Most CBIR algorithms are hindered by the semantic gap between the low-level image features used for computing image similarity and the high-level semantic concepts conveyed in images. One way to reduce the semantic gap is to utilize the log data of users' feedback that has been collected by CBIR systems in history, which is also called “collaborative image retrieval.” In this paper, we present a novel metric learning approach, named “regularized metric learning,” for collaborative image retrieval, which learns a distance metric by exploring the correlation between low-level image features and the log data of users' relevance judgments. Compared to the previous research, a regularization mechanism is used in our algorithm to effectively prevent overfitting. Meanwhile, we formulate the proposed learning algorithm into a semidefinite programming problem, which can be solved very efficiently by existing software packages and is scalable to the size of log data. An extensive set of experiments has been conducted to show that the new algorithm can substantially improve the retrieval accuracy of a baseline CBIR system using Euclidean distance metric, even with a modest amount of log data. The experiment also indicates that the new algorithm is more effective and more efficient than two alternative algorithms, which exploit log data for image retrieval.     

图像检索中的动态相似性度量方法

为提高图像检索的效率,近年来相关反馈机制被引入到了基于内容的图像检索领域。该文提出了一种新的相关反馈方法－－动态相似性度量方法。该方法建立在目前被广泛采用的图像相拟性度量方法的基础上,结合了相关反馈图像检索系统的时序特性,通过捕获用户的交互信息,动态地修正图像的相似性度量公式,从而把用户模型嵌入到了图像检索系统,在某种程度上使图像检索结果与人的主观感知更加接近。实验结果表明该方法的性能明显优于其它图像检索系统所采用的方法。     

基于特征互补率矩阵的图像分类方法

在基于内容的图像检索和分类系统中,图像的底层特征和高层语义之间存在着语义鸿沟,有效减小语义鸿沟是一个需要广泛研究的问题。为此,提出一种基于特征互补率矩阵的图像分类方法,该方法通过计算视觉特征互补率矩阵进而指导融合特征集的选择,利用测度学习算法得到一个合适的距离测度以反映图像高层语义的相似度。实验结果表明,该方法能有效提高图像分类精度。     

SIMPLIcity: semantics-sensitive integrated matching for picturelibraries

We present here SIMPLIcity (semantics-sensitive integrated matching for picture libraries), an image retrieval system, which uses semantics classification methods, a wavelet-based approach for feature extraction, and integrated region matching based upon image segmentation. An image is represented by a set of regions, roughly corresponding to objects, which are characterized by color, texture, shape, and location. The system classifies images into semantic categories. Potentially, the categorization enhances retrieval by permitting semantically-adaptive searching methods and narrowing down the searching range in a database. A measure for the overall similarity between images is developed using a region-matching scheme that integrates properties of all the regions in the images. The application of SIMPLIcity to several databases has demonstrated that our system performs significantly better and faster than existing ones. The system is fairly robust to image alterations     

A survey of content-based image retrieval with high-level semantics

In order to improve the retrieval accuracy of content-based image retrieval systems, research focus has been shifted from designing sophisticated low-level feature extraction algorithms to reducing the ‘semantic gap’ between the visual features and the richness of human semantics. This paper attempts to provide a comprehensive survey of the recent technical achievements in high-level semantic-based image retrieval. Major recent publications are included in this survey covering different aspects of the research in this area, including low-level image feature extraction, similarity measurement, and deriving high-level semantic features. We identify five major categories of the state-of-the-art techniques in narrowing down the ‘semantic gap’: (1) using object ontology to define high-level concepts; (2) using machine learning methods to associate low-level features with query concepts; (3) using relevance feedback to learn users’ intention; (4) generating semantic template to support high-level image retrieval; (5) fusing the evidences from HTML text and the visual content of images for WWW image retrieval. In addition, some other related issues such as image test bed and retrieval performance evaluation are also discussed. Finally, based on existing technology and the demand from real-world applications, a few promising future research directions are suggested.     

基于SVM的图像低层特征与高层语义的关联

在基于内容的图像检索中，针对图像的低层可视特征与高层语义特征之间的鸿沟，提出了一种基于支持向量机（SVM）的语义关联方法。通过对图像低层特征的分析，提取了颜色和形状特征向量（221维），将它们作为支持向量机的输入向量，对图像类进行学习，建立图像低层特征与高层语义的关联，并应用于鸟类、花卉、海洋以及建筑物等几个典型的语义类别检索。实验结果表明，该方法可适应于不同用户的图像检索，并提高了检索性能。     

利用频繁模式挖掘进行图像标注

在基于内容的图像检索与计算机视觉研究领域中,如何将底层的视觉特征与高层的语义信息相联系,即如何有效地根据图像的底层特征提取其表达的语义概念是备受关注的难题之一。特别是当图像包含了多个语义概念时,问题就变得更为棘手了。本文中,我们提出一种基于图像底层特征值频繁模式的语义概念标注方法,针对图像分块的特点实现了一组有效的模式挖掘算法,并设计了标注规则的生成算法。权威的真实数据集上的实验表明我们的方法在对含有多个语义概念的图像进行概念标注时要比之前的一些算法效果更好。     

基于本体的图像检索

提出一种基于本体的图像检索方法,该方法首先采用改进的K均值无监督分割方法将图像分割成区域,然后提取每个区域的颜色、形状、位置、纹理等低层描述特征,应用这些特征定义一个简单的对象本体。为了提高图像检索的准确度,最后采用支持向量机（SVM）的相关反馈算法。实验结果表明,提出的方法不仅可以提高检索效率,而且对于缩小低层视觉特征和高层语义特征之间的“语义鸿沟”具有很大的意义。     

Joint semantics and feature based image retrieval using relevance feedback

Relevance feedback is a powerful technique for image retrieval and has been an active research direction for the past few years. Various ad hoc parameter estimation techniques have been proposed for relevance feedback. In addition, methods that perform optimization on multilevel image content model have been formulated. However, these methods only perform relevance feedback on low-level image features and fail to address the images' semantic content. In this paper, we propose a relevance feedback framework to take advantage of the semantic contents of images in addition to low-level features. By forming a semantic network on top of the keyword association on the images, we are able to accurately deduce and utilize the images' semantic contents for retrieval purposes. We also propose a ranking measure that is suitable for our framework. The accuracy and effectiveness of our method is demonstrated with experimental results on real-world image collections.     

Building a user-centered semantic hierarchy in image databases

Recent development in the field of digital media technology has resulted in the generation of a huge number of images. Consequently, content-based image retrieval has emerged as an important area in multimedia computing. Research in human perception of image content suggests that the semantic cues play an important role in image retrieval. In this paper, we present a new paradigm to establish the semantics in image databases based on multi-user relevance feedback. Relevance feedback mechanism is one way to incorporate the users’ perception during image retrieval. By treating each feedback as a weak classifier and combining them together, we are able to capture the categories in the users’ mind and build a user-centered semantic hierarchy in the database to support semantic browsing and searching. We present an image retrieval system based on a city-landscape image database comprising of 3,009 images. We also compare our approach with other typical methods to organize an image database. Superior results have been achieved by the proposed framework.     

基于语义测度的图像相似性计算研究

针对图像检索中的低层视觉特征相似性度量问题,提出一种基于语义测度的图像相似性计算方法。该方法在图像区域分割的基础上,通过构建图像区域子块与语义元数据之间的统计映射关系,实现图像内容的统计语义描述,建立图像之间、图像与语义类别、语义类别之间的分层语义相似测度。通过对自然图像库的实验结果表明,该方法在相似图像检索中具有更好的性能。     

一种图像底层视觉特征到高层语义的映射方法

基于语义内容的图像检索已经成为解决图像底层特征与人类高层语义之间“语义鸿沟”的关键。根据图像语义检索的思想,提出了一种采用支持向量机(Support Machine Vector)实现图像底层视觉特征到高层语义的映射方法,并在此基础上针对特例库实现了图像的语义标注和检索。实验结果表明,该映射方法能较好地表达人的语义,以提高图像的检索效率。     

基于模糊支持向量机的面向语义图像检索算法*

为了缩减图像低层特征和高层语义之间的“语义鸿沟”,本文提出一种基于模糊支持向量机的面向语义图像检索(SBIR-FSVM)算法。在提取图像的低层特征的基础上,本文将最小隶属度模糊支持向量机引入到图像检索技术中,获取图像语义信息及消除传统支持向量机(SVM)在多类分类中产生的不可分区域,从而实现面向语义的图像检索。实验结果表明,本文提出的SBIR-FSVM算法与基于SVM的图像检索算法及综合多特征的基于内容的图像检索算法相比均有了显著的改进。     

一种基于内容相关性的跨媒体检索方法

针对传统基于内容的多媒体检索对单一模态的限制,提出一种新的跨媒体检索方法.分析了不同模态的内容特征之间在统计意义上的典型相关性,并通过子空间映射解决了特征向量的异构性问题,同时结合相关反馈中的先验知识,修正不同模态多媒体数据集在子空间中的拓扑结构,实现跨媒体相关性的准确度量.实验以图像和音频数据为例验证了基于相关性学习的跨媒体检索方法的有效性.