Fuzzy aggregation of image features in content-based image retrieval

Abstract

The obstacle of generating hybrid queries within the context of content-based image retrieval is still very real. In attempts to overcome this, fuzzy aggregation can be used to combine single, simple index queries into larger, more complex ones. The paper outlines the use of a fuzzy aggregation technique for hybrid querying which has the ability to adjust its behavior according to operator-controlled parameters. The resulting aggregator can be viewed as a feature-adaptive overall similarity measure. We limit the scope of the aggregator to queries involving color content, color coverage, and horizontal/vertical trends, and apply it to a media database comprised of Corel images of fixed size. Preliminary results show promise and illustrate that hybrid queries using the fuzzy aggregator are effective in their ability to retrieve relevant images while suppressing erroneous retrievals when compared to simple, single-feature queries. In addition, the results obtained are at a minimum comparable to multiple-feature queries generated using a weighted mean approach, but exhibiting scalability and greater flexibility in parameter adjustment.