Improving image similarity search effectiveness in a multimedia content management system

In this paper, a technique for making more effective the similarity search process of images in a Multimedia Content Management System is proposed. The content-based retrieval process integrates the search on different multimedia components, linked in XML structures. Depending on the specific characteristics of an image data set, some features can be more effective than others when performing similarity search. Starting from this observation, we propose a technique that predicts the effectiveness of MPEG 7 image features based on a statistical analysis of the specific data sets in the Multimedia Content Management System. This technique is validated through an extensive experimentation with real users.