Visual Search Engine
Encyclopedia
A Visual Search Engine is a search engine designed to search for information on the World Wide Web
through the input of an image or a search engine with a visual display of the search results. Information may consist of web page
s, locations, other images and other types of documents. This type of search engines is mostly used to search on the mobile Internet through an image of an unknown object (unknown search query). Examples are buildings in a foreign city.
These search engines often use techniques for Content Based Image Retrieval.
A visual search engine searches images, patterns based on an algorithm which it could recognize and gives relative information based on the selective or apply pattern match technique. One such technique has been used on the web application canvasee, which means design on a board or a tool. This web application searches the information based on patter mapping algorithm and gives the relative data based on the design pattern.
to a picture. The results depend on the search criterion, such as metadata
, distribution of color, shape, etc.. and the search technique which the browser uses.
Search by metadata: Image search is based on comparison of metadata associated with the image as keywords, text, etc.. and it is obtained a set of images sorted by relevance. The metadata associated with each image can reference the title of the image, format, color, etc.. and can be generated manually or automatically. This metadata generation process is called audiovisual indexing.
Search by Example: In this technique, also called content-based image retrieval
, the search results are obtained through the comparison between images using computer vision techniques. During the search it is examined the content of the image such as color, shape, texture or any visual information that can be extracted from the image. This system requires a higher computational complexity
, but is more efficient and reliable than search by metadata.
There are also image searchers that combine both search techniques, as the first search is done by entering a text, and then, from the images obtained can refine the search using as search parameters the images which appear as a result.
or the length of the video. Usually the results come with a miniature capture of the video.
, one of the most famous Internet video searchers.
Some searchers generate keywords manually, while others use algorithms to analyze the audiovisual content of the video and to generate labels. The combination of these two processes improves the reliability of the search.
or network. At first glance the implementation of this type of searchers may seem unnecessary, but due to the continuous documentary inflation of the Internet, every day it becomes more necessary indexing information.
Princeton University
has developed a search engine that combines all these parameters to perform the search, thus increasing the efficiency of search.
designed exclusively for mobile phones, through which you can find any information on Internet
, through an image made with the own mobile phone
or using certain words (keywords
).
or Image query by example
, which use the content, shape, texture and color of the image to compare them in a database
and then deliver the approximate results from the query.
The process used in these searches in the mobile phones
is as follows:
First, the image is sent to the server application. Already on the server, the image will be analyzed by different analytical teams, as each one is specialized in different fields that make up an image. Then, each team will decide if the submitted image contains the fields of their specialty or not.
Once this whole procedure is done, a central computer will analyze the data and create a page of the results sorted with the efficiency of each team, to eventually be sent to the mobile phone
.
Kooaba is a free application for the operating systems of Android
and IPhone
, but only focuses on objects covers, such as CD covers.
TinEye Mobile is an application that also serves to recognize CD covers. On their website they have over a billion indexed images.
Google Goggles is the most important application of image search engines, developed by Google Labs. Also available for both Android
and for IPhone
.
Such search engines present a new concept in the presentation of results, but the search techniques used are the same as in other search engines.
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
through the input of an image or a search engine with a visual display of the search results. Information may consist of web page
Web page
A web page or webpage is a document or information resource that is suitable for the World Wide Web and can be accessed through a web browser and displayed on a monitor or mobile device. This information is usually in HTML or XHTML format, and may provide navigation to other web pages via hypertext...
s, locations, other images and other types of documents. This type of search engines is mostly used to search on the mobile Internet through an image of an unknown object (unknown search query). Examples are buildings in a foreign city.
These search engines often use techniques for Content Based Image Retrieval.
A visual search engine searches images, patterns based on an algorithm which it could recognize and gives relative information based on the selective or apply pattern match technique. One such technique has been used on the web application canvasee, which means design on a board or a tool. This web application searches the information based on patter mapping algorithm and gives the relative data based on the design pattern.
Classification
Depending on the nature of the search engine there are two main groups, those which aim to find visual information (images, video ...) and those with a visual display of results.Visual information searchers
Image searcher
An image searcher is a search engine that aims to find an image. The search can be based on keywords, another picture or a web linkHyperlink
In computing, a hyperlink is a reference to data that the reader can directly follow, or that is followed automatically. A hyperlink points to a whole document or to a specific element within a document. Hypertext is text with hyperlinks...
to a picture. The results depend on the search criterion, such as metadata
Metadata
The term metadata is an ambiguous term which is used for two fundamentally different concepts . Although the expression "data about data" is often used, it does not apply to both in the same way. Structural metadata, the design and specification of data structures, cannot be about data, because at...
, distribution of color, shape, etc.. and the search technique which the browser uses.
Image search techniques
Two techniques currently used in image search:Search by metadata: Image search is based on comparison of metadata associated with the image as keywords, text, etc.. and it is obtained a set of images sorted by relevance. The metadata associated with each image can reference the title of the image, format, color, etc.. and can be generated manually or automatically. This metadata generation process is called audiovisual indexing.
Search by Example: In this technique, also called content-based image retrieval
Content-based image retrieval
Content-based image retrieval , also known as query by image content and content-based visual information retrieval is the application of computer vision techniques to the image retrieval problem, that is, the problem of searching for digital images in large databases....
, the search results are obtained through the comparison between images using computer vision techniques. During the search it is examined the content of the image such as color, shape, texture or any visual information that can be extracted from the image. This system requires a higher computational complexity
Computational Complexity
Computational Complexity may refer to:*Computational complexity theory*Computational Complexity...
, but is more efficient and reliable than search by metadata.
There are also image searchers that combine both search techniques, as the first search is done by entering a text, and then, from the images obtained can refine the search using as search parameters the images which appear as a result.
Video searcher
A video search is a search engine designed to search video on the net. Some video searchers process the search directly in the Internet, while others shelter the videos from which the search is done. Some searchers also enable to use as search parameters the formatFile format
A file format is a particular way that information is encoded for storage in a computer file.Since a disk drive, or indeed any computer storage, can store only bits, the computer must have some way of converting information to 0s and 1s and vice-versa. There are different kinds of formats for...
or the length of the video. Usually the results come with a miniature capture of the video.
Video search techniques
Currently, almost all video searchers are based on keywords (search by metadata) to perform searches. These keywords can be found in the title of the video, text accompanying the video or can be defined by the author. An example of this type of search is youtubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, one of the most famous Internet video searchers.
Some searchers generate keywords manually, while others use algorithms to analyze the audiovisual content of the video and to generate labels. The combination of these two processes improves the reliability of the search.
3D Models searcher
A searcher of 3D models aims to find the file of a 3D modeling object from a databaseDatabase
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
or network. At first glance the implementation of this type of searchers may seem unnecessary, but due to the continuous documentary inflation of the Internet, every day it becomes more necessary indexing information.
3D Models search techniques
Have been used traditionally text-based searchers (keywords), where the authors of the material or Internet users contribute to the process of keyword generation, but because it is not always effective, it has recently been investigated in the implementation of search engines that combine the search using text with the search compared to 2D drawings, 3D drawings and 3D models.Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
has developed a search engine that combines all these parameters to perform the search, thus increasing the efficiency of search.
Mobile visual search
A mobile image searcher is a type of search engineSearch engine
A search engine is an information retrieval system designed to help find information stored on a computer system. The search results are usually presented in a list and are commonly called hits. Search engines help to minimize the time required to find information and the amount of information...
designed exclusively for mobile phones, through which you can find any information on Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, through an image made with the own mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
or using certain words (keywords
Keyword (computer programming)
In computer programming, a keyword is a word or identifier that has a particular meaning to the programming language. The meaning of keywords — and, indeed, the meaning of the notion of keyword — differs widely from language to language....
).
Introduction
Mobile phones have evolved into powerful image and video processing devices equipped with high-resolution cameras, color displays, and hardware-accelerated graphics. They are also increasingly equipped with a global positioning system and connected to broadband wireless networks. All this enables a new class of applications that use the camera phone to initiate search queries about objects in visual proximity to the user (Figure 1). Such applications can be used, e.g., for identifying products, comparison shopping, finding information about movies, compact disks (CDs), real estate, print media, or artworks.Process
Typically, this type of search engines usually use techniques of query by exampleQuery by Example
Query by Example is a database query language for relational databases. It was devised by Moshé M. Zloof at IBM Research during the mid 1970s, in parallel to the development of SQL. It is the first graphical query language, using visual tables where the user would enter commands, example elements...
or Image query by example
Content-based image retrieval
Content-based image retrieval , also known as query by image content and content-based visual information retrieval is the application of computer vision techniques to the image retrieval problem, that is, the problem of searching for digital images in large databases....
, which use the content, shape, texture and color of the image to compare them in a database
Database
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
and then deliver the approximate results from the query.
The process used in these searches in the mobile phones
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
is as follows:
First, the image is sent to the server application. Already on the server, the image will be analyzed by different analytical teams, as each one is specialized in different fields that make up an image. Then, each team will decide if the submitted image contains the fields of their specialty or not.
Once this whole procedure is done, a central computer will analyze the data and create a page of the results sorted with the efficiency of each team, to eventually be sent to the mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
.
Kooaba
Kooaba is a free application for the operating systems of Android
Android
An android is a robot or synthetic organism designed to look and act like a human, and with a body having a flesh-like resemblance. Although "android" is used almost universally to refer to both sexes, and those of no particular sex, "Android" technically refers to the male form, while "Gynoid" is...
and IPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
, but only focuses on objects covers, such as CD covers.
TinEye Mobile
TinEye Mobile is an application that also serves to recognize CD covers. On their website they have over a billion indexed images.
Google Googles
Google Goggles is the most important application of image search engines, developed by Google Labs. Also available for both Android
Android
An android is a robot or synthetic organism designed to look and act like a human, and with a body having a flesh-like resemblance. Although "android" is used almost universally to refer to both sexes, and those of no particular sex, "Android" technically refers to the male form, while "Gynoid" is...
and for IPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
.
Visual display searchers
Another type of visual searcher is the search engine with visual display, which presents the results in an alternative way of the traditional sequence of links. Through some kind of visual structure of the results, including graphs, diagrams, previews of the websites, etc.. it is willing to show the results (including images, documents, links, etc.) so that is easier to find the desired material.Such search engines present a new concept in the presentation of results, but the search techniques used are the same as in other search engines.
External links
- http://www.searchenginejournal.com/a-look-into-reverse-image-search-tools/14666/
- http://www.tineye.com
- http://www.viewzy.com
- http://www.liveplasma.com
- http://www.spezify.com
- http://www.eyeplorer.com