Retrieval-Aware Image Compression, Its Format and Viewer Based Upon Learned Bases

Abstract

A retrieval-aware image format (rim format) is developed for the usage in the similar-image retrieval. The format is based on PCA and ICA which can compress source images with an equivalent or often better rate-distortion than JPEG. Besides the data compression, the learned PCA/ICA bases are utilized in the similar-image retrieval since they reflect each source image’s local patterns. Following the format presentation, an image search viewer for network environments (Wisvi; Waseda image search viewer) is presented. Therein, each query is an image per se. The Wisvi system based on the “rim” method successfully finds similar-images from non-uniform network environments. Experiments support that the PCA/ICA methods are viable to the joint compression and retrieval of digital images. Interested test users can download a β-version of the tool for the joint image compression and retrieval from a web site specified in this paper.