Searching images using Ultimedia Manager

Abstract

IBM's Ultimedia Manager is a software product for the management and retrieval of image data. The product includes both traditional database search and content based search. Traditional database search allows images to be retrieved by text descriptors or business data such as price, date, and catalog number. Content based search allows retrieval by similarity to a specified color, texture, shape, position or any combination of these. The two can be combined, as in "retrieve all images with the text 'beach' in their description, and sort them in order by how much blue they contain". Functions are also available for fast browsing, and for database navigation. The two main components of Ultimedia Manager are a database population tool to prepare images for query by identifying areas of interest and computing their features, and the query tool for doing retrievals. Application areas include stock photography, electronic libraries, retail, cataloging, and business graphics.