Image indexing using a colored pattern appearance model

We introduce a new method for colour image indexing and content-based image retrieval. An image is divided into small sub-images and the visual appearance of which is characterised by a coloured pattern appearance model. The statistics of the local visual appearance of the image are then computed as measures of the global visual appearance of the image. The visual appearance of the small sub-images is modelled by their spatial pattern, colour direction and local energy strength. To encode the local visual appearance, an approach based on vector quantisation (VQ) is introduced. The distributions of the VQ code indices are then used to index/retrieve the images. The new method can not only be used to achieve effective image indexing and retrieval; it can also be used for image compression. Based on this method, indexing and retrieval can be easily and conveniently performed in the compressed domain without performing decoding operation.