A Generalized Approach for Image Indexing and Retrieval Based on 2-D Strings1

2-D strings is one of a few representation structures originally designed for use in an IDB environment. In this chapter, a generalized approach for 2-D string based indexing, which avoids the exhaustive search through the entire database of previous 2-D string based techniques, is proposed. The classical framework of representation of 2-D strings is also specialized to the cases of scaled and unscaled images. Index structures for supporting retrieval by content, utilizing the 2-D string representation framework, are also discussed. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated using a database of simulated images and compared with the performance of existing techniques of 2-D string indexing and retrieval. The results demonstrate a very significant improvement in retrieval performance.