Component-based LDA Face Descriptor for Image Retrieval

We present a component-based face descriptor with LDA (Linear Discriminant Analysis) and a simple pose classification. Our algorithm has been developed to deal with face image retrieval in huge database such as those in internet environments. Such retrieval requires a compact face descriptor and an efficient recognition algorithm that is robust to variations in lighting and facial poses. Partitioning of a face image into components facilitates the development of an efficient and robust algorithm as follows. First, compensation for light and pose variations is much more easily done on individual components than on the whole image. Second, pose variation is compensated by classifying facial pose and aligning facial components. Finally, LDA is more effective at the component level which has simplified statistics than the whole image. Experimental results on MPEG-7 database show an impressive accuracy of our algorithm compared with conventional LDA methods.