A Framework for the Retrieval of Multimedia Objects Based on Four-Valued Fuzzy Description Logics
Umberto Straccia · Studies in fuzziness and soft computing · 2000
Knowledge representation, in particular logic, combined together with database and information retrieval techniques may play an important role in the de-velopment of so-called intelligent multimedia retrieval Systems. In this paper we will present a logic-based framework in which multimedia objects’ medium dependent properties (objects’ low level features) and multimedia objects’ medium independent properties (abstract objects’ features, or objects’ semantics) are addressed in a principled way. The framework is logic-based as it relies on the use of a four-valued fuzzy Description Logics for (i) representing the semantics of multimedia objects and (ii) for defining the retrieval process in terms of logical entailment. Low level features are not represented explicitly within the logic, but may be addressed by means of procedural attachments over a concrete domain. Description Logics are object-oriented representation formalisms capturing the most popular features of structured representation of knowledge. They are a good compromise between computational complexity and expressive power and, thus, may be seen as a promising tool within the context of logic-based multimedia information retrieval.