MPEG-7 applications
Neil F. Day · Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering/Proceedings of SPIE · 2001
MPEG-7 is a standard for describing audio-visual data. How are previous MPEG standards and applications different from this new MPEG-7 development activity? MPEG-1,2 were primarily standards for compressing audio-visual (AV) data; MPEG-4 was designed to allow manipulation of audio-visual data by converting AV composite data into AV objects that can be composed and accessed within an AV scene. MPEG-7, in fact, is a paradigm shift from the past, a pioneering work that aims to dramatically improve search and retrieval of information over the internet using the inherent semantic and structural features of AV data. It is a multi-disciplinary activity that needs an understanding of low-level structural AV data to high-level semantic meanings of AV data and how these data relate to each other. It leverages on the results of other data representation standards such as SMPTE and Dublin Core but focuses on rich and detailed descriptions of AV data. MPEG-7 compels us to examine and record how we query and browse for information. This paper highlights the nature and scope of the MPEG-7 standard and provides examples of applications and demos currently being developed throughout the world.