Image retrieval using segmentation

A novel algorithm for image retrieval is presented. The basic idea of the new algorithm is that the constituent segments of the images are used to retrieve images within a digital library. Image retrieval using segments is distinctive in that the local features of the image are used to retrieve the image instead of the typically utilized global features. In our algorithm, the given image is first segmented into dominant components and then the features of these components are extracted to perform retrieval. The features corresponding to each component are used to calculate the distance between components in the matching process. Each image is ranked based on the component wise distance measure with respect to the query component. One of the advantages of the algorithm is that, for a given retrieval image, the user can select a query segment with which to perform retrieval, thus it can satisfy different needs from different users.