MPEG-7 visual signature tools

The MPEG-7 standard offers a comprehensive set of audiovisual content Description Tools to support applications enabling effective and efficient access to multimedia content. MPEG recently identified a need for a set of new, unique descriptors necessary for detection of duplicate or derived visual media content. The MPEG-7 Visual Signature Tools are characterized by efficient detection at low false positive rates, high robustness and enable very fast searching. This paper outlines application scenarios for visual signatures (also known as fingerprints or robust hashes) and discusses the requirements, evaluation process and selection methodology employed by MPEG. The Image Signature technology selected by MPEG and its performance is also described and the latest work on Video Signatures and associated standardisation time-line is summarized.