What is a Multimedia Database?

Database history is repeating itself with multimedia databases. Until recently,

multimedia applications and authoring systems incorporated their own multimedia
database logic, either entirely or on top of a standard database system. But now
they can directly utilize multimedia database functionality, just as the first
applications to use databases benefited from basic database functionality nearly
three decades ago.
Multimedia databases usually include a query language for searching and
retrieving multimedia data that has been stored and organized by the
application developer (or "author," in multimedia parlance). This
multimedia database query language, although usually SQL-like, may be
tailored for the specialized requirements of interactive multimedia
applications. But because such databases are in their infancy, these query
languages are not yet standardized

A multimedia database is a database that hosts one or more primary media file types such
as .txt (documents), .jpg (images), .swf (videos), .mp3 (audio), etc. And loosely fall into
three main categories:

Types of Multimedia Databases

There are numerous different types of multimedia databases, including:

• The Authentication Multimedia Database (also known as a Verification

Multimedia Database, i.e. retina scanning), is a 1:1 data comparison
• The Identification Multimedia Database is a data comparison of one-to-many (i.e.
passwords and personal identification numbers
• A newly-emerging type of multimedia database, is the Biometrics Multimedia
Database; which specializes in automatic human verification based on the
algorithms of their behavioral or physiological profile.

This method of identification is superior to traditional multimedia database methods

requiring the typical input of personal identification numbers and passwords-

Due to the fact that the person being identified does not need to be physically present,
where the identification check is taking place.

This removes the need for the person being scanned to remember a PIN or password.
Fingerprint identification technology is also based on this type of multimedia database.

Difficulties Involved with Multimedia Databases

The difficulty of making these different types of multimedia databases readily accessible
to humans is:

• The tremendous amount of bandwidth they consume;

• Creating Globally-accepted data-handling platforms, such as Joomla, and the
special considerations that these new multimedia database structures require.
• Creating a Globally-accepted operating system, including applicable storage and
resource management programs need to accommodate the vast Global multimedia
information hunger.
• Multimedia databases need to take into accommodate various human interfaces to
handle 3D-interactive objects, in an logically-perceived manner (i.e.
SecondLife.com).
• Accommodating the vast resources required to utilize artificial intelligence to it's
fullest potential- including computer sight and sound analysis methods.
• The historic relational databases (i.e the Binary Large Objects - BLOBs-
developed for SQL databases to store multimedia data) do not conveniently
support content-based searches for multimedia content.

This is due to the relational database not being able to recognize the internal structure of a
Binary Large Object and therefore internal multimedia data components cannot be
retrieved...

Basically, a relational database is an "everything or nothing" structure- with files

retrieved and stored as a whole, which makes a relational database completely inefficient
for making multimedia data easily accessible to humans.

In order to effectively accommodate multimedia data, a database management system,

such as an Object Oriented Database (OODB) or Object Relational Database
Management System (ORDBMS).

Examples of Object Relational Database Management Systems include Odaptor (HP):

UniSQL, ODB-II, and Illustra.

The flip-side of the coin, is that unlike non-multimedia data stored in relational databases,
multimedia data cannot be easily indexed, retrieved or classified, except by way of social
bookmarking and ranking-rating, by actual humans.

This is made possible by metadata retrieval methods, commonly referred to as tags, and
tagging. This is why you can search for dogs, as an example, and a picture comes up
based on your text search term.

This is also referred to a schematic mode. Whereas doing a search with a picture of a dog
to locate other dog pictures is referred to as paradigmatic mode.
However, metadata retrieval, search, and identify methods severely lack in being able to
properly define uniform space and texture descriptions, such as the spatial relationships
between 3D objects, etc.

The Content-Based Retrieval multimedia database search method (CBR), however, is

specifically based on these types of searches. In other words, if you were to search an
image or sub-image; you would then be shown other images or sub-images that related in
some way to your the particular search, by way of color ratio or pattern, etc

Benefits of using Multimedia Database

The incorporation of multimedia database systems will improve the
quantity and quality of information manipulated by computer users in all
fields, computer aided design, and information retrieval. The area of
intelligent multimedia content analysis and retrieval techniques is an
emerging discipline. Techniques for representing and extracting semantic
information from media such as speech, images, and video are required.

When a multimedia application lacks a database, the data structure is

buried in the script, where all of its value is lost. This omission also makes
the script more complicated and less flexible. Using a multimedia database
makes the data structure logic available to other multimedia applications
and simplifies the script so that many scripts can share the same
multimedia metadata. In addition, when a multimedia or abstract data
database is organized and annotated for one application, other applications
can use those annotations without going through the same time-
consuming process. This capability adds great value to the data through
reuse and controlled redundancy.

When multimedia application content is controlled by the multimedia

database, multimedia content can be added, deleted, or modified without
modifying the application script. For example, interactive kiosks that
display, describe, and demonstrate products can be updated automatically
without reprogramming the application script. Furthermore, a multimedia
application such as a multimedia textbook can actually control the
operation of book topics that have the same look and feel. This control lets
the script perform as a template: An entire series of math textbooks
(algebra, calculus, trigonometry, and geometry), including text and video,
can use the same multimedia application because all data is physically
separate.

Search and retrieval operations are critical in interactive multimedia

applications; they must be equally efficient and powerful. Search and
retrieval of multimedia and abstract data is challenging, but multimedia
databases make it feasible through internal storage format flexibility and
efficient operation. The DBMS should have significant knowledge about the
data and its structure to enable powerful semantic optimizations and
intelligent searches. Search and retrieval operations also give the
application access to media components so that they can be dynamically
and seamlessly processed when necessary.
Features of Multimedia Database
 • Query in Multimedia DBMS

In a DBMS process, declarative user queries are done by defining a query language
as part of DBMS. It is known that the query is one of the most important parts of a
DBMS. Since a query gets used by both native and export users it is critical to use
effective query languages in order to promote user friendliness. Multimedia query
languages must deal with complex spatial and temporal relationships inherited in
the wide range of multimedia data types. Powerful query languages could help
manipulate multimedia DBMS and maintain the desired independence between the
database and the application. Due to the complexity of multimedia data, we need a
query language that could support semantic data retrieval which is done by using
keywords, indexes on keywords, and contents of multimedia objects. However the
query language of traditional DBMS dealt only with exact key match queries on
data types which means sufficient to deal with queries posed against metadata and
annotations of multimedia data.

There are two types of queries that are used in the database system. The first
query is called a well-defined query. A well-defined query is when properties of
objects are represented by a well defined set of labels. The conditional operators
are also well defined. In well-defined query, the user must know the exact
knowledge of the underlying database and the desired query result. This query
only works with exact matches. The second query type of is called the fuzzy query
where the properties of query objects are unclear or comparison operators in the
query do not give exact matches, This will result in all sets of different answers.

• Charts and Graphs

Multimedia database supports all type of charts and graphs which is considered a
great feature in the MDBS. Creating those charts and graphs will need special
queries and those queries are created by using SQL +D.
 Latest Issues on Multimedia Database

• News-On-Demand

The Canadian Institute for Telecommunication Research (CITR) Broadband Services

studies and prototypes enabling technologies for distributed multimedia applications
using Object-Oriented Multimedia database system. Such applications include
multimedia news, distance learning, and home shopping. A successful product of
their project is the News-on-Demand Application. This application incorporates a
distributed database server by storing up to date news items from various sources,
such as TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines. News-on-Demand allows subscriber
to retrieve one or more news items using an article query interface. Various news
items from different sources are annotated and organized into multimedia documents
by service providers. News-on-Demand uses a disturbed service where a client can
access news over the broadband network.

• Video-On-Demand

Multimedia technologies are attracting more and more interest every day. Video-on-
Demand is one of the buzzwords today and is now available for the public. Content
providers such as publishers, broadcasting companies and audio/video production
firms must be able to archive and index their productions for later retrieval. This is a
formidable task and it is even more so when the material to be handled encompasses
several media types and covers a time span of several years. In order for such a vast
amount of data to be easily available, existing multimedia database design models,
indexing and retrieval methodologies and delivery methods have to be improved and
refined. In addition, video, image and audio data cannot be effectively managed with
the exclusive use of older, keyword-based search techniques.
 • KMeD

The UCLA Knowledge-Based Multimedia Medical Distributed Database (KMeD) project

is a joint project between the Computer Science Department and the Radiological
Science Department. The KMeD project has five major objectives:

• Query medical multimedia distributed database by image,

alphabetical, and numerical content.
• Model temporal, spatial, and evolutionary nature of medical
objects.
• Formulate queries using conceptual and imprecise medical
terms to support cooperative processing.
• Develop a domain-independent, high-level query language and
a medical domain user interface to support KMeD functionality.
• Provide analysis and presentation methods for visualization of
knowledge and data models.

KMeD database is presented by features and objects. The selected objects of interest
in medical images such as X-Ray and MRI image are segmented using knowledge-
based model-guiding techniques. As with other multimedia database system features
and contents of the medical image are extracted and stored in a feature and content
database. In KMeD, Type Abstraction Hierarchies (TAHs) is used to represent the
knowledge about the image in three structures. A query process supports operators
such as "similar to" and "nearby" and conceptual terms such as "small" and "large"
to find the approximate matches to the features and contents. A technique has been
developed for visual interface to use point-click-and-drag input. This new
development by UCLA, namely KMeD database, can change the way hospitals
maintain and utilize all of their data.

• EtherMed

EtherMed is an experimental database to Internet accessible multimedia courseware

in health professions education. EtherMed contains records of educational materials
that are freely accessible on the web and links to the actual courseware. EtherMed
records are descriptive and non-evaluative. EtherMed is an experiment is
collaborative database development and maintenance. OHPCC staff and collaborating
consultants at distant locations can directly enter, modify, and delete records online.
The aim is determine whether distributed management of database resources is
possible and can become self-sustaining and to determine how well database
approaches compare to those employing search engines. Online videoconferencing
and other collaboration tools are used to support this effort. ImageMed is an
experimental system that uses:
(1) the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) Meta-thesaurus for indexing and
retrieval of medical images.
(2) a distributed image database.

Future Work

Future requirements of distributed multimedia systems will be even much more

demanding than it is now. It is envisaged that users will be heavily mobile and
require ubiquitous access to, and satisfactory presentation of, multimedia data,
regardless of the actual connectivity and the specific presentation device they are
currently using (e.g., wire-based vs. wireless network, high-resolution graphics
screen vs. Web-enabled cellular phone). Moreover, users will expect to find
information and multimedia contents faster and easily, and will interact with the
contents much more intensively than today.

In this scope, the CODAC and its sister project aims at realizing a quality adaptive
end-to-end multimedia system, i.e., we shall provide means for indexing and
retrieving multimedia data by their content and adaptation capabilities and develop
methods to guarantee a quality adaptive video transport to the client.

Depicts the architectural view of the end-to-end multimedia system, which we would
like to realize. For this we need to carry out a number of activities and the following
are the first work items under development in the CODAC project:

1-Development of a multimedia cartridge in the core of an Oracle 9i DBMS: The

advantages of the cartridge technology, as proposed by Oracle and other database
vendors, are reusability, extensibility and especially a very clean interface to
components of the database system, like query processor, optimizer and page access
management. This multimedia cartridge realizes the meta-database and provides
access to the clients for complex search functionality, supported by advanced
indexing structures (like a combination of X-trees, SS-trees, etc.).

2. Realization of a Processing Unit for MPEG-4 videos: The Processing Unit is

supposed to be situated between the video server and the meta-database and shall
extract the necessary quality adaptation capability information from the A/V streams
to be stored as meta-data in the database. Upon the insertion of the video (the
insertion could be on demand or on a regular basis), the Processing Unit shall apply
efects such as transformation and scaling to the MPEG-4 encoded videos and report
results (performance and variation information) to the meta-database and write back
the adapted videos to the video server.

Implementation of an indexing structure for the access of MPEG-7 files, possibly in

BiM format:
A composition mechanism of different MPEG-7 Access Units shall be developed and
the mapping process of MPEG-7 Access Units to MPEG-4 Access Units shall be
implemented.

4. Realization of the cross-referencing between MPEG-7 and MPEG-4, i.e., how to

access media data from meta-data and vice-versa: indexing structures of the later
work item shall be employed and integrated into a reference stream which allows the
efficient access of the meta-data from the media-data. Referencing of MPEG-7 and
MPEG-4 will be employed in the proxy-cache and in the active routers.

The application scenarios, we focus upon are sport event videos, M3box, and tele-
teaching. Sport events are an interesting application scenario since these videos
provide semantically rich content. The M3box is an adaptive multimedia message
box. It is developed by Siemens Corporate Technology.

2) In cooperation with our Institute. The final application is tele-teaching. This

application differs from the previous ones, as here, multimedia data plays a
supporting role, rather than being the central data component. Therefore, the meta-
database has to keep, besides descriptive information on the multimedia data,
information on the tele-teaching material and the teaching process.

Future Improvement
The most interesting and exciting thing about multimedia databases is how quickly
they're evolving. This growth, along with the emergence of inexpensive removable
storage devices such as DVD-which stores tens of gigabytes-will ignite an explosion
of multimedia applications. This explosion, in turn, will fuel an intense need for
powerful multimedia databases