Maurizio Campanai

A three-dimensional iconic environment for image database querying

Retrieval by contents of images from pictorial databases can be effectively performed through visual icon-based systems. In these systems, the representation of pictures with 2D strings, which are derived from symbolic projections, provides an efficient and natural way to construct iconic indexes for pictures and is also an ideal representation for the visual query. With this approach, retrieval is reduced to matching two symbolic strings. However, using 2D-string representations, spatial relationships between the objects represented in the image might not be exactly specified. Ambiguities arise for the retrieval of images of 3D scenes. In order to allow the unambiguous description of object spatial relationships, in this paper, following the symbolic projections approach, images are referred to by considering spatial relationships in the 3D imaged scene. A representation language is introduced that expresses positional and directional relationships between objects in three dimensions, still preserving object spatial extensions after projections. Iconic retrieval from pictorial databases with 3D interfaces is discussed and motivated. A system for querying by example with 3D icons, which supports this language, is also presented. >

3-D visual query language for image databases

Abstract Visual programming environments are receiving increasing attention in several fields of application. In particular, visual environments for querying pictorial databases provide a more natural way to express the query, allowing the search of images on the basis of the analog form of objects and their spatial relationships instead of employing an alphanumeric coding. In this paper a visual programming environment is presented for image retrieval from a database of real-world pictures. The environment differs from the other experiences reported in the literature, as visual query is performed by reconstructing a 3-D description of the scene whose image representation is in the database. The user is allowed to perform queries through a 3-D iconic interface using a manipulating glove. Such a visual environment allows the user to manipulate a synthetic copy of reality, by means of exactly the same paradigm which is employed in the real world. Images are stored in the database along with the descriptions of the 3-D scenes they represent.

Metric framework for object-oriented real-time systems specification languages

Abstract In this paper, a framework for maintaining control of and analyzing object-oriented system specifications of real-time systems by using a set of metrics covering technical, cognitive, and process-oriented views is presented. The indicators defined can be u nsed for monitoring the evolution of system quality and for effort prediction. The use of metrics for the estimation of reusability, verifiability, and testability is analyzed. The metric framework is integrated in a CASE tool named TOOMS, which is based on TROL, a dual object-oriented language with both descriptive and operational capabilities. TOOMS allows one to describe the system at different levels of structural abstractions and at different levels of specification detail, such as many other languages and models for real-time systems (e.g., OSDL, ObjectTime, ObjectChart). According to this, the metrics proposed are capable of producing estimations at each level of system specification, thus allowing incremental specification/metrication. The metric framework must be regarded as a support for controlling the process of software development in order to guarantee the final quality.

An object-oriented dual language for specifying reactive systems

Descriptive software specification techniques are based on mathematical formalism and produce precise, rigorous specifications which are in general to be preferred for the design of reactive systems with respect to operational techniques. Recently, dual languages which tend to integrate these aspects have been investigated. An object-oriented specification dual language, named TROL is presented, it consists in an executable formal specification model which can be used for validation of reactive systems. TROL has the capability to describe the system behavior, its functionality and structural aspects. It allows one to describe the system at different levels of structural abstractions and specification details without boundaries among the specification steps. At each specification level, TROL helps the user in the verification of consistency, thus allowing incremental specification. TROL has a visual representation which has been supported by a CASE tool named TOOMS.<<ETX>>

Using 3D spatial relationships for image retrieval by contents

Iconic environments for querying pictorial databases allow one to express spatial relationships between the objects in the images through appropriate icon positioning. In this paper, a visual environment is presented for image retrieval from a database of real world pictures. The environment differs from the other experiences reported in the literature, since the visual query is performed taking into account relationships between the objects in the scene that is represented in the image, rather than between the image subparts. A 3D iconic interface with 3D icons allows the user to define a virtual scene, which is used to perform the query. Images are stored in the database along with the descriptions of the 3D scenes they represent.<<ETX>>

Watermarking music sheets, it is possible?

Most of the commonly used applications of watermark are referred to color or gray levels pictorial images but some new fields starts to be considered. Some research was recently done for music sheet protection considering it as b/w image [C. Busch et al. (2000)][W. Funk et al., (2001)][M. Schmucker et al. (2001)] or considering it as result of printing from music editors [M. Monsignori et al., (2001)]. We present the theoretical difficulties to implement watermarking approaches for music sheets. It is not intended to demonstrate the technical impossibility of such techniques but only try to show how much effort is needed in order to develop good approaches in this field.