Viewable scene modeling for geospatial video search

Abstract

Video sensors are becoming ubiquitous and the volume of captured video material is very large. Therefore, tools for searching video databases are indispensable. Current techniques that extract features purely based on the visual signals of a video are struggling to achieve good results. By considering video related meta-information, more relevant and precisely delimited search results can be obtained. In this study we propose a novel approach for querying videos based on the notion that the geographical location of the captured scene in addition to the location of a camera can provide valuable information and may be used as a search criterion in many applications. This study provides an es- timation model of the viewable area of a scene for indexing and searching and reports on a prototype implementation. Among our objectives is to stimulate a discussion of these topics in the research community as information fusion of different georeferenced data sources is becoming increasingly important. Initial results illustrate the feasibility of the pro- posed approach. Copyright 2008 ACM.