What is a Multimedia Database?
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:
* Static media (time-independent, i.e. images and handwriting)
* Dynamic media (time-dependent, i.e. video and sound bytes)
* Dimensional media (i.e. 3D games or computer-aided drafting programs- CAD)
All primary media files are stored in binary strings of zeros and ones, and are encoded
according to file type.
The term "data" is typically referenced from the computer point of view, whereas the
term "multimedia" is referenced from the user point of view.
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 passwordsDue 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.