MPEG-7 seminar

S e m i n a r P r o c e e d i n g s

MPEG-7 Seminar

"Multimedia Content Description Interface"

------

Bristol MPEG Meeting

9th April 1997

The Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) committee, which originated the MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 video and audio compression standards, is currently finalizing the MPEG-4 standard with wide industry participation. The most recent standardization activity, MPEG-7, is concerned with the standardization of a "Multimedia Content Description Interface" which will allow the description, identification and access of audiovisual information. The preliminary workplan foresees the MPEG-7 International Standard to be completed in the year 2000.

Audiovisual information is becoming available in digital form, in various places around the world. As more and more of this information appears, finding the desired information becomes increasingly difficult. Currently, solutions exist that allow searching for textual information. Many text-based search engines are available on the World Wide Web. Searching information is, however, not possible for audiovisual content, as no generally recognized or standardized descriptions of this material exists.

MPEG wants to provide a solution to the problem described above. To this end, it will set a standard, called "Multimedia Content Description Interface" (in short: 'MPEG7'), that will extend the limited search capabilities of today to include more information types. In other words: MPEG-7 will specify a standardized description of various types of multimedia information. It is envisioned that this information will be associated with the content itself, to allow fast and efficient searching for material of interest.

To promote the MPEG-7 activity - and to encourage the exchange of ideas for the preparation of the MPEG-7 technical work - the MPEG group invited experts working in the field to attend the first MPEG-7 seminar which was held at the MPEG meeting in Bristol on 9th April 1997. Approximately 250 experts from Australia, Canada, USA, Europe and Asian countries attended the seminar.

The speakers are internationally renown experts in the field and were specifically invited to the seminar to provide their view and perspective of the state of the art of research, development and standardization in the field relevant to the MPEG-7 activity.

I am gratefully indebted in particular to the presenters for their excellent presentations - and for their commitment to participate and prepare for the seminar on a very short notice.

Thomas Sikora
MPEG Video Chairman
Heinrich-Hertz-Institute (HHI) Berlin

Email: sikora@hhi.de

S E M I N A R P R O G R A M

M P E G - 7

"Multimedia Content Description Interface"

Bristol MPEG Meeting, 9th April 1997, 11:00 am - 6:00 pm

-----

Session I (11:00 am - 12:35 am)

Welcome Address (T.Sikora, Chair MPEG Video)

L.Chiariglione, CSELT, Italy, (MPEG Convenor) (15 mins)

"MPEG-7 - A Scenario"

R.Koenen, Koninklijke PTT Nederland, the Netherlands, (MPEG requirements chair) (15 mins)

"MPEG-7: Context and Objectives"