A new approach to image retrieval with hierarchical color clustering

After performing a thorough comparison of different quantization schemes in the RGB, HSV, YUV, and CIEL*u*v* color spaces, we propose to use color features obtained by hierarchical color clustering based on a pruned octree data structure to achieve efficient and robust image retrieval. With the proposed method, multiple color features, including the dominant color, the number of distinctive colors, and the color histogram, can be naturally integrated into one framework. A selective filtering strategy is also described to speed up the retrieval process. Retrieval examples are given to illustrate the performance of the proposed approach.