Multimedia Database Systems: Issues and Research Directions

The information superhighway brings to homes and businesses the ability to access and manipulate a vast amount of information stored in a variety of different forms in different databases. Multimedia systems facilitate the access and manipulation of such information across high-speed networks. In addition, multimedia database systems can provide a unified and interactive framework for users to request and integrate information stored in a variety of media. Applications of such systems in scientific research, commercial and business activities, law enforcement and military operations are numerous and obvious. This book presents basic research establishing the theory and practice of such systems.