System and method for generation of signatures for multimedia data elements

Abstract

A system and method for generating signatures of an input multimedia data element (MMDE) are provided. The method includes identifying low-level characteristics of the input MMDE; identifying a plurality of portions of the input MMDE, wherein each portion of the plurality of portions of the input MMDE comprises an identified low-level characteristic of the input MMDE; partitioning the input MMDE into a plurality of minimum size MMDEs, wherein each minimum size MMDE comprises a portion of the plurality of portions of the input MMDE; generating a signature for each minimum size MMDE of the plurality of minimum size MMDEs; assembling at least a complex signature comprising a plurality of signatures of the minimum size MMDEs; and storing the signatures of each of the minimum size MMDEs and the complex signature in association with the multimedia data element and the plurality of minimum size MMDEs in a storage.

What we claim is: 
     
         1 . A method for generating signatures of an input multimedia data element (MMDE), comprising:
 identifying low-level characteristics of the input MMDE;   identifying a plurality of portions of the input MMDE, wherein each portion of the plurality of portions of the input MMDE comprises an identified low-level characteristic of the input MMDE;   partitioning the input MMDE into a plurality of minimum size MMDEs, wherein each minimum size MMDE comprises a portion of the plurality of portions of the input MMDE;   generating a signature for each minimum size MMDE of the plurality of minimum size MMDEs;   assembling at least a complex signature comprising a plurality of signatures of the minimum size MMDEs; and   storing the signatures of each of the minimum size MMDEs and the complex signature in association with the multimedia data element and the plurality of minimum size MMDEs in a storage.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein assembling the at least a complex signature of the multimedia data element further comprising:
 assembling a complex signature for each partition level, wherein a complex signature of a higher partition level comprises any of: a plurality of complex signatures of a lower partition level, and the plurality of signatures of the plurality minimum size MMDEs.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the input MMDE is one any of: an image, graphics, a video stream, a video clip, an audio stream, an audio clip, a video frame, a photograph, images of signals, combinations thereof, and portions thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the images of signals are images any of: medical signals, geophysical signals, subsonic signals, supersonic signals, electromagnetic signals, and infrared signals. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein generating the signature further comprising:
 generating a first signature and a second signature, wherein the first signature is a robust signature.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the low-level characteristics of the input MMDE are any of: color histograms, patterns, patterns, time segments, combinations thereof, and portions thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the minimum size MMDEs is associated with signatures respective of at least four angular permutations of the minimum size MMDE. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the at least four angular permutations comprise rotation of the element by 0 degrees, rotation of the element by 90 degrees, rotation of the element by 180 degrees, and rotation of the element by 270 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of minimum size MMDEs represent all portions of the input MMDE. 
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions for causing a processor to perform the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . A system for generating signatures of an input multimedia data element (MMDE), comprising:
 a storage;   a processor; and   a memory, the memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the system to:   identify low-level characteristics of the input MMDE;   identify a plurality of portions of the input MMDE, wherein each portion of the plurality of portions of the input MMDE comprises an identified low-level characteristic of the input MMDE;   partition the input MMDE into a plurality of minimum size MMDEs, wherein each minimum size MMDE comprises a portion of the plurality of portions of the input MMDE;   generate a signature for each minimum size MMDE of the plurality of minimum size MMDEs;   assemble at least a complex signature comprising a plurality of signatures of the minimum size MMDEs; and   store the signatures of each of the minimum size MMDEs and the complex signature in association with the multimedia data element and the plurality of minimum size MMDEs in the storage.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the system is further configured to:
 assemble a complex signature for each partition level, wherein a complex signature of a higher partition level comprises any of: a plurality of complex signatures of a lower partition level, and the plurality of signatures of the plurality minimum size MMDEs.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the input MMDE is any one of: an image, graphics, a video stream, a video clip, an audio stream, an audio clip, a video frame, a photograph, images of signals, combinations thereof, and portions thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the images of signals are images any of:
 medical signals, geophysical signals, subsonic signals, supersonic signals, electromagnetic signals, and infrared signals.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the system is further configured to:
 generate a first signature and a second signature, wherein the first signature is a robust signature.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the low-level characteristics of the input MMDE are any of: color histograms, patterns, patterns, time segments, combinations thereof, and portions thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein each of the minimum size MMDEs is associated with signatures respective of at least four angular permutations of the minimum size MMDE. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the at least four angular permutations comprise rotation of the element by 0 degrees, rotation of the element by 90 degrees, rotation of the element by 180 degrees, and rotation of the element by 270 degrees. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of minimum size MMDEs represent all portions of the input MMDE