Modelling the Retrieval of Structured Documents Containing
Texts and Images.
In Proceedings of the First European Conference on
Research and Advanced Technology for Digital Libraries, LNCS 1324, pages 325--1344,
Pisa, Italy, 1997.
Abstract:
We present a model for complex documents possibly consisting of a hierarchically
structured set of images or texts. Documents are represented both at the form level
(as sets of physical features of the representing objects), at the content level
(as sets of properties of the {\em represented} entities), and at the structure level.
A uniform and powerful query language allows queries to be issued that transparently
combine features pertaining to form, content and structure alike. Queries are expressions
of a (fuzzy) logical language. While that part of the query that pertains to (medium-independent)
content is ``directly'' processed by an inferential engine, that part that pertains
to (medium-dependent) form is entrusted to specialised document processing procedures
linked to the logical language by a procedural attachment mechanism. The model thus
combines the power of state-of-the-art document processing techniques with the advantages
of a clean, logically defined framework for understanding multimedia document retrieval.