Statistics on Caliph, Emir and Lire

February 28, 2008 on 10:00 am | In CaliphEmir, Lire, Research, Software |

Today I created a presentation on Caliph and Emir and I looked up how long these open source projects are now part of my (online & research) life. In July 2004 I put the first open source version of Caliph & Emir online and ~ 6.700 downloads happened from then till now. Furthermore the Java Web Start files of Caliph and Emir were accessed about 1.300 times. Lire was more successful: Going online in 2006 it was ~3.600 times download till now.

Taking a look around I have to say that Caliph is still the only MPEG-7 tool for semantic descriptions. Due to the fact that it is a prototype (with virtually no productive use) i assume that there is currently no need for such a tool. Reported use is focused on MPEG-7 development and research projects. Lire on the other hand has a more active user base: I know several projects where Lire is used. Seems like there actually is a need for an open source Java library for content based image retrieval.



3 Comments »

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  1. Actually, it’s more likely the case that MPEG-7 based applications are proprietary and we will never see or interact with them, or that the MPEG-7 provenance is hidden from view even to those who use the application.

    A case in point for the latter is the Moving Image Collections database hosted by the Association of Moving Image Archivists and the Library of Congress:

    http://mic.imtc.gatech.edu/

    http://mic.imtc.gatech.edu/about_1.htm

    The XML schema for this database is an application profile that combined MPEG-7 and Dublin Core:

    http://gondolin.rutgers.edu/MIC/text/how/cataloging_utility.htm

    The developers have not reached - but dearly want to - the point where MPEG-7’s great strength in locating exact playback points, etc., in audiovisual materials would be tapped. They are focusing mostly on standard cataloging types of activity.

    Should they take the next step and begin annotating more freely (say through a sister site that referenced the Moving Image Collections cataloging data and made it possible to link annotations - hint, hint) it is at that point that the ideas in CaliphEmir would come into their own and would be made available to the public.

    Comment by Ron Murray — February 28, 2008 #

  2. I think researchers in MPEG-7 cannot not get right information about patents. E.g. XM (eXperimental Model) of standard is copyright free but what about patents - ISO requires at least 35€ to explain Patent Statements table in Appendix of MPEG-7 standards. No public information on the web can be found regarding patents payment for using MPEG-7 technologies (one Dolby laboratory issued a call?).

    So if Caliph is patents free - or not?! - than it is a step into right direction (creation of new academic and commercial tools).

    Comment by Sergej Rinc — March 7, 2008 #

  3. I totally agree. As far as I know MPEG already put together a working group on royalty free standards, which means that they already care about it! However as the whole MPEG is driven by industry (they always say there are too many people from academia in the group) I don’t expect that royalty free-ness is a pressing point on their agenda.

    I still hope that open source developer are somewhat are “more free to circumvent patents” than commercial providers are.

    As for Caliph & Emir: This is still an open issue. As many MPEG people are aware of this piece of software and no one ever complained I hope that I don’t need to buy a license :)

    Comment by Mathias Lux — March 10, 2008 #

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