A general framework of progressive filtering and its application to query by singing/humming

This paper presents the mathematical formulation and design methodology of progressive filtering (PF) for multimedia information retrieval, and discusses its application to the so-called query by singing/humming (QBSH), or more formally, melody recognition. The concept of PF and the corresponding dynamic programming-based design method are applicable to large multimedia retrieval systems for striking a balance between efficiency (in terms of response time) and effectiveness (in terms of recognition rate). The application of the proposed PF to a five-stage QBSH system is reported, and the experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach.