Visual search has been a long-standing problem in applications such as location recognition and product search. Much research has been done on image representation, matching, indexing, and retrieval. Key component technologies for visual search have been developed, and numerous real-world applications are emerging. To ensure application interoperability, the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) has begun standardizing visual search technologies and is developing the compact descriptors for visual search (CDVS) standard. MPEG seeks to develop a collaborative platform for evaluating existing visual search technologies. Peking University has participated in this standardization since the 94th MPEG meeting, and significant progress has been made with the various proposals. A test model (TM) has been selected to determine the basic pipeline and key components of visual search. However, the first-version TM has high computational complexity and imperfect retrieval and matching. Core experiments have therefore been set up to improve TM. In this article, we summarize key technologies for visual search and report the progress of MPEG CDVS. We discuss Peking University’s efforts in CDVS and also discuss unresolved issues.

Following the success of the audio video standard (AVS) for 2D video coding, in 2008, the China AVS workgroup started developing 3D video (3DV) coding techniques. In this paper, we discuss the background, technical features, and applications of AVS 3DV coding technology. We introduce two core techniques used in AVS 3DV coding: inter-view prediction and enhanced stereo packing coding. We elaborate on these techniques, which are used in the AVS real-time 3DV encoder. An application of the AVS 3DV coding system is presented to show the great practical value of this system. Simulation results show that the advanced techniques used in AVS 3DV coding provide remarkable coding gain compared with techniques used in a simulcast scheme.