American Journal of Software Engineering and Applications 2016; 5(3-1): 5-9 http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/ajsea doi: 10.11648/j.ajsea.s.2016050301.12 ISSN: 2327-2473 (Print); ISSN: 2327-249X (Online) A Study on Image Mining; Its Importance and Challenges Mohammad Hadi Yousofi 1, * , Mahdi Esmaeili 2 , Majide Sadat Sharifian 3 1 Young Researchers and Elite Club, Kashan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kashan, Iran 2 Department of Computer, Kashan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kashan, Iran 3 Department of Mechatronic, Kashan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kashan, Iran Email address: Mhu320@yahoo.com (M. H. Yousofi), msxp12@yahoo.com (M. Esmaeili), majidehsadatsharifian@gmail.com (M. S. Sharifian) To cite this article: Mohammad Hadi Yousofi, Mahdi Esmaeili, Majide Sadat Sharifian. A Study on Image Mining; Its Importance and Challenges. American Journal of Software Engineering and Applications. Special Issue: Academic Research for Multidisciplinary. Vol. 5, No. 3-1, 2016, pp. 5-9. doi: 10.11648/j.ajsea.s.2016050301.12 Received: January 6, 2016; Accepted: January 7, 2016; Published: June 24, 2016 Abstract: Image mining is an interdisciplinary field that is based on specialties such as machine vision, image processing, image retrieval, data mining, machine learning, databases and artificial intelligence. Although many studies have been conducted in each of these areas, research on image mining and emerging issues is in its infancy. For instance, data mining techniques can not automatically extract useful information from the large amount of data set like images. In this paper, by presenting the unique features of image mining, we discussed about the general procedure of the analysis and the main techniques of image analysis. Finally we explored different image mining systems, and knowledge extraction from images to achieve progress and development in this area. Keywords: Image Mining, Image Classification, Image Clustering, Data Mining 1. Introduction Data mining concept is combined with large databases such as Data repository and Data warehouse [1] and its aim is to extract useful unknown information from raw data [2,3]. Although like other concepts of information technology, it evokes several meanings such a data mining, information technology for different people; if it is applied accurately it can be a complex analytical tool for discovering useful patterns automatically among the data of a data repository. In fact, data mining is the advanced form of decision support that contrary to passive query tools generates templates, trends, and planned rules without requiring the user to generate questions [1]. In other words, the ability of data mining is to disclose the patterns not being considered in the user's search, and to answer questions never asked before [4]. Therefore, the ultimate goal of data mining is useful information extraction and knowledge discovery [2,5]. That is why some people call it knowledge discovery from data (KDD) rather than data mining but some others consider data mining as a core of the process of knowledge discovery [6,7,8] and as one of the most important step of knowledge management [9]. Image mining in large set of image is a new approach in the field of research on the one hand, and image database and data mining researches on the other hand [10]. Although, recently this discussion has caused the precise concept of image mining remain a challenge [11], researchers, particularly in recent years, have proposed different definitions of image mining, as well as various methods under this topic. Image mining focuses on the extraction of patterns from large collections of images while the emphasis of image processing and machine vision is on the understanding of certain characteristics of a specific image. A high volume of images, such as satellite images, medical images and digital photos produced on a daily basis. In case of the analysis of these images, a lot of useful information can be gained. The pixels shown in a raw image or series of images in order to detect objects and the relationship among them is the most fundamental challenge in the mining picture [12]. One of the main obstacles in rapid development of image mining is the lack of understanding the topics and research results about image mining. Many researchers have this wrong presupposition that image mining is a simple extension of data mining applications, while some others consider image mining as an another term for pattern recognition and differ them in terms