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Oscar C. Au

Bio: Oscar C. Au is an academic researcher from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. The author has contributed to research in topics: Motion estimation & Motion compensation. The author has an hindex of 40, co-authored 491 publications receiving 7493 citations. Previous affiliations of Oscar C. Au include Wilmington University & Huawei.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Experimental results show that the proposed multiresolution-GFT scheme outperforms H.264 intra by 6.8 dB on average in peak signal-to-noise ratio at the same bit rate.
Abstract: Piecewise smooth (PWS) images (e.g., depth maps or animation images) contain unique signal characteristics such as sharp object boundaries and slowly varying interior surfaces. Leveraging on recent advances in graph signal processing, in this paper, we propose to compress the PWS images using suitable graph Fourier transforms (GFTs) to minimize the total signal representation cost of each pixel block, considering both the sparsity of the signal’s transform coefficients and the compactness of transform description. Unlike fixed transforms, such as the discrete cosine transform, we can adapt GFT to a particular class of pixel blocks. In particular, we select one among a defined search space of GFTs to minimize total representation cost via our proposed algorithms, leveraging on graph optimization techniques, such as spectral clustering and minimum graph cuts. Furthermore, for practical implementation of GFT, we introduce two techniques to reduce computation complexity. First, at the encoder, we low-pass filter and downsample a high-resolution (HR) pixel block to obtain a low-resolution (LR) one, so that a LR-GFT can be employed. At the decoder, upsampling and interpolation are performed adaptively along HR boundaries coded using arithmetic edge coding, so that sharp object boundaries can be well preserved. Second, instead of computing GFT from a graph in real-time via eigen-decomposition, the most popular LR-GFTs are pre-computed and stored in a table for lookup during encoding and decoding. Using depth maps and computer-graphics images as examples of the PWS images, experimental results show that our proposed multiresolution-GFT scheme outperforms H.264 intra by 6.8 dB on average in peak signal-to-noise ratio at the same bit rate.

225 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Two techniques are proposed, the generalized motion vector predictor and the adaptive threshold calculation, that can be used to significantly improve the performance of many existing fast ME algorithms and create two new algorithms, named advanced predictive diamond zonal search and predictive MV field adaptive search technique.
Abstract: Motion estimation (ME) is an important part of any video encoding system since it could significantly affect the output quality of an encoded sequence. Unfortunately, this feature requires a significant part of the encoding time especially when using the straightforward full search (FS) algorithm. We propose two techniques, the generalized motion vector (MV) predictor and the adaptive threshold calculation, that can be used to significantly improve the performance of many existing fast ME algorithms. In particular, we apply them to create two new algorithms, named advanced predictive diamond zonal search and predictive MV field adaptive search technique, respectively, which can considerably reduce, if not essentially remove, the computational cost of ME at the encoder, while at the same time give similar, and in many cases better, visual quality with the brute force full search algorithm. The proposed algorithms mainly rely upon very robust and reliable predictive techniques and early termination criteria with parameters adapted to the local characteristics combined with the zonal based patterns. Our experiments verify the considerable superiority of the proposed algorithms versus the performance of possibly all other known fast algorithms, and FS.

215 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The modified data hiding error diffusion (MDHED) is proposed that integrates the data hiding operation into the error diffusion process and can give better visual quality than DHSPT.
Abstract: In many printer and publishing applications, it is desirable to embed data in halftone images. We proposed some novel data hiding methods for halftone images. For the situation in which only the halftone image is available, we propose data hiding smart pair toggling (DHSPT) to hide data by forced complementary toggling at pseudo-random locations within a halftone image. The complementary pixels are chosen to minimize the chance of forming visually undesirable clusters. Our experimental results suggest that DHSPT can hide a large amount of hidden data while maintaining good visual quality. For the situation in which the original multitone image is available and the halftoning method is error diffusion, we propose the modified data hiding error diffusion (MDHED) that integrates the data hiding operation into the error diffusion process. In MDHED, the error due to the data hiding is diffused effectively to both past and future pixels. Our experimental results suggest that MDHED can give better visual quality than DHSPT. Both DHSPT and MDHED are computationally inexpensive.

212 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A highly efficient image encryption-then-compression (ETC) system, where both lossless and lossy compression are considered, and the proposed image encryption scheme operated in the prediction error domain is shown to be able to provide a reasonably high level of security.
Abstract: In many practical scenarios, image encryption has to be conducted prior to image compression. This has led to the problem of how to design a pair of image encryption and compression algorithms such that compressing the encrypted images can still be efficiently performed. In this paper, we design a highly efficient image encryption-then-compression (ETC) system, where both lossless and lossy compression are considered. The proposed image encryption scheme operated in the prediction error domain is shown to be able to provide a reasonably high level of security. We also demonstrate that an arithmetic coding-based approach can be exploited to efficiently compress the encrypted images. More notably, the proposed compression approach applied to encrypted images is only slightly worse, in terms of compression efficiency, than the state-of-the-art lossless/lossy image coders, which take original, unencrypted images as inputs. In contrast, most of the existing ETC solutions induce significant penalty on the compression efficiency.

173 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Experimental results show that embedded watermarks using the proposed techniques can give good image quality and are robust in varying degree to JPEG compression, low-pass filtering, noise contamination, and print-and-scan.
Abstract: Three novel blind watermarking techniques are proposed to embed watermarks into digital images for different purposes. The watermarks are designed to be decoded or detected without the original images. The first one, called single watermark embedding (SWE), is used to embed a watermark bit sequence into digital images using two secret keys. The second technique, called multiple watermark embedding (MWE), extends SWE to embed multiple watermarks simultaneously in the same watermark space while minimizing the watermark (distortion) energy. The third technique, called iterative watermark embedding (IWE), embeds watermarks into JPEG-compressed images. The iterative approach of IWE can prevent the potential removal of a watermark in the JPEG recompression process. Experimental results show that embedded watermarks using the proposed techniques can give good image quality and are robust in varying degree to JPEG compression, low-pass filtering, noise contamination, and print-and-scan.

168 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI

[...]

08 Dec 2001-BMJ
TL;DR: There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one, which seems an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.
Abstract: There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality. Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

33,785 citations

Book
24 Oct 2001
TL;DR: Digital Watermarking covers the crucial research findings in the field and explains the principles underlying digital watermarking technologies, describes the requirements that have given rise to them, and discusses the diverse ends to which these technologies are being applied.
Abstract: Digital watermarking is a key ingredient to copyright protection. It provides a solution to illegal copying of digital material and has many other useful applications such as broadcast monitoring and the recording of electronic transactions. Now, for the first time, there is a book that focuses exclusively on this exciting technology. Digital Watermarking covers the crucial research findings in the field: it explains the principles underlying digital watermarking technologies, describes the requirements that have given rise to them, and discusses the diverse ends to which these technologies are being applied. As a result, additional groundwork is laid for future developments in this field, helping the reader understand and anticipate new approaches and applications.

2,849 citations

Book
23 Nov 2007
TL;DR: This new edition now contains essential information on steganalysis and steganography, and digital watermark embedding is given a complete update with new processes and applications.
Abstract: Digital audio, video, images, and documents are flying through cyberspace to their respective owners. Unfortunately, along the way, individuals may choose to intervene and take this content for themselves. Digital watermarking and steganography technology greatly reduces the instances of this by limiting or eliminating the ability of third parties to decipher the content that he has taken. The many techiniques of digital watermarking (embedding a code) and steganography (hiding information) continue to evolve as applications that necessitate them do the same. The authors of this second edition provide an update on the framework for applying these techniques that they provided researchers and professionals in the first well-received edition. Steganography and steganalysis (the art of detecting hidden information) have been added to a robust treatment of digital watermarking, as many in each field research and deal with the other. New material includes watermarking with side information, QIM, and dirty-paper codes. The revision and inclusion of new material by these influential authors has created a must-own book for anyone in this profession. *This new edition now contains essential information on steganalysis and steganography *New concepts and new applications including QIM introduced *Digital watermark embedding is given a complete update with new processes and applications

1,773 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper provides a state-of-the-art review and analysis of the different existing methods of steganography along with some common standards and guidelines drawn from the literature and some recommendations and advocates for the object-oriented embedding mechanism.

1,572 citations