Zhi Zhou

Bio: Zhi Zhou is an academic researcher from Samsung. The author has contributed to research in topics: Motion estimation & Block-matching algorithm. The author has an hindex of 12, co-authored 31 publications receiving 696 citations. Previous affiliations of Zhi Zhou include University of Delaware.

Halftone visual cryptography

Abstract: Visual cryptography encodes a secret binary image (SI) into n shares of random binary patterns. If the shares are xeroxed onto transparencies, the secret image can be visually decoded by superimposing a qualified subset of transparencies, but no secret information can be obtained from the superposition of a forbidden subset. The binary patterns of the n shares, however, have no visual meaning and hinder the objectives of visual cryptography. Extended visual cryptography was proposed recently to construct meaningful binary images as shares using hypergraph colourings, but the visual quality is poor. In this paper, a novel technique named halftone visual cryptography is proposed to achieve visual cryptography via halftoning. Based on the blue-noise dithering principles, the proposed method utilizes the void and cluster algorithm to encode a secret binary image into n halftone shares (images) carrying significant visual information. The simulation shows that the visual quality of the obtained halftone shares are observably better than that attained by any available visual cryptography method known to date.

Methods for adaptive noise reduction based on global motion estimation

Abstract: An improved temporal noise reduction method and system detects the global motion and adjusts the overall gain of the temporal filtering. Temporal noise reduction is applied to two video frames, wherein one video frame is the current input noisy frame, and the other video frame is a previous filtered frame stored in memory. In this method, noise estimation is first performed to estimate the noise variance/standard deviation in the input video sequence. Then, motion estimation is applied to obtain the motion vectors indicating relative motion between the pixels in the current noisy frame and the corresponding pixels in the previous noise-reduced frame. From such motion vectors, global motion estimation is applied to estimate the camera motion of the video sequence. If reliable global motion is obtained, the overall gain of the temporal filtering is reduced by adjusting the estimated noise level. Motion blur is thus prevented.

Method of motion compensated temporal noise reduction

Abstract: A method of reducing noise in a sequence of digital video frames is performed by motion estimation between a current noisy frame and a previous noise-reduced frame, to generate motion vectors indicating relative motion between the pixels in the current noisy frame and the corresponding pixels in the previous noise-reduced frame; and removing noise from the current noisy frame by computing the weighted average of pixels in the current noise frame and the corresponding pixels in the previous noise-reduced frame based on the motion vectors, to generate a noise-reduced output frame.

Method and system of noise-adaptive motion detection in an interlaced video sequence

Abstract: A motion decision value provides a dependable estimate whether motion occurs in a given region of a video image in an interlaced video sequence. The motion detection is particularly applicable in the conversion from interlaced video to progressive video. An input first is fed to an absolute value former which computes a frame difference signal from a difference between the first field and the second field in one frame. A point-wise motion detection signal is computed based on the frame difference signal and noise in the video sequence, wherein the point-wise motion detection signal is noise-adaptive. The point-wise motion detection signal is then followed by a region-wise motion detection that combines the point-wise motion detection signal with an adjacent point-wise motion detection signal delayed by one field. The motion decision value is then computed from the region-wise motion detection signal and output for further processing in the video signal processing system, such as for choosing whether the spatially interpolated video signal value or the temporally interpolated video signal value should be used for the output.

Display system with image conversion mechanism and method of operation thereof

Abstract: A method of operation of a display system includes: calculating a focus measure for an original image; calculating a segment mean based on the focus measure for a segment; generating an ordered segment based on the segment mean; generating a segment depth based on the ordered segment; and generating a three-dimensional image with the segment depth for displaying on a device.

Halftone Visual Cryptography Via Error Diffusion

Abstract: Halftone visual cryptography (HVC) enlarges the area of visual cryptography by the addition of digital halftoning techniques. In particular, in visual secret sharing schemes, a secret image can be encoded into halftone shares taking meaningful visual information. In this paper, HVC construction methods based on error diffusion are proposed. The secret image is concurrently embedded into binary valued shares while these shares are halftoned by error diffusion-the workhorse standard of halftoning algorithms. Error diffusion has low complexity and provides halftone shares with good image quality. A reconstructed secret image, obtained by stacking qualified shares together, does not suffer from cross interference of share images. Factors affecting the share image quality and the contrast of the reconstructed image are discussed. Simulation results show several illustrative examples.

Embedded Extended Visual Cryptography Schemes

Abstract: A visual cryptography scheme (VCS) is a kind of secret sharing scheme which allows the encoding of a secret image into n shares distributed to n participants. The beauty of such a scheme is that a set of qualified participants is able to recover the secret image without any cryptographic knowledge and computation devices. An extended visual cryptography scheme (EVCS) is a kind of VCS which consists of meaningful shares (compared to the random shares of traditional VCS). In this paper, we propose a construction of EVCS which is realized by embedding random shares into meaningful covering shares, and we call it the embedded EVCS. Experimental results compare some of the well-known EVCSs proposed in recent years systematically, and show that the proposed embedded EVCS has competitive visual quality compared with many of the well-known EVCSs in the literature. In addition, it has many specific advantages against these well-known EVCSs, respectively.

A comprehensive study of visual cryptography

Abstract: Visual cryptography (VC) is a powerful technique that combines the notions of perfect ciphers and secret sharing in cryptography with that of raster graphics. VC takes a binary image (the secret) and divides it into two or more pieces known as shares. When the shares are printed on transparencies and then superimposed, the secret can be recovered. No computer participation is required, thus demonstrating one of the distinguishing features of VC. VC is a unique technique in the sense that the encrypted message can be decrypted directly by the human visual system (HVS). In this survey, we will summarize the latest developments of visual cryptography since its inception in 1994, introduce the main research topics in this area and outline the current problems and possible solutions. Directions and trends for future VC work shall also be examined along with possible VC applications.

Color Extended Visual Cryptography Using Error Diffusion

Abstract: Color visual cryptography (VC) encrypts a color secret message into color halftone image shares. Previous methods in the literature show good results for black and white or gray scale VC schemes, however, they are not sufficient to be applied directly to color shares due to different color structures. Some methods for color visual cryptography are not satisfactory in terms of producing either meaningless shares or meaningful shares with low visual quality, leading to suspicion of encryption. This paper introduces the concept of visual information pixel (VIP) synchronization and error diffusion to attain a color visual cryptography encryption method that produces meaningful color shares with high visual quality. VIP synchronization retains the positions of pixels carrying visual information of original images throughout the color channels and error diffusion generates shares pleasant to human eyes. Comparisons with previous approaches show the superior performance of the new method.

Real-time cheating immune secret sharing for remote sensing images

Abstract: To observe the earth surface and its atmospheric interaction, various advanced optical and radar sensors are utilized. This observation returns a huge amount of optical multidimensional remote sensing images which may be used in multidisciplinary fields. The processing of these images in real time is a challenging task because of their high spatial resolution and complex data structure. At the same time, these images are quite confidential in various applications such as in the military and intelligence sectors. For secretly transmitting the remote sensing images in real time, a real-time cheating immune secret sharing approach is introduced in this paper. The proposed approach minimizes the time as well as space complexity for the secret sharing effectively. It also generates meaningful shares without the restriction for any fixed number participants. Generated shares by the proposed approach are cheating immune. That means they can authenticate themselves if tampered with. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.