ITR: Theory and Design of Watermarking Codes

随着数字视频、图像、音频等数据在互联网和其他媒体上的广泛传播，信息保护和版权保护已成为至关重要的领域。近年来，这些应用引起了人们对数字水印技术的极大兴趣。尽管新的水印算法和击败它们的新方法已经被开发出来，但信息论的基本原理几乎没有触及这个领域的表面，而且PI最近的结果表明，现有的方案远远低于最终可实现的极限。我们打算发展我们对水印代码理论的想法，并构建接近容量的代码。我们还计划开发一个密切相关的研究重点，即图像和视频的鲁棒水印和认证技术。我们的研究将以广泛的知识体系（其中大部分是在过去十年中发展起来的）为指导，一方面是在现代通信系统的背景下发展起来的，另一方面是图像分析。我们的计划是探索以下主题：高斯信道的代码。我们最近导出了涉及高斯源和平方误差失真度量的信道隐藏容量的封闭形式解。我们在这项研究中的第一个目标是开发其性能接近这些信道容量的代码。该模型除了在实际的水印应用中有用外，还将揭示构建水印代码所涉及的基本问题。因此，它的含义超越了所研究的特定模型。攻击通道参数估计。在盲水印应用中，解码器无法访问原始数据，也不知道可能被用来破坏数据的特定攻击。去同步攻击，如缩放、移动、旋转或扭曲图像数据，可能是致命的。我们将探讨解码器估计此类攻击参数的基本机制。任意信道的代码。虽然高斯信道在某些条件下是最差的信道，但水印代码需要对各种攻击具有鲁棒性。我们的目标之一是开发代码和解码技术，不仅可以很好地抵抗高斯噪声攻击，还可以抵抗去同步攻击、擦除和其他攻击。在图像和视频水印中的应用。虽然信息理论和编码理论为水印系统的设计提供了基本的指导原则，但这些原则的应用在图像和视频水印等特定情况下提出了独特的挑战。我们将详细研究这两种应用。指纹识别和认证码。有几个信息隐藏问题密切相关的水印，我们打算探讨。许多研究生都对进入这样一个有吸引力的研究领域感兴趣，因为它结合了广度和对基础知识的强烈强调以及与实际的相关性。我们打算培养这些学生在信息技术领域担任领导角色。我们也计划让本科生参与进来，因为他们发现这个主题是一个真正愉快的学习经历。

With the widespread dissemination of digital video, images, audio and other data on the Internet and other media, information protection and copyright protection have become areas of vital importance. These applications have generated an extraordinary level of interest in digital watermarking techniques in recent years. Whereas novel watermarking algorithms and novel ways to defeat them have been developed, fundamental principles of information theory have barely skimmed the surface of this field, and recent results by the PI have shown that existing schemes operate far below the ultimate achievable limits. We intend to develop our ideas for a theory of watermarking codes and to construct codes that approach capacity. We also plan to develop a closely related thrust of research on robust watermarking and authentication techniques for images and video. Our research will be guided by extensive body of knowledge (much of it developed in the last decade) developed in the context of modern communication systems on one hand, and image analysis on the other hand. Our plan is to explore the following topics:Codes for Gaussian channels. We have recently derived closed-form solutions for the hiding capacity of channels involving Gaussian sources and squared error distortion metrics. Our first goal in this research is to develop codes whose performance approaches capacity for such channels. This model, in addition to being useful in the context of practical watermarking applications, will shed light on the fundamental issues involved in constructing watermarking codes. Hence its implications go beyond the particular model studied.Estimation of Attack Channel Parameters. In blind watermarking applications, the decoder does not have access to the original data, and does not know the particular attack that may have been used to corrupt the data. Desynchronization attacks such as scaling, shifting, rotating or warping of image data can then be deadly. We will explore fundamental mechanisms for the decoder to estimate the parameters of such attacks.Codes for arbitrary channels. While Gaussian channels are the worst channels under certain conditions, watermarking codes need to be robust against a variety of attacks. One of our goals is to develop codes and decoding techniques that perform well not only against Gaussian noise attacks, but also against desynchronization attacks, erasures, and other attacks.Application to Image and Video Watermarking. While information theory and coding theory provide fundamental guiding principles to the design of watermarking systems, application of these principles presents unique challenges in specific situations such as image and video watermarking. These two applications will be investigated in detail.Fingerprinting and Authentication Codes. There are several information-hiding problems closely related to watermarking that we intend to explore. Many graduate students are interested in moving into such an attractive research area, which combines breadth and strong emphasis on fundamentals with practical relevance. We intend to train these students for leadership roles in information technology. We also plan to involve undergraduate students, as they find this subject to be a truly enjoyable learning experience.