Speech/Nonspeech Detection Using Minimal Walsh Basis Functions

This paper presents a new method to detect speech/nonspeech components of a given noisy signal. Employing the combination of binary Walsh basis functions and an analysis-synthesis scheme, the original noisy speech signal is modified first. From the modified signals, the speech components are distinguished from the nonspeech components by using a simple decision scheme. Minimal number of Walsh basis functions to be applied is determined using singular value decomposition (SVD). The main advantages of the proposed method are low computational complexity, less parameters to be adjusted, and simple implementation. It is observed that the use of Walsh basis functions makes the proposed algorithm efficiently applicable in real-world situations where processing time is crucial. Simulation results indicate that the proposed algorithm achieves high-speech and nonspeech detection rates while maintaining a low error rate for different noisy conditions.</p

On a Method for Improving Impulsive Sounds Localization in Hearing Defenders

This paper proposes a new algorithm for a directional aid with hearing defenders. Users of existing hearing defenders experience distorted information, or in worst cases, directional information may not be perceived at all. The users of these hearing defenders may therefore be exposed to serious safety risks. The proposed algorithm improves the directional information for the users of hearing defenders by enhancing impulsive sounds using interaural level difference (ILD). This ILD enhancement is achieved by incorporating a new gain function. Illustrative examples and performance measures are presented to highlight the promising results. By improving the directional information for active hearing defenders, the new method is found to serve as an advanced directional aid

On a Method for Improving Impulsive Sounds Localization in Hearing Defenders

This paper proposes a new algorithm for a directional aid with hearing defenders. Users of existing hearing defenders experience distorted information, or in worst cases, directional information may not be perceived at all. The users of these hearing defenders may therefore be exposed to serious safety risks. The proposed algorithm improves the directional information for the users of hearing defenders by enhancing impulsive sounds using interaural level difference (ILD). This ILD enhancement is achieved by incorporating a new gain function. Illustrative examples and performance measures are presented to highlight the promising results. By improving the directional information for active hearing defenders, the new method is found to serve as an advanced directional aid.</p

Watermark Detection and Extraction Using Independent Component Analysis Method

<p/> <p>This paper proposes a new image watermarking technique, which adopts Independent Component Analysis (ICA) for watermark detection and extraction process (i.e., <it>dewatermarking</it>). Watermark embedding is performed in the spatial domain of the original image. Watermark can be successfully detected during the Principle Component Analysis (PCA) whitening stage. A nonlinear robust batch ICA algorithm, which is able to efficiently extract various temporally correlated sources from their observed linear mixtures, is used for blind watermark extraction. The evaluations illustrate the validity and good performance of the proposed watermark detection and extraction scheme based on ICA. The accuracy of watermark extraction depends on the statistical independence between the original, key and watermark images and the temporal correlation of these sources. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed system is robust to several important image processing attacks, including some geometrical transformations&#8212;scaling, cropping and rotation, quantization, additive noise, low pass filtering, multiple marks, and collusion.</p

A Secure Watermarking Scheme for Buyer-Seller Identification and Copyright Protection

We propose a secure watermarking scheme that integrates watermarking with cryptography for addressing some important issues in copyright protection. We address three copyright protection issues&#8212;buyer-seller identification, copyright infringement, and ownership verification. By buyer-seller identification, we mean that a successful watermark extraction at the buyer's end will reveal the identities of the buyer and seller of the watermarked image. For copyright infringement, our proposed scheme enables the seller to identify the specific buyer from whom an illegal copy of the watermarked image has originated, and further prove this fact to a third party. For multiple ownership claims, our scheme enables a legal seller to claim his/her ownership in the court of law. We will show that the combination of cryptography with watermarking not only increases the security of the overall scheme, but it also enables to associate identities of buyer/seller with their respective watermarked images.</p

Document image processing

This project aims to develop image processing techniques to enhance the readiblity of document images.RG 51/9