EUROCON 2005
The Twin Image Watermarking Algorithm
(TIWA): A New Techniques for Single and
Multi-Message Watermarking Based on
Optimum Complete Complementary Codes
Said E. El-Khamy, Fellow IEEE, Noha 0. El-Ganainy, Member IEEE, and Mohamed A. Mokhtar
Abstract In this paper, a new robust image
watermarking technique adopting an optimum encoding
framework is proposed. This technique namely, the twin
image watermarking algorithm TIWA, utilizes a particular
kind of optimum two dimensional codes, based on complete
complementary codes, for the introduced watermark
encoding process. The TIWA algorithm is first presented for
single user, then supported with the optimum code arrays
properties, is developed to support multi-message hiding.
The enhanced robustness, the developed security, and the
remarkable performance compared to conventional
technique are the main advantages of the proposed technique
shown by the simulation results.
Keywords Robust image watermarking, The Twin image
watermarking algorithm TIWA, optimum two dimensional
codes, complete complementary codes, Welti method, multi-
message hiding.
I. INTRODUCTION
There have been enormous amounts of research activity
focusing on codes design, generation, and extension
[1,2,3]. In fact, the researcher's major interest was
dedicated to the code sets having optimum properties,
which is motivated by the expected benefits resulting
when applying them in several applications. This paper
utilizes these code sets in image watermarking due to the
increasing needs of ownership and authenticity
protections.
Digital image watermarking is the process of embedding
a low energy signal, the watermark, which contains
information that allows ownership identification or
authentication [4,5,6]. The marking framework applies
three basic stages, the embedding algorithm, the
watermark selection, and the verification algorithm. In
fact, the watermarking research is tremendously directed
to apply various embedding algorithms in order to enhance
its properties, at the same time the watermark was often
left clear. In this paper, optimum code sets, based on
complete complementary codes, are studied and extended
into two dimensional codes keeping the same properties.
The latter sets are used to encode the reference watermark
to obtain two differently encoded versions of it. These
versions are hidden in two DCT transformed host images
Said E. El-Khamy is with the E.E. Department, Faculty of Engineering,
Alexandria University, Alexandria 21544, Egypt; e-mail:
Noha 0. El-Ganainy is with the Alexandria Institute of technology
(AIT), Semoha,, Alexandria, Egypt; e-mail:
nohaelgaaipy&yaho.co.uk.
Mohamed A. Mokhtar is with the E.E. Department, Faculty of
Engineering, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21544, Egypt; e-mail:
1-4244-0049-X/05/$20.00 (C2005 IEEE
Serbia & Montenegro, Belgrade, November 22-24, 2005
according to two different embedding frameworks. DCT
embedding and JND thresholds algorithms are used and
the proposed encoding framework is applied as a pre-step
to these algorithms in order to evaluate its enhancement.
Then, supported with the optimum sets properties, the
TIWA algorithm is developed to a multi user algorithm.
Next, various attacks are applied to the host images of
both the conventional and the proposed TIWA techniques.
The simulation's results compare between both techniques
through an evaluation of the extracted watermark quality
in each case. This is done by computing the RMS error
between each of the extracted watermarks in each case and
the reference watermark, under each attack.
II. OPTIMUM CODE SETS
Optimum code sets, namely the complete
complementary codes, are a category of one and multi
dimensional codes of superior correlation properties which
exist only as sets [1, 10]. Each of them has a number of
codes equal to multiples of two. The codes of the same set
have an impulsive autocorrelation sum, while their
individual autocorrelation is not impressive. On the other
hand, these code sets possess a particular orthogonality
property as the cross correlation sum of the respective
codes of the different sets vanishes for all shifts. Equations
(1), (2), and (3) describe the individual autocorrelation,
autocorrelation sum, and the cross correlation sum
respectively.
OAiAi (1) Z Ai(n)Ai(n 1) -
n
(1)
M
E OAiAi (I)
X
= *--........................
....... .I.
V
i=l (2)
M
E HXi (1) - . V I
1=1 (3)
If Ai=[Ail, Ai2 ....... AiN] and Bi=[ Bil, Bi2 ....... BiN]
are two sets of optimum codes, where each symbol AiN,
BiN represents a code of length N. Then OAiAi (1) denotes
the individual autocorrelation of the sequence Ai of the Ith
shift, and OAiBi (1) denotes the cross correlation of the
sequences Ai and Bi.
These impressive correlation properties trigger the
research activity to extend the one-dimensional code sets
into two dimensional, arrays, sets keeping the same
properties [10]. One of the successive methods
accomplishing this target is the Welti method briefly
introduced in the reference [1]. It first begins from a pair
of Welti codes of the desired length N. Second, converts
them to optimum one-dimensional code sets, and finally to
two-dimensional sets of size N by N.
939
 affecting the changes done by the watermark on the
carrier image taking a value of 0.1 in our simulation
(a) results. The second method is the just noticeable
difference (JND) framework which takes the advantage of
the human vision system (HVS) in embedding the
watermark. The JND profile is computed for the DCT
coefficients of the host image according to the contrast
sensitivity, the luminance masking, and the contrast
masking. The coefficient having the higher thresholds are
selected and modified by the watermark. More details on
(b)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~i the calculations of the JND thresholds in the DCT domain
are available [7, 8]. Then, these methods are separately
applied to each host image to find, according to each
summation. b) Th cros corlto betwee the firs anecn criterion, the suitable locations for the embedding.
it4
ane a
According to the encoded watermark size, a number of
2*(N+L-1) locations is needed of each image to be
(b) modified by a different version of the encoded watermark.
For the watermark verification process, the user needs
I~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .J to have his authentication key in addition to know both
host images. The verification process applies the inverse
various avilbl legh of Wet Seqene. Th embedding process to extract the pair of encoded
t optimum
Fig. aray
a) The ~individual
use inthis
1
each arrayusn
pae ar ofgeerte
autocorrelation th
and their watermark. The obtained frames are then subjected to the
summation. b) The cross correlation between the pirst and second decoding process. This process is a correlation-summation
arrays in both sets and their sum. operation.
The correlation step is two-dimensional accomplished
In fact, the Welti method has an additional privilege as between the extracted frames W and W and the optimum
it generates arrays of unusual sizes according to the set C1l and C12 as described in equation (6). In order to
various available lengths of Welti sequences. The properly identify the watermark, the user has to know
optimum arrays used in this paper are generated using the which pair of array-frame is used in the correlation
Welti method. Two sets of optimum arrays are utilized in process; this is considered the user private key. In fact, any
the simulations, each having a pair of arrays of size 10 by change in the user's combination of arrays and frames in
10. The autocorrelation and cross correlation properties of the decoding step would cause a result less extraction.
these sets are introduced in figure (1) part (a) and (b) Then, the output of equation (6) X1 and X2 are combined
respectively. together by a two dimensional summation to obtain the
reference watermark W. Equation (7) illustrates the
III. THE SINGLE USER TWIN IMAGE importance of the summation step when using optimum
WATERMARKING ALGORITHM sets; it results in the encoded information and a delta
In this section, the new image-watermarking algorithm function. By the end of these steps, the user is
(TIWA) for single user is introduced. In figure (2) part (a), authenticated and the watermark is extracted.
a block diagram clarifying the main stages of the adopted
algorithm is available. The TIWA algorithm uses a pair of
host images called a twin, as the user will be able to
extract its own watermark if both host images are
recognized.
The TIWA algorithm has two main stages; the first
stage is the watermark encoding process and the second is
the embedding process. The watermark encoding process
applies a two-dimensional convolution operation between
the reference watermark W of size N by N and each of the
optimum set arrays C1l and C12 of size L by L separately.
This will results in two differently encoded versions of the
reference watermark W and W having an N+L-1 by N+L-
1 size given by equation (4) and figure(2) part (b) .
W = Wlw wC c, (4) (a)
Two transform domain methods are applied in this paper.
The first method [9] uses a DCT based framework that
selects and modifies the highest DCT coefficients of the
host image by the watermark using the following equation:
V vi =vi + a * xi
+a
=V
(5)
(5
(b)
where v', v are the coefficient after and before the Fig. 2. The single user TIWA. a) Block diagram.
modification, x is the watermark and a is a factor b) The watermark and its encoded versions.

940
 XI =W (D Cii 'X2 = w c12
W=X1 +X2 =W( Cll1 1C+W 2C2
11 12
W= W(®Rll+W(®R12 =WDA-_W
The comparison between the TIWA and the
conventional techniques is essential to evaluate the
efficiency of the proposed technique. Two points are taken
into account, the robustness against different attacks and
the security against the hacking processes. The robustness
of the TIWA algorithm using the JND and DCT
embedding to a variety of attacks is discussed in section 6.
On the other hand, the security is enhanced compared to
the conventional technique due to the complexity of the
TIWA verification procedure. Obviously, the hacker needs
to know the host image pair, the user private key as well as
the decoding procedure. This is considered difficult as the
host images could be hardly recognized as they are not
similar or related to each other and the encoding process is
not reversible.
Reference
Watermark
r lg. i Ilie blOCK aiagram O0 mne multi-message IIWA.
IV. THE MULTI-MESSAGE TIWA ALGORITHM
In this section, the TIWA is developed to support multi
user motivated by the optimum arrays sets orthogonal
property. As previously displayed, the optimum arrays sets
have a vanishing cross correlation sum between the
respective arrays in each set. This explains that no multiple
access interference MAI will exist if different sets are
assigned to encode different users information.
The multi-user TIWA, demonstrated by the block
diagram of figure (3), is almost similar to the single user
TIWA procedure except an additional step in the encoding
frame work. For more clarification, we will take an
example of two users and two sets each having two arrays
CII, C12 and C21, C22. Now, each user will encode its
watermark according to the single user procedure. Next,
the first and second part of equation (8) & (9) are added
respectively to obtain the final frames WT, W1T in equation
(10), used as input to the embedding process. The order is
essential in the summation process as the orthogonality
takes place between the respective arrays only.
W = W (DC11,W = W (DC12 (8)
W = W2 ( C21 ,W W
W C2, (9)
(6) WT W +W , W T W + W (10)
Then, the encoding and decoding process will follow up
(7) the single user procedure with a unique difference that
several users now are accessible to the host images with
different keys to extract their watermark. The decoding
process of user one and two are mathematically
represented by equation (11), (12) and (13), (14)
respectively with an indication of the orthogonality
property effect.
X1 = WT @ CII X2 = WT
X-(Cx W(C I)C12 (1
W X1+X2 =W,1 X @+
= C W2 XC2 C,+W1 C XY2 DCY2 + W2'C22 DC2 (12)
WJ= (WF R1+ W R,2)+W2® (C2®(DC±1+C22(DC2) =1W(DA+W2(DZero
=
wi
X1 = WT ( C21' X2 = WT 3 C22 (13)
= X1 + X2 C21 (C2)WU'g
= W20R + C® 1 f C21 + W2 & C22) C22 + WU& C12fr C22 (14)
= (W2 &)R21 + W2 &)R22) + W1 (i (Cll @f C21 + C12ff) C22) = W2 E) A + W, E) Zero
V. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS
In this section, the robustness of the proposed TIWA
algorithm for single and multi user compared to the
conventional technique takes place. The simulation process
uses two host images namely, 'Trees' and 'Bonemarr' from
the MATLAB toolbox of size 256 by 256, one watermark
'the Mathworks logo' for single user supported with a
second one 'Circles' for multi user both of size 55 by 55.
For the encoding process, the simulation results utilize two
sets each set having a pair of optimum arrays of size 10 by
10. The single user simulation uses one set of arrays while
the multi user case uses both sets.
Beginning with the single user simulation, the TIWA
algorithm is compared to the conventional technique in case
of both embeddings under the noise and the JPEG
compression attacks. Two types of noises are studied; the
uniformly distributed random noise and the Gaussian noise.
Different levels of each type of noise are applied separately
to the host image and the watermark is extracted and
evaluated. The root mean square error RMS is used as a
quality measure of the extracted watermark against the
reference watermark. For both TIWA and conventional
techniques the RMS error is displayed versus the SNR to
differentiate between their robustness.
Figure (4) compares between them using both
embedding algorithms under the effect of Gaussian noise
and uniformly distributed random noise in part (a) and (b)
respectively. Then, the quality of the extracted watermark
using DCT embedding case under 0.01 SNR of uniformly
distributed random is shown in figure (5). Discussing the
noise attack, the TIWA algorithm shows an enhancement of
approximately 1Odb in both of the JND and DCT
embedding. On the other hand, the quality of the extracted
watermark using TIWA is much better than the
conventional technique under the same noise level.
Second, different levels of the JPEG compression are
studied and the quality of the extracted watermark using
the TIWA case is compared to the conventional case. This
comparison takes place in figure (6) part (a) using the JND
embedding under 1% JPEG compression and part (b) the
DCT embedding under 10%. These figures show the
remarkable quality of the extracted watermark using
TIWA under different levels of JPEG compared to
941
conventional technique. Finally, the multi-user simulations
are discussed under the noise attacks with an only
difference as it is differentiating between the multi-user,
and single user which is needed to investigate the MAI
effect.
(a) (b)
Fig. 4 Comparison of the Performance of the TIWA algorithm
with the conventional techniques; JND embedding in red lines
and DCT embedding in blue lines. a) Effect of Gaussian noise.
b) Effect of uniformly distributed random noise.
Fig.5 Comparison between the extracted watermark using TIWA
algorithm in the left side and the conventional technique in the
right side for SNR of 0.01 of uniformly distributed random noise.
(a)
(b)
Fig. 6 Quality comparison between the extracted watermark of
the conventional (right side) and TIWA technique (left side)
under different levels of JPEG compression. a) 1% for the JND
embedding. b) 10% for the DCT embedding.
Figure (7) displays the uniformly distributed random
noise and the Gaussian noise case of study in part (a) and
(b) respectively. Obviously, the multi-user case has a
vanishing MAI causing a nearly superimposed
performance in both multi and single user case.
VI. CONCLUSIONS
In this paper, the twin image watermarking algorithm
TIWA for single and multi-user was introduced. The new
technique adopted a new optimum encoding framework
applied on the watermark. The TIWA algorithm enhanced
the robustness and security of the existing marking
techniques. The TIWA was shown to develop the noise
immunity by an amount of 10 dB keeping a noticeable
extracted watermark. In addition, under higher levels of
JPEG compression the TIWA provides a better quality of
extracted watermark than the conventional technique. On
the other hand, the hacking process is more difficult using
942
TIWA due to the irreversible encoding-decoding process
as well as the importance of knowing both unrelated-host
images.
10
e-f f o Multimessage TIWA
X t X X IX X X X X X 0 Single user TIWA
10
10
10
10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30
SNR(db)
Fig. 7 Comparison between multi user TIWA and single user
TIWA under the effect of uniformly distributed random noise
(magenta lines) and the effect of the Gaussian noise (black lines).
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