Reversible data hiding scheme based on pixel-value differencing in dual images

Pyung-Han Kim,Ki-Hyun Jung,Kwan-Woo Ryu

doi:10.1177/1550147720911006

Pyung-Han Kim, Ki-Hyun Jung + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1177/1550147720911006

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Abstract

In this article, a new reversible data hiding scheme using pixel-value differencing in dual images is proposed. The proposed pixel-value differencing method can embed more secret data as the difference value of adjacent pixels is increased. In the proposed scheme, the cover image is divided into non-overlapping blocks and the maximum difference value is calculated to hide secret bits. On the sender side, the length of embeddable secret data is calculated by using the maximum difference value and the log function, and the decimal secret data are embedded into the two stego-images after applying the ceil function and floor function. On the receiver side, the secret data extraction and the cover image restoration can be performed by using the correlation between two stego-images. After recovering the cover image from two stego-images, the secret data can be extracted using the maximum difference value and the log function. The experimental results show that the proposed scheme has a higher embedding capacity and the proposed scheme differs in embedding the secret data depending on the characteristics of the cover image with less distortion. Also, the proposed scheme maintains the degree of image distortion that cannot be perceived by the human visual system.

Highlights

Most of important information is transmitted over the Internet using advanced computer performance and Internet technology
Many data hiding schemes have been proposed based on least significant bits (LSB) replacement and pixel-value differencing (PVD) in irreversible data hiding methods.[1,2,3,4,5]
We propose a dual image–based reversible data hiding scheme using the PVD method

Summary

Introduction

Most of important information is transmitted over the Internet using advanced computer performance and Internet technology. In 2015, Lu et al proposed a dual image–based reversible data hiding scheme to reduce loss of original image by applying center folding strategy (CFS) method.[17] The CFS method reduces the distortion of the image by adjusting the range of secret data. In this scheme, secret data are embedded by using the ceil function and the floor function to generate two stego-images. The CFS method, shiftable pixel coordinate selection strategy method, and lookup table were used to improve the image quality.[19] In this article, we propose a dual image–based reversible data hiding scheme using the PVD method.

Related works

Conclusion and discussion