Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

An Improved Histogram-Shifting-Imitated reversible data hiding based on HVS characteristics

  • Published:
Multimedia Tools and Applications Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a reversible data hiding scheme to hide a secret message into a cover image by considering the characteristics of Human Visual System (HVS) in order to improve the visual imperceptibility. The human eyes are more sensitive to the changes in the low intensity pixels than the higher intensity ones. Therefore, we divide the intensity levels (0–255) into four groups: the first group contains 0–79 intensity level; second, third, and fourth group contain, respectively, 80–151, 152–215, and 216–255 intensity levels. We further divide first group into segments of size 2 elements, second, third, and fourth group into 3, 4, and 5 elements sized segments, respectively. After constructing the segments, we scan the image in raster order to identify the peak points for each segment, which are used to embed the secret data. The secret data is also divided into the four segments according to the identified peak points per group. The first segment data is converted into base2 representation, second, third and fourth segment secret data into 3, 4, and 5 base representation, respectively. The first segment of secret data is embedded into the peak points belonging to first group, second, third and fourth group secret data is embedded into the peak points of second, third and fourth group, respectively. Thus, our scheme makes least changes into the pixels belonging to the first group which have least intensity values and most to the fourth group pixels which have highest intensity values. Experimentally, our scheme provides better quality stego image and hides more secret data than the other state of the art schemes. We also build a location map for all the peak points to ensure the reversibility of the proposed scheme.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Awrangjeb M, Kankanhalli MS (2005, Mar) Reversible watermarking usinga perceptual model. J Electron Imag 14:013014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Cox J, Kilian J, Leighton FT, Shamoon T (1997, December) Secure spread spectrum watermarking for multimedia. IEEE Trans Image Process 6(12):1673–1687

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Cox I, Miller M, Bloom J, Fridrich J, Kalker T (2008) Digital watermarking and steganography, vol. 1. 2 edition. Burlington, USA. https://www.google.co.in/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiY8p3kyNDUAhURS48KHXrECwsQFggxMAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.researchgate.net%2Ffile.PostFileLoader.html%3Fid%3D54e44898f15bc7951c8b45c7%26assetKey%3DAS%253A273705148583969%25401442267800828&usg=AFQjCNE2c85tt60fZufUaXHUPCb4mG_8pQ

  4. Fridrich J, Goljan M, Du R (2001, Jan) Invertible authentication. In Proc. SPIE Photonics West, Security and Watermarking of Multimedia Contents III, vol. 3971, San Jose, pp 197–208

  5. Fridrich J, Goljan M, Du R (Feb. 2002) Lossless data embedding—new paradigm in digital watermarking. EURASIP J Appl Signal Processing 2002(2):185–196

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  6. Goljan M, Fridrich J, Du R (2001, Apr) Distortion-free data embedding. In Proc 4th Inf Hiding Workshop, Pittsburgh, pp 27–41

  7. Hong W, Chen T, Wu M (2011) An improved human visual system based reversible data hiding method using adaptive histogram modification. Opt Commun 291:87–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Hwang J, Kim JW, Choi JU (2006) A reversible watermarking based on histogram shifting. Int Workshop on Digital Watermarking, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 4283:348–361

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Jin HL, Fujiyoshi M, Kiya H (Apr. 2007) Lossless data hiding in the spatial domain for high quality images. IEICE Trans Fun-damentals E90:771–777

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Jung S-W, Ha LT, Ko S-J (2011) A new histogram modification based reversible data hiding algorithm considering the human visual system. IEEE Signal Processing Letters 18(2):95–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Karybali G, Berberidis K (November 2006) Efficient spatial image watermarking via new perceptual masking and blind detection schemes. IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security 1(2):256–274

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Kekre HB, Athawale A, Halarnkar PN (2009) Performance Evaluation of Pixel Value Differencing and Kekre’s Modified Algorithm for Information Hiding in Images. International Conference on Advances in Computing, Communication and Control, pp 342–346

  13. Kim P-H, Kim D-S, Yoo K-Y (2015) Improved Histogram-Shifting-Imitated Reversible Data Hiding Scheme. Proceedings of Information Technology-New Generations (ITNG)

  14. Kim HJ, Sachnev V, Shi YQ, Nam J, Choo HG (Sep. 2008) A novel difference expansion transform for reversible data embedding. IEEE Trans Inf Forensic Secur 3(3):456–465

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Kuhn M. JBIG-KIT. JBIG1, http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/∼mgk25/jbigkit/2010

  16. Kuo WC, Jiang DJ, Huang YC (2007) Reversible Data Hiding Based on Histogram. LNAI, Springer-Verlag 4682:1152–1161

    Google Scholar 

  17. Kuribayashi M, Morii M, Tanaka H (2008) Reversible watermark with large capacity based on the prediction error expansion. IEICE Trans Fundamentals E91(7):1780–1790

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Ni Z, Shi YQ, Ansari N, Su W (Mar. 2006) Reversible data hiding. IEEE Trans. Circuits Syst. Video Technol. 16(3):354–362

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Park H, Lee M-H, Kim S-J, Park J-I (2006) Contrast enhancement in direct-projected augmented reality. Proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Multimedia & Expo

  20. Pei SC, Guo JM (August 2003) Hybrid pixel-based data hiding and block-based watermarking for error-diffused halftone images. IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology 13(8):867–884

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Popa R (1998) An Analysis of Steganographic Techniques. Ph. D Thesis, pp 26–27

  22. Provos N, Honeyman P (May 2003) Hide and Seek: An Introduction to Steganography. IEEE Secur Priv 1(3):32–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Thodi DM, Rodriguez JJ (Mar. 2007) Expansion embedding techniques for reversible watermarking. IEEE Trans Image Process 16(3):721–730

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  24. Tian J (Aug. 2003) Reversible data embedding using a difference expansion. IEEE Trans Circuits Syst Video Technol 13(8):890–896

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Tsai P, Hu YC, Yeh HL (2009) Reversible image hiding scheme usingpredictive coding and histogram shifting. Signal Process 89(6):1129–1143

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  26. Wang ZH, Lee CF, Chang CY (2013) Histogram-shifting-imitated reversible data hiding. J Syst Softw 86(2):315–323

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Weng S, Zhao Y, Pan JS, Ni R (2008) Reversible watermarking based on invariability and adjustment on pixel pairs. IEEE Signal Process Lett 15:721–724

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Zhao Z, Luo H, Lu ZM, Pan JS (2011) Reversible data hiding based on multilevel histogram modification and sequential recovery. AEU - International Journal of Electronics and Communications 65(10):814–826

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Computer Engineering, Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology, New Delhi, India

    Rajeev Kumar

  2. School of Computer and System Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, India

    Satish Chand

  3. Department of Computer Science Engineering, Bennett University, Greater Noida, UP, India

    Samayveer Singh

Authors
  1. Rajeev Kumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Satish Chand
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Samayveer Singh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rajeev Kumar.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kumar, R., Chand, S. & Singh, S. An Improved Histogram-Shifting-Imitated reversible data hiding based on HVS characteristics. Multimed Tools Appl 77, 13445–13457 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-017-4960-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-017-4960-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation