Reversible data-hiding for progressive image transmission

This research presents a multi-resolution reversible data-hiding algorithm to enable multi-scale marked images that are transmitted progressively to be exactly recovered at the receiver side once hidden data has been extracted. Based on the spatially hierarchical multi-layer structures of progressive-image transmission, the proposed algorithm first decimates the incoming image pixels into a pre-specified number of hierarchical layers of pixels. Then, it modifies pixel values in each hierarchical layer by shifting the interpolated-difference-values histogram between two neighboring layers of pixels to embed secret information into the corresponding hierarchical layer images. The proposed algorithm offers a reversible data-hiding ability for applications that use progressive image transmission to render progressive-image authentication, information-tagging, covert communications, etc. With progressive-reversible data-hiding, users of progressive image transmission can receive each original progressive image and complete hidden messages related to the received progressive image. This allows users to make real-time definite decisions according to an application's requirements. In contrast to other reversible data-hiding schemes, the algorithm proposed in this study features reversible data-hiding in progressive-image transmission based on a hierarchical decimation and interpolation technique. The interpolating process is used to reduce the difference values between the target pixel values in one progressive layer and their interpolated ones. This increases the hiding capacity of interpolation-differences histogram shifting. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method provides a greater embedding capacity and maintains marked images at a higher quality. Moreover, the proposed method has a low computational complexity as it requires only simple arithmetic computations.

► This study proposes a novel reversible data-hiding scheme for progressive image transmission.
► We examine impact of interpolation accuracy on the hiding capacity and marked PSNR.
► Accurate interpolation can help gain better PSNR and larger capacity.
► Inaccurate interpolation has comparable high capacity to the accurate one at the expense of PSNR.
► Interpolated accuracy suffers from reduced pixel-correlation of higher PIT hierarchy.