Recursive Quad-Tree Block Partitioning for Data Embedding in Images
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Recursive Quad‑Tree Block Partitioning for Data Embedding in Images Tamer Shanableh1 Received: 16 June 2020 / Accepted: 5 September 2020 © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd 2020
Abstract In this paper, we propose to embed messages in raw images using a recursive block partitioning technique adopted from HEVC video coding technology. This work introduces a quad-tree partitioning solution in which square blocks of pixels are partitioned recursively according to a homogeneity criterion. As such, large block sizes are allocated for homogenous areas of the image and smaller block sizes are used elsewhere. For this to work, the variable block sizes should cover the whole image without gaps. Additionally, the criterion used for determining the block partitioning should work for both message embedding and message extraction. As such, the extractor process can reproduce the same variable block sizes. Matrix encoding is used for message embedding and extraction, as such, a maximum of one-pixel value is changed per block. The proposed solution is assessed in terms of percentage of changed pixels, PSNR, SSIM, histogram changes and blind steganalysis. Comparison with existing work reveals that the proposed solution reduces both the image distortions and pixel change rates. With embedding rates ranging from 2.5 to 38%, the average PSNR of the cover images ranged from 72 to 60 dB, and the average normalized histogram differences ranged from 3 to 12 pixels. It is also shown that the proposed solution is less detectible when tested with blind steganalysis in comparison to existing solutions where the average detection accuracy is 49.8%. Keywords Image processing · Data embedding · Video coding
Introduction Data embedding in visual multimedia content has a number of important applications including digital rights management, quality assessment and error correction of streamed visual content, hiding patient records in medical images and convert conversations in general. Data embedding can be applied to raw and compressed images, video and audio files. It can also be applied to encrypted multimedia files and in all cases the data can be embedded in plain or in encrypted formats. The challenge in the message and data embedding solutions is to minimize both detectability and distortions caused to the cover visual content due to data embedding. If the cover content is compressed such as JPEG and MPEG files, then data embedding shall be implemented such that
* Tamer Shanableh [email protected] 1
Department of Computer Science and Engineering, College of Engneering, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
both the quality and the file size of the cover content is not affected much. Additionally, data embedding can be applied in the spatial, frequency or wavelet domains of multimedia content. It can also be applied to syntax elements of compressed content such as quantization scales, motion vectors and coding modes. The work reported in [1] showed that data can be embedded in compressed video by modifying
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