Traditional reversible data hiding (RDH) focuses on enlarging the embedding payloads while minimizing the distortion with a criterion of mean square error (MSE). Since imperceptibility can also be achieved via image processing, we propose a novel method of RDH with contrast enhancement (RDH-CE) using histogram shifting. Instead of minimizing the MSE, the proposed method generates marked images with good quality with the sense of structural similarity. The proposed method contains two parts: the baseline embedding and the extensive embedding. In the baseline part, we first merge the least significant bins to reserve spare bins and then embed additional data by a histogram shifting approach using arithmetic encoding. During histogram shifting, we propose to construct the transfer matrix by maximizing the entropy of the histogram. After embedding, the marked image containing additional data has a larger contrast than the original image. In the extensive embedding part, we further propose to concatenate the baseline embedding with an MSE-based embedding. On the recipient side, the additional data can be extracted exactly, and the original image can be recovered losslessly. Comparing with existing RDH-CE approaches, the proposed method can achieve a better embedding payload.INDEX TERMS Information hiding, reversible data hiding, image enhancement, histogram shifting.
Typical reversible data hiding in encrypted image (RDH-EI) methods merely embed data in the encrypted domain, ignoring the requirement of the image owner for data embedding. To address this issue, this paper proposes a novel RDH-EI method with dual data embedding based on generalized integer transformation (GIT). The image owner first vacates embedding room, and performs data embedding before image encryption. After data encryption, the remote server utilizes the vacated room to further embed additional data into the encrypted image. The embedded data by the image owner and remote server can be extracted exactly, and the original image can be recovered losslessly. The experimental results prove the effectiveness of the proposed method. INDEX TERMS Reversible data hiding, encrypted image, generalized integer transformation, dual data embedding.
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