Block-based discrete wavelet transform-singular value decomposition image watermarking scheme using human visual system characteristics

• Published in: IET image processing Vol. 10; no. 1; pp. 34 - 52
• Main Authors: Makbol, Nasrin M, Khoo, Bee Ee, Rassem, Taha H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Institution of Engineering and Technology 01.01.2016
• Subjects: advanced standard encryption; binary watermark logo; cryptography; Decomposition; digital protection; Digital watermarking; discrete wavelet transform domain; discrete wavelet transforms; edge detection; edge entropy; Entropy; geometrical attack; high imperceptibility; high robustness; human visual system characteristics; HVS characteristics; Image processing; image processing attack; image watermarking; information encryption; robust block‐based DWT SVD image watermarking scheme; security issue; Singular value decomposition; U matrix; visual quality; Watermarking; information encryption; discrete wavelet transforms; image watermarking; binary watermark logo; cryptography; visual quality; HVS characteristics; edge entropy; image processing attack; advanced standard encryption; robust block-based DWT SVD image watermarking scheme; human visual system characteristics; digital watermarking; high robustness; entropy; U matrix; digital protection; discrete wavelet transform domain; geometrical attack; edge detection; security issue; singular value decomposition; high imperceptibility
• ISSN: 1751-9659; 1751-9667; 1751-9667
• DOI: 10.1049/iet-ipr.2014.0965

Digital watermarking has been suggested as a way to achieve digital protection. The aim of digital watermarking is to insert the secret data into the image without significantly affecting the visual quality. This study presents a robust block-based image watermarking scheme based on the singular value decomposition (SVD) and human visual system in the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) domain. The proposed method is considered to be a block-based scheme that utilises the entropy and edge entropy as HVS characteristics for the selection of significant blocks to embed the watermark, which is a binary watermark logo. The blocks of the lowest entropy values and edge entropy values are selected as the best regions to insert the watermark. After the first level of DWT decomposition, the SVD is performed on the low-low sub-band to modify several elements in its U matrix according to predefined conditions. The experimental results of the proposed scheme showed high imperceptibility and high robustness against all image processing attacks and several geometrical attacks using examples of standard and real images. Furthermore, the proposed scheme outperformed several previous schemes in terms of imperceptibility and robustness. The security issue is improved by encrypting a portion of the important information using Advanced Standard Encryption a key size of 192-bits (AES-192).