Reversible image watermarking algorithm based on quadratic difference expansion

Abstract

To improve the visual quality and embedding rate of existing reversible image watermarking algorithms, a reversible image watermarking algorithm based on quadratic difference expansion is proposed. First, the pixel points with grayscale values 0 and 255 in the original image are removed, and then, the half-scrambled watermark information is embedded into the original image using linear difference expansion. Finally, the remaining half of the watermark information is embedded into the previously generated watermarked image by the quadratic difference expansion, meanwhile the removed pixel points with grayscale values 0 and 255 in the image are merged, and the final watermarked image is generated accordingly. The experimental results show that the algorithm has both a high embedding rate and a high visual quality, which can completely recover the original image. Compared with other difference expansion watermarking algorithms, it has certain advantages without having to consider the smoothness of the embedded image region.