Interleaving Max-Min Difference Histogram Shifting Data Hiding Method

Abstract

This work proposes a reversible data hiding algorithm that is based on the interleaving max-min difference histogram. The method divides the cover image into non-overlapping identical blocks. In each block, the maximum or minimum pixel is selected to calculate absolute differences between the gray level value of the selected pixel and that of the other pixels. Then, these differences are used to generate a histogram and the histogram shifting method is adopted to embed data. This method, to propose an offset distortion method, exploits the feature that the change of the pixel gray level upon shifting and embedding obtained using the max difference is contrary to that obtained using the min difference. The method of interleaving uses the max difference and the min difference to counteract the change in the gray levels of some pixels. The total of the changed gray level values is thus reduced. Therefore, the PSNR value can be increased and the quality of the stego image improved. Experimental results reveal that the proposed method yields a higher embedding capacity than that of the median difference histogram.