Reversible data hiding scheme with high embedding capacity using semi-indicator-free strategy

This work presents a novel reversible data-hiding scheme which embeds secret data into a side matched Vector Quantization (SMVQ)-compressed image, and achieves lossless reconstruction of a Vector Quantization (VQ)-compressed image. The rather random distributed histogram of a VQ-compressed image can be re-located to locations close to zero by SMVQ prediction. Thus, fewer bits can be used to encode SMVQ indices with very small values, and no indicator is required to encode these indices, which yields extra hiding space to hide secret data. Consequently, high embedding capacity and low bit rate scenarios can be deposited. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and reversibility of the proposed scheme. Moreover, in terms of the embedding rate, the bit rate, and the embedding capacity, experimental results show that the performance of the proposed scheme is better than those of the former data hiding schemes for VQ-based and VQ/SMVQ-based compressed images.