A New Watermarking Algorithm Based on Human Visual System for Content Integrity Verification of Region of Interest

Abstract

This paper proposes a semi-fragile, robust-to-JPEG2000 compression watermarking method which is based on the Human Visual System (HVS). This method is designed to verify the content integrity of Region of Interest (ROI) in tele-radiology images. The design of watermarking systems based on HVS leads to the possibility of embedding watermarks in places that are not obvious to the human eye. In this way, notwithstanding increased capacity and robustness, it becomes possible to hide more watermarks. Based on perceptual model of HVS, we propose a new watermarking scheme that embeds the watermarks using a replacement method. Thus, the proposed method not only detects the watermarks but also extracts them. The novelty of our ROI-based method is in the way that we interpret the obtained coefficients of the HVS perceptual model: instead of interpreting these coefficients as weights, we assume them to be embedding locations. In our method, the information to be embedded is extracted from inter-subband statistical relations of ROI. Then, the semi-fragile watermarks are embedded in the obtained places in level 3 of the DWT decomposition of the Region of Background (ROB). The compatibility of the embedded signatures and extracted watermarks is used to verify the content of ROI. Our simulations confirm improved fidelity and robustness.