Lossless data hiding using histogram shifting method based on integer wavelets

This paper proposes a histogram shifting method for image lossless data hiding in integer wavelet transform domain. This algorithm hides data into wavelet coefficients of high frequency subbands. It shifts a part of the histogram of high frequency wavelet subbands and thus embeds data by using the created histogram zero-point. This shifting process may be sequentially carried out if necessary. Histogram modification technique is applied to prevent overflow and underflow. The performance of this proposed technique in terms of the data embedding payload versus the visual quality of marked images is compared with that of the existing lossless data hiding methods implemented in the spatial domain, integer cosine transform domain, and integer wavelet transform domain. The experimental results have demonstrated the superiority of the proposed method over the existing methods. That is, the proposed method has a larger embedding payload in the same visual quality (measured by PSNR (peak signal noise ratio)) or has a higher PSNR in the same payload.