Color image watermarking via Quaternion Radial Tchebichef Moments

Abstract

This paper introduces a new set of 2D transforms, called Quaternion Radial Tchebichef Moments (QRTMs), in color image watermarking. The proposed scheme constitutes the first attempt in moment-based color image watermarking. The watermark logo information is iteratively embedded enhancing its integrity with the application of the majority-vote decision rule in the detector side. Scheme's robustness and imperceptibility, two of the most crucial issues in image watermarking, are investigated under desynchronization and common signal processing attacks including rotation, scaling, JPEG compression, additive noise and median filtering. QRTMs have no numerical instabilities and stay robust under the majority of the attacking conditions overcoming the performance of a recently proposed color image watermarking's scheme. Moreover the image assessment of the produced watermarked images proves the high level of imperceptibility.