Abstract
We propose an adaptively synchronous scalable spread spectrum (A4S) data-hiding strategy to integrate disparate data, needed for a typical 3-D visualization, into a single JPEG2000 for- mat file. JPEG2000 encoding provides a standard format on one hand and the needed multiresolution for scalability on the other. The method has the potential of being imperceptible and robust at the same time. While the spread spectrum (SS) methods are known for the high robustness they offer, our data-hiding strategy is removable at the same time, which ensures highest possible visualization qual- ity. The SS embedding of the discrete wavelet transform (DWT)- domain depth map is carried out in transform domain YCrCb com- ponents from the JPEG2000 coding stream just after the DWT stage. To maintain synchronization, the embedding is carried out while taking into account the correspondence of subbands. Since security is not the immediate concern, we are at liberty with the strength of embedding. This permits us to increase the robustness and bring the reversibility of our method. To estimate the maximum tolerable error in the depth map according to a given viewpoint, a human visual system (HVS)-based psychovisual analysis is also presented.