Robust Scaling-Based Image Watermarking Using Maximum-Likelihood Decoder With Optimum Strength Factor

In this paper, a new scaling-based image-adaptive watermarking system has been presented, which exploits human visual model for adapting the watermark data to local properties of the host image. Its improved robustness is due to embedding in the low-frequency wavelet coefficients and optimal control of its strength factor from HVS point of view. Maximum-likelihood (ML) decoder is used aided by the channel side information. The performance of the proposed scheme is analytically calculated and verified by simulation. Experimental results confirm the imperceptibility of the proposed method and its higher robustness against attacks compared to alternative watermarking methods in the literature.