Reversible data hiding scheme with high payload for JPEG images
In 2008 Lin et al. proposed a reversible steganographic method with a high payload for JPEG images. Because modifying the quantized DCT coefficients may lead to serious image distortion, Lin et al. embedded the secrets into the middle frequency of the quantized DCT coefficients. Moreover, they limited the number of nonzero values of the quantized DCT coefficients involved in the data hiding procedure. To improve on Lin et al.'s hiding capacity while improving the image quality of the stego-image, this paper proposes a new hiding strategy based on clustering. Experimental results confirm our proposed scheme not only provides a higher payload than either Chang et al.'s or Lin et al.'s scheme but also offers better image quality of the stego-image.