Iterative embedding-based reversible watermarking for 2D-vector maps

Reversible watermarking aims to restore the original data after watermark extraction, which is more suitable for copyright protection of 2D-vector maps. In this paper, we present a reversible watermarking strategy for 2D-vector maps based on iterative embedding. It begins with vertex grouping of each polyline. Then only the highly correlated data sets are selected as the cover data for iterative embedding. Finally, the iterative embedding is carried out by reversibly modifying the median vertex coordinates of each selected embedding unit. The original vector data can be strictly recovered with accurate watermark extraction. Meanwhile, both higher payload capacity and better invisibility are proved through both theoretical analysis and comprehensive experimental validations. Experimental results show that the proposed reversible watermarking method is very suitable for 2D-vector map copyright protection and secret communication.