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Contrast-enhanced visual cryptography schemes based on block pixel patterns

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Abstract

Block-wise visual cryptography scheme is size invariant and it provides perfect security. It eliminates pixel expansion and security problems but it faces contrast glitches in decrypted images. The encryption is performed on a block of pixels rather than a single pixel. In this paper, we have proposed a contrast-enhanced block-wise scheme in which the encryption of the block is based on the selection of the block-pixel pattern. The selection of the block pattern depends on the image types. We have constructed algorithms for the decomposition of blocks based on various block-pixel patterns and conducted an experimental study on a thousand different natural, text, horizontal striped, vertical striped and zigzag striped images. Furthermore, we have made an evaluation based on horizontal, vertical, square, zigzag, and snake block pixel patterns. Experiments were performed on (2, 2), (2, n), (n, n) and (k, n) visual cryptography schemes. The study reveals that the selection of a block-pixel pattern plays an inevitable role in the encryption, and attains a better contrast to the recovered image.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Information Technology, Kannur University, Kannur, Kerala, 670 567, India

    T E Jisha

  2. Department of Computer Science, Mary Matha Arts & Science College, Kannur University, Mananthavady, Wayanad, Kerala, 670 645, India

    Thomas Monoth

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  1. T E Jisha
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Jisha, T.E., Monoth, T. Contrast-enhanced visual cryptography schemes based on block pixel patterns. Int. j. inf. tecnol. 15, 2445–2455 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41870-023-01286-8

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