An Extended Method for Reversible Color Tone Control Using Data Hiding
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThis paper proposes an extended method for reversible color-tone control for blue and red tones. The ideas and methods in this paper have some novelty and has reference significance for image processing applications. However, there are the following points need to be considered and revised by the author.
1. First of all, in the introduction, authors should clearly highlight the novelty and contribution of the work, preferably with a bulleted or enumerated list.
2. All tables should be in the form of three-line table, and the table title should be placed above the table.
3. Some statements are missing punctuation, such as : at the end of the word "plane" in line 75, at the end of the word "image" in line 92, at the end of the word "coefficients" in line 218, etc.
4. What are the specific application scenarios of the method proposed in this paper? It need to be elaborated in detail in the introduction.
5. The main performance indicators of this scheme should be compared with the results of similar schemes published recently.
Comments on the Quality of English Language
The English expression in this paper can basically be understood by readers.
Author Response
別紙をご覧ください。
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe paper proposes an extended method for reversible color-tone control, focusing on blue and red tones in color images.
1. Some paragraphs contain dense technical explanations that could be clarified for better readability. Consider breaking down complex explanations into simpler, more digestible chunks to improve comprehension, especially for readers less familiar with the subject matter.
2. Given the significance of the proposed method and the potential impact it could have in the field of image processing, I recommend acceptance of the paper after major revisions. The authors should address the comments and suggestions provided, focusing on improving the clarity of technical explanations, enhancing the depth of analysis in experimental results, and discussing the practical implications of the proposed method.
3. While the experimental results are comprehensive, the paper would benefit from a more in-depth analysis of the observed trends and patterns. Discussing the implications of the results in relation to the proposed method's effectiveness and limitations would strengthen the paper's contribution.
4. The paper lacks a discussion on the practical implications and potential applications of the proposed method. Including a section on real-world applications and comparative advantages over existing techniques would enhance the paper's relevance and impact.
5. The introduction of separate reference areas for blue and red tones and the rationale behind it add depth to the proposed method's conceptual framework. How does the proposed method address the challenges identified in the previous method [14], particularly in terms of achieving constant and gradual control of enhancement intensity?
6. The inclusion of quantitative assessments, such as PSNR and SSIM values, enhances the rigor of the experimental evaluation and supports the validity of the findings. Can you elaborate on the specific criteria used to select the images for the experiments and how they represent diverse scenarios encountered in practical applications?
7. What are the next steps or potential avenues for future research building upon the findings of this study, especially in terms of further refining the proposed method or exploring its applications in specific domains?
8. The restoration process is clearly described and involves three key steps: data extraction, re-derivation of correction coefficients, and recovery of original pixel values. Provide additional insights into the significance of each step and how they contribute to achieving perfect restoration of the original image.
9. The explanation of data embedding for perfect reversibility is comprehensive and highlights the importance of embedding recovery information into the image. Consider providing more details on how the recovery information is embedded into the R and B components using the PEE-HS method and how the LSB of the G component is utilized for component identification.
10. The process of recovering original pixel values is crucial for achieving perfect restoration. Clarify how rounding errors are addressed and how the original values are retrieved using the location map and recovery information.
11. Can you discuss the computational complexity of the restoration process, especially in terms of processing time and memory usage? How does it scale with the size and complexity of the input image?
12. How does the proposed method ensure the integrity and security of the embedded recovery information, especially in scenarios where the output image may undergo further processing or transmission?
13. Explain the rationale behind embedding the recovery information into the R component for blue enhancement and the B component for red enhancement? Are there specific advantages to this approach compared to embedding into other color components?
14. How is the location map compressed using the JBIG2 standard, and what benefits does this compression technique offer in terms of storage efficiency and retrieval speed during the restoration process?
15. What are the main advantages of the proposed method compared to existing techniques for image restoration and recovery? How does it contribute to advancing the state-of-the-art in reversible color-tone control?
16. The paper introduces the proposed solution as an extension method to achieve constant and gradual control of enhancement intensity and independent control of each color tone. Provide more insights into how the proposed method addresses the identified issues and improves upon the previous approach.
17. How the proposed method calculates correction coefficients separately for blue and red tones? What factors are considered in this calculation process?
18. What criteria are used to determine the optimal size and location of reference areas in the proposed method? How do these criteria contribute to achieving uniform and gradual control of enhancement intensity?
19. There are opportunities to enhance their clarity and interpretability. For example, Figure 7 and Table 1 present numerical results for blue enhancement, but it is unclear how these values relate to the proposed method's performance compared to the previous method. Including additional annotations or captions to explain the significance of the numerical values and their implications for the research findings would improve the reader's understanding.
20. These results require further investigation and comparison. While the performance, design, and investigation have potential to enhance the research, they need comprehensive investigation based on theories, implementation, scientific modeling, and comprehensive analysis. The mathematical modeling and analysis should be reconsidered to ensure alignment with the accuracy of the results. Many improvements in result accuracy and reanalysis are needed to align with the system's accuracy and outcomes.
21. The analysis presented in the paper Is insufficient. Both the literature review and the results lack depth and require greater comprehensiveness. Furthermore, the research methodology needs to be explained in terms of its adoption and requires more in-depth scrutiny and comparisons with previous research. Additionally, the data needs to be validated, and the conclusions and future work need to be improved.
22. It is important to provide proper citations for equations that are not derived from this work in order to acknowledge their original sources.
Comments on the Quality of English Language
Extensive revisions
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 3 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsIn this paper, the authors propose a reversible tone enhancement method that allows constant control of the enhancement intensity regardless of image features.
The introduction surveys the state-of-the-art in the field, the references are generally well chosen, up-to-date and relevant for the approached topic.
Please revise the following issues:
1) Please check the correctness of term "enhancement intensity" which appears throughout the paper. Shouldn't it be "intensity enhancement", or "enhancement of intensity"? From the manuscript, the reader understands that the proposed method gradually improves (or enhances) the intensity, therefore the expression "enhancement intensity" does not make much sense; please check and correct (throughout the paper) if this is the case, or otherwise explain more clearly the meaning.
2) Explain more clearly the equations (4); why the coefficients Kb and Kr depend on the mean value Gimg of the G (green) component.
3) The equations (1) and (2) describing the RGB to YDbDr and YDbDr to RGB conversion are not identical to the ones given in literature; for instance, see the sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YDbDr
https://handwiki.org/wiki/YDbDr
In the above sources, the conversion matrices have completely different values; please explain these inconsistencies; are there two versions of conversion between the RGB and YDbDr color spaces? Please indicate exactly the source of the given equations (in seems paper [15]) and explain this difference.
4) On line 177: "The LSB is replaced to 1 in the case of red enhancement, and viceversa." - please specify clearly, what means here "viceversa"? It means that LSB takes the value zero for blue enhancement? This should be specified.
On line 180: "this bit is first referenced to identify the marked component" - reformulate more clearly, what is the "marked component"?
On line 181: " the information for the preprocessing" - what exactly is this information?
On line 215: please explain why "Gimg is a unique value in each image"
5) In sub-section 3.1.3, it would be useful to give a concrete numerical example with a full set of recovery information (DbareaB , DrareaR , rounded value of Gimg, information for preprocessing, the original LSB in the G component, and the information on rounding errors)
6) Figures should be placed in text after they are mentioned, not before (for instance figure 6).
7) In Conclusions, authors say "The proposed method, however, targets the blue and red tones only" ; is there any reason why specifically the blue and red tones are approached? What about the third component, the green tone? Can the proposed method be applied to all the three tones (R, G, B) simultaneously? Please give some comments on this issue.
8) GRAMMAR: language, grammar and style should be checked and revised throughout the paper; make the following corrections as suggested below:
In Abstract:
has an issue that there are some cases where the enhancement intensity cannot be controlled flexibly -> has the drawback that the enhancement intensity cannot be controlled flexibly in some cases
line 41: in stead -> instead
line 44: a tone-enhanced image are derived -> a tone-enhanced image is derived
line 51: one reference area each for the blue and red tones -> separate reference areas for the blue and red tones, respectively
line 53: of both the tones -> of both tones
line 68: RGB color space and used in -> RGB color space, used in
line 75: plane In this method -> plane. In this method
line 84: for each R, G, and B components are obtained by -> for the R, G and B components are given by / are expressed as
line 86: color tone enhancement could be attained -> color tone enhancement could be achieved
line 88: gives little influence on -> has little influence on
line 92: image For example -> image. For example
line 99: There are two factors for this. -> There are two factors responsible for this drawback.
line 141: of each reference area -> of the blue and red reference areas
line 159: overflows may be caused by multiplying pixel values by -> overflows may appear when multiplying pixel values by
line 177: The LSB is replaced to 1 -> The LSB is set to 1 / The LSB takes the value 1
line 181: consists of the followings: -> consists of the following:
line 216: takes their values -> take their values
line 226: both the mean values -> both mean values
line 239: are defined as -> are defined such that ; so that -> therefore,
line 281: On another front, -> From another viewpoint, ; output-image -> output image ; improving enhancement intensity (?)
line 291: constantly and gradually enhances -> constantly and gradually enhance
9) REFERENCES:
Check that references are written in uniform style, according to the available template.
Some paper titles are in simple case (only first word beginning with a majuscule), others in title case (all words beginning with a majuscule); please check and correct.
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageThe grammar, language and style should be revised; some suggestions for corrections were notified in comments to the authors.
Author Response
Please see the attachment.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsIn my opinion, the authors have taken into account the observations and comments made previously. Therefore, I recommend to accept this manuscript.
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageThe English expression is clear and can basically be understood.
Reviewer 2 Report
Comments and Suggestions for AuthorsThe authors have addressed all the concerned comments and suggestions given by the reviewer.
Comments on the Quality of English LanguageModerate revisions.
