Design of an efficient image protection method based on QR code

This paper presents the design and the verification of an efficient image protection method based on the QR code, which is a type of two-dimensional barcode widely used in various fields. For this purpose, we design a new image protection system consisting of a secure image generator and a secure image recognizer. One adds a new pre-processing block to the typical QR code generator and the other combines the existing QR code reader with a new post-processing block. The new architecture provides image de-identification. It is also flexible, allowing the use of text-based compression and encryption. We have implemented prototype applications for verifying the functions of the secure image generator and those of the secure image recognizer. As a result, it is shown that the proposed architecture can be used as a good solution for image privacy protection, especially in offline environments.