Abstract

With the explosive growth of digital imaging and widespread image sharing, issues related to ownership verification and intellectual property protection have come to the forefront. Visible watermarking presents an effective technique to assert image authenticity and discourage unauthorized use. This work proposes a VLSI-based architecture for embedding visible watermarks directly within the image capture process in secure still digital cameras. The implementation focuses on low power, high speed, and efficient silicon area utilization, making it viable for integration into modern consumer electronic devices. The proposed design enhances image security at the point of origin, minimizing vulnerability to post-capture tampering.