Adaptive wavelet transform algorithm for lossy image compression

A new algorithm of locally adaptive wavelet transform based on the modified lifting scheme is presented. It performs an adaptation of the wavelet high-pass filter at the prediction stage to the local image data activity. The proposed algorithm uses the generalized framework for the lifting scheme that permits to obtain easily different wavelet filter coefficients in the case of the (∼N, N) lifting. Changing wavelet filter order and different control parameters, one can obtain the desired filter frequency response. It is proposed to perform the hard switching between different wavelet lifting filter outputs according to the local data activity estimate. The proposed adaptive transform possesses a good energy compaction. The designed algorithm was tested on different images. The obtained simulation results show that the visual and quantitative quality of the restored images is high. The distortions are less in the vicinity of high spatial activity details comparing to the non-adaptive transform, which introduces ringing artifacts. The designed algorithm can be used for lossy image compression and in the noise suppression applications.