Wavelet Transform
Wavelet Transform Coding: Multiresolution approach
Encoder
Input image
Wavelet Symbol
(NxN) Quantizer
transform encoder
Compressed
image
Decoder
Decompressed Inverse
Symbol
image wavelet
decoder
transform
Unlike DFT and DCT, Wavelet transform is a multiresolution transform.
Multiresolution
• If the objects are small in size / low in contrast –
high resolutions
• If the objects are large in size / high in contrast –
low resolutions (a coarse view)
• If both small & large objects / low or high
contrast objects are present simultaneously, it
can be advantageous to study them at several
resolutions – multiresolution processing
Wavelet History: Image Pyramid
If we smooth and then down sample an image repeatedly, we will
get a pyramidal image:
Coarser, decrease (low) resolution
Finer, increase (high) resolution
Pyramidal structured image (Images from Rafael C. Gonzalez and Richard E.
Wood, Digital Image Processing, 2nd Edition.
Introduction
• The wavelet transform breaks an image down into four
subsampled, or decimated, images.
• They are subsampled by keeping every other pixel.
• The results consist of
– one image that has been highpass filtered in both the
horizontal and vertical directions,
– one that has been highpass filtered in the vertical and
lowpass filtered in the horizontal,
– one that has been lowpassed in the vertical and
highpassed in the horizontal, and
– one that has been lowpass filtered in both directions.
Decomposition
Standard decomposition
• One-dimensional DWT to all the columns and
then one-dimensional DWTs to all the rows
nonstandard decomposition
• Two-dimensional wavelet by columns, then by
rows in one scale only
Filters
• Numerous filters can be used to implement
the wavelet transform, and two of the
commonly used ones, the Daubechies and the
Haar, will be explored here.
• These are separable, so they can be used to
implement a wavelet transform by first
convolving them with the rows and then the
columns.
2 common Filters
• The Haar basis vectors are
• An example of Daubechies basis vectors (there
are many others) follows:
Wavelet Transformation step
1. Convolve the lowpass filter with the rows (remember that this is done
by sliding, multiplying coincident terms, and summing the results) and
save the results. (Note: For the basis vectors as given, they do not
need to be reversed for convolution.)
2. Convolve the lowpass filter with the columns (of the results from step
1) and subsample this result by taking every other value; this gives us
the lowpass-Iowpass version of the image [LOW/LOW].
3. Convolve the result from step 1, the lowpass filtered rows, with the
highpass filter on the columns. Subsample by taking every other value
to produce the lowpass-highpass image [LOW/HIGH]
4. Convolve the original image with the highpass filter on the rows and
save the result.
5. Convolve the result from step 4 with the lowpass filter on the
columns; subsample to yield the highpass-lowpass version
[HIGH/LOW] of the image.
6. To obtain the highpass-highpass version [HIGH/HIGH], convolve the
columns of the result from step 4 with the highpass filter.
Wavelet Transformation –
multiresolution decomposition process
2D Discrete Wavelet Transformation
d = diagonal detail (LOW/LOW)
h = horizontal detail (HIGH/LOW)
Original image v = vertical detail (LOW/HIGH)
NxN a = approximation (HIGH/HIGH)
d1 h1
v1 a1
d2 h2
Level/Band/Scale 1 Level/Band/Scale 3
v2 a2
d3 h3
Level/Band/Scale 2
v3 a3
2D Discrete Wavelet Transformation (cont.)
a3 h3
h2
v3 d3
h1
v2 d2
Original image
NxN
v1 d1
Wavelet coefficients
NxN
Example of 2D Wavelet Transformation
Original
Image
Original image
Example of 2D Wavelet Transformation (cont.)
LL1 HL1
LH1 HH1
The first level wavelet decomposition
Example of 2D Wavelet Transformation (cont.)
LL2 HL2
HL1
LH2 HH2
LH1 HH1
The second level wavelet decomposition
Example of 2D Wavelet Transformation (cont.)
LL3 HL3
HL2
LH3 HH3
HL1
LH2 HH2
LH1 HH1
The third level wavelet decomposition
Example of 2D Wavelet Transformation
(Images from Rafael C. Gonzalez and Richard E.
Wood, Digital Image Processing, 2nd Edition.
Examples: Types of Wavelet Transform
Haar Daubechies
wavelets wavelets
Biorthogonal
Symlets wavelets
(Images from Rafael C. Gonzalez and Richard E.
Wood, Digital Image Processing, 2nd Edition.
