Lossless image compression using an edge adapted lifting predictor

We present a novel and computationally simple prediction stage in a Daubechies 5/3 - like lifting structure for lossless image compression. In the 5/3 wavelet, the prediction filter predicts the value of an odd-indexed polyphase component as the mean of its immediate neighbors belonging to the even-indexed polyphase components. The new edge adaptive predictor, however, predicts according to a local gradient direction estimator of the image. As a result, the prediction domain is allowed to flip + or -45 degrees with respect to the horizontal or vertical axes in regions with diagonal gradient. We have obtained good compression results with conventional lossless wavelet coders.