William A. Pearlman

Director, Center for Image Processing Research
Professor, Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering Department
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY 12180-3590
Tel: 518-276-6082
Fax: 518-276-8715

Biography

Since 1979 Dr. Pearlman has been with the ECSE Department at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where he is currently Professor and Director of the Center for Image Processing Research (CIPR). During the 1985-1986 academic year, and again for the spring semester in 1993, he was on sabbatical leave as Visiting Professor and Lady Davis Scholar in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. He also held a Visiting Professor Chair at Delft University of Technology in Delft, the Netherlands in 1993, and has been an IBM Visiting Scientist in the IBM-Rio Scientific Center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1988. During the Summer of 2001, he was in residence as Visiting Professor at the University of Hannover in Hannover, Germany. His research interests are in information theory, source coding theory, image, video and audio coding, and image processing. He has authored or co-authored about 200 publications in these fields. He has taught courses in probability and random processes, digital signal processing, communication systems, digital communications, information theory, image coding, data compression, and detection and estimation theory.

Dr. Pearlman is a Fellow of the IEEE and a Fellow of SPIE. He has served on the steering committee of SPIE's Visual Communications and Image Processing Conference since its inception in 1986, and in 1989 was the conference chairman. He has also served on technical program committees of several IEEE conferences and several proposal review panels for the National Scince Foundation. He was a past Associate Editor of Coding for the IEEE Transactions on Image Processing. He has been an active delegate to the ISO/JPEG2000 Working Group charged to set a new international standard for still image compression. He received the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society 1998 Video Transactions Best Paper Award and the IEEE Signal Processing Society 1998 Best Paper Award in the Area of Multidimensional Signal and Image Processing. On 27 June, 2001, he was awarded a prize from the Robert Bosch Foundation for distinguished contributions to the field of picture coding. Dr. Pearlman is also engaged as Chief Technical Officer of PrimaComp, Inc., a small company that markets software for image and video compression.

Dr. Pearlman is perhaps best known as co-inventor of two celebrated image compression algorithms: Set Partitioning in Hierarchical Trees (SPIHT) with Amir Said ; and Set Partitioning Embeddeded bloCK (SPECK) Coder with Asad Islam (Conference Paper) (Journal Article). For coding examples using these algorithms, the following links are provided:

• Example of SPIHT and EZW
• Example of SPECK

Presentations

• The Set Partitioning In Hierarchical Trees (SPIHT) Algorithm, tutorial presented to the JPEG2000 Working Group, November 1997.
• The Art and Practice of Modern Image Compression, Keynote Address, Visual Communications and Image Processing 2001, SPIE/IS&T Photonics West - Electronic Imaging, San Jose, CA, Jan. 26, 2001.
• Picture Coding Seminar at University of Hannover, 4 lectures on Set Partition Coding, Summer 2001.
• Error Resilient Compression and Transmission of Scalable Video, presented at Free University of Brussels (VUB), Brussels, Belgium on June 29, 2001.
• Presentation at SPIE 2002 Annual Meeting (PPT)
  1. SPIHT AVI file
  2. MPEG AVI file
  3. Original AVI file
• The Future of Image Compression, Invited Plenary Presenation at IEEE Data Compression Conference 2008, Snowbird, Utah, March 25, 2008.

Research Interests

• Lossless and Lossy Image Compression
  • SPIHT Homepage
• Video Compression
• Audio and Biological Signal Compression
• Three-Dimensional Image Compression
• Information Theory, Quantization and Rate-Distortion Theory
• Filter and Filter Bank Design, Image Processing
• Security and Watermarking

Selected Publications

Lossless and Lossy Image Compression

• Y. Cho and W. A. Pearlman, "Hierarchical Dynamic Range Coding of Wavelet Subbands for Fast and Efficient Image Compression," IEEE Trans. on Image Processing, Vol. 16, No. 8, pp. 2005-2015, Aug. 2007. PDF Preprint.

• Y. Cho and W. A. Pearlman, "Quantifying the Performance of Zerotrees of Wavelet Coefficients: Degree-k Zerotree Model," IEEE Trans. on Signal Processing , Vol. 55, Part 1, pp. 2425-2431, June 2007. PDF Preprint.

• S. Yea, W. A. Pearlman, "A Wavelet-Based Two-Stage Near-Lossless Coder," IEEE Trans. on Image Processing , Vol. 15, pp. 3488--3500, Nov. 2006. PDF Preprint.

• Y. Cho, W. A. Pearlman, and A. Said, "Low Complexity Resolution Progressive Image Coding Algorithm: Progres (Progressive Resolution Decompression)," IEEE Int. Conference on Image Processing 2005 (ICIP 2005), Sept. 2005. PDF Preprint.

• Y. Cho and W. A. Pearlman, "Quantifying the Coding Power of Zerotrees of Wavelet Coefficients: A Degree-k Zerotree Model," IEEE Int. Conference on Image Processing 2005 (ICIP 2005), Sept. 2005. PDF Preprint.

• S. Yea and W. A. Pearlman, "Critical Rate in Combined De-noising and Compression," IEEE Int. Conference on Image Processing 2005 (ICIP 2005), Sept. 2005. PDF Preprint.

• Y. Cho, S. Cho, and W. A. Pearlman, "Fast and constant time random access decoding with log2(n) block seek time," Storage and Retrieval Methods and Applications for Multimedia 2005, IS&T/SPIE Symposium on Electronic Imaging, 2005, Proc. SPIE 5682, pp. 10-17, Jan. 2005. PDF.

• W. A. Pearlman, A. Islam, N. Nagaraj, and A. Said, "Efficient, Low-Complexity Image Coding with a Set-Partitioning Embedded Block Coder," IEEE Trans. Circuits and Systems for Video Technology , Vol. 14, pp. 1219-1235, Nov. 2004. PDF.

• S. Yea, A. Said, and W. A. Pearlman, "Efficient Image Coding for Access to Pixel Ranges," IEEE Int. Conf. on Image Processing (ICIP 2004), Paper MA-P5.10, Oct. 25-27, 2004. PDF.

• M. Penedo, W. A. Pearlman, P. G. Tahoces, M. Souto, and J. J. Vidal, "Region-Based Wavelet Coding Methods for Digital Mammography," IEEE Trans. on Medical Imaging, Vol. 22, pp. 1288-1296, Oct. 2003. PDF

• U. Bayazit and W. A. Pearlman, "Algorithmic Modifications to SPIHT," IEEE Int. Conf. on Image Processing (ICIP 2001), Thessaloniki, Greece., Oct. 2001. PDF

• W. A. Pearlman, "Trends of Tree-Based, Set Partitioning Compression Techniques in Still and Moving Image Systems," Proceedings Picture Coding Symposium 2001 (PCS-2001), Seoul, Korea, 25-27 April, 2001, pp. 1-8. (Invited, keynote paper) PDF

• F. W. Wheeler and W. A. Pearlman, "Combined Spatial and Subband Block Coding of Images," IEEE Int. Conf. on Image Processing (ICIP2001), Vancouver, BC, Canada, Sept., 2000. PDF

• F. W. Wheeler and W. A. Pearlman, "SPIHT Image Compression without Lists," IEEE Int. Conf. on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP 2000), Istanbul, Turkey, June 5-9, 2000. PDF

• C. Chrysafis, A. Said, A. Drukarev, A. Islam, and W. A. Pearlman, "SBHP- A Low Complexity Wavelet Coder," IEEE Int. Conf. on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP 2000), Istanbul, Turkey, June 5-9, 2000. PDF RTF

• A. Sariel, P. Das, and W. A. Pearlman, "Implementation of Wavelet Transform Image Compression Algorithms Using Associative Computing Based DSP Chips," SPIE Conference on Wavelet Applications VI, Proc. SPIE Vol. 3723, pp. 224-238, April 1999. Compressed PS

• F. W. Wheeler and W. A. Pearlman, "Low-Memory Packetized SPIHT Image Compression," Thirty-Third Annual Asilomar Conference on Signals, Systems, and Computers, Pacific Grove, CA, Oct. 24-27, 1999 , INVITED PAPER. PDF

• X. Zou and W. A. Pearlman, "Lapped Orthogonal Transform Coding by Amplitude and Group Partitioning," in Applications of Digital Image Processing XXII, Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 3808, pp. 293-304, 1999. PDF

• A. Islam and W. A. Pearlman, "An Embedded and Efficient Low-Complexity Hierarchical Image Coder," Visual Communications and Image Processing '99, Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 3653, pp. 294-305, Jan. 1999. PDF

• W. A. Pearlman and A. Said, "A Survey of the State of the Art and Utilization of Embedded, Tree-Based Coding," Proc. 1998 IEEE Int. Symp. On Circuits and Systems, Monterey, CA, May 31-June 3, 1998 (invited paper). Compressed PS

• W.A. Pearlman, "High Performance, Low Complexity Image Compression," (Keynote Address), Applications of Digital Image Processing XX, SPIE Int. Symposium on Opt. Sci., Engrg. and Instrumentation, Proc. SPIE 3164, pp. 234-246, August 1997. PDF Compressed PS

• A. Said and W.A. Pearlman, "Low-Complexity Waveform Coding via Alphabet and Sample-Set Partitioning," in Visual Communications and Image Processing '97, Proc. SPIE Vol. 3024, pp. 25-37, February 1997. PDF

• A. Said and W.A. Pearlman, "An Image Multiresolution Representaion for Lossless and Lossy Compression, "IEEE Trans. on Image Processing, vol. 5, pp. 1303--1310, Sept. 1996. PDF Preprint

• R. Sriram, J.M. Francos, and W.A. Pearlman, "Texture Coding Using a Wold Decomposition Model," IEEE Transactions on Image Processing, vol. 5, pp. 1382--1386, Sept. 1996. Compressed PS

• A. Said and W.A. Pearlman, "A New Fast and Efficient Image Codec Based on Set Partitioning in Hierarchical Trees, "IEEE Trans. on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology, vol. 6., pp. 243--250, June 1996. PDF Preprint

• L. Lu and W.A. Pearlman, "Algorithms for Intervector Dependency Utilization in Variable Rate Tree-Structured Vector Quantization," Visual Communications and Image Processing '96, Proc. SPIE 2727, pp. 251-262, Mar. 1996. Compressed PS

• U. Bayazit and W.A. Pearlman, "Image Subband Coding Using an Information-Theoretic Subband Splitting Criterion," in Still-Image Compression, IS&T/SPIE's Symp. on Electronic Imaging, Proc. SPIE 2418, pp. 199-210, Feb. 1995. Compressed PS

Research Interests

Video Compression

• S. Cho and W. A. Pearlman,"Multilayered Protection of Embedded Video Bitstreams over Binary Symmetric and Packet Erasure Channels," J. Visual Communication and Image Representation, Vol. 16, pp. 359-378, June 2005. PDF.

• M. Farshchian, S. Cho, and W. A. Pearlman, "Optimal error protection for real time image and video transmission," IEEE Signal Processing Letters, Vol. 11, pp. 780-783, Oct. 2004. PDF.

• S. Cho and W. A. Pearlman,"Error Resilient Video Coding with Improved 3-D SPIHT and Error Concealment," SPIE/IS&T Electronic Imaging 2003, Proceedings SPIE Vol. 5022, pp. 125-136, Jan. 2003. PDF.

• S. Cho and W. A. Pearlman, "Error Resilience and Recovery in Streaming of Embedded Video," Signal Processing , Special Issue on Image and Video Coding Beyond Standards, Vol. 82, pp. 1545-1558, Nov. 2002 (invited paper). PDF

• S. Cho and W. A. Pearlman, "A Full-Featured, Error Resilient, Scalable Wavelet Video Codec Based on the Set Partitioning in Hierarchical Trees (SPIHT) Algorithm," IEEE Trans. Circuits and Systems for Video Technology, Vol. 12, pp. 151-170, Mar. 2002. PDF

• S. Cho and W. A. Pearlman,"Embedded video compression with error resilience and error concealment," Visual Communications and Image Processing 2002, Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 4671, pp. 19-27, Jan. 21-23, 2002. PDF

• Z. Lu and W. A. Pearlman, "Motion Compensated Two-link Chain Coding for Binary Shape Sequence," Visual Communications and Image Processing 2002, Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 4671, pp. 356-362, Jan. 21-23, 2002, PDF; also submitted to IEEE Trans. Circuits and Systems for Video Technology, Aug. 2002, PDF.

• S. Cho and W. A. Pearlman, "Unequal Error Protection of Embedded Video Bitstreams," Applications of Digital Image Processing XXIV, SPIE Annual Meeting, Proceedings SPIE 4472, July 29-Aug. 3, 2001. PDF

• Z. Lu and W. A. Pearlman, "Wavelet Video Coding of Video Object by Object-Based SPECK Algorithm," Picture Coding Symposium (PCS-2001), Seoul, Korea, 25-27 April, 2001, pp. 413-416. PDF

• S. Cho and W. A. Pearlman, "Region-Based SPIHT Coding and Multiresolution Decoding," Picture Coding Symposium (PCS-2001) , Seoul, Korea, 25-27 April, 2001, pp. 283-286. PDF

• B-J. Kim, Z. Xiong, and W. A. Pearlman, "Low Bit-Rate Scalable Video Coding with 3D Set Partitioning in Hierarchical Trees (3D SPIHT)," IEEE Trans. Circuits and Systems for Video Technology, Vol. 10, pp. 1374-1387, Dec. 2000. Compressed PS

• Z. Lu and W. A. Pearlman, "Semi-Automatic Semantic Object Extraction for Video Coding," IEEE Int. Conf. on Image Processing (ICIP 2000), Vancouver, BC, Canada, Sept. 2000. Compressed PS

• S. Cho and W. A. Pearlman, "Error Resilient Compression and Transmission of Scalable Video," Applications of Digital Image Processing XXIII, Proceedings SPIE 4115, 2000. PDF

• Z. Lu and W. A. Pearlman, "Semi-Automatic Semantic Video Object Extraction," International Conference and Multimedia Expo 2000, New York, NY, July 2000. PDF

• B-J. Kim, Z. Xiong, W. A. Pearlman, and Y . S. Kim, "Progressive Video Coding for Noisy Channels," J. Visual Communication and Image Representation, Vol. 10, pp. 173-185, 1999. PDF

• Z. Xiong, B-J. Kim, and W, A. Pearlman, "Progressive Video Coding for Noisy Channels," IEEE Int. Conf. On Image Processing (ICIP'98), Paper No. MA09_05, Chicago, IL, Oct. 1998.

• B-J. Kim and W. A. Pearlman, "Fast Color-Embedded Video Coding with SPIHT," abstract in Proc. 1998 Data Compression Conference, Mar. 1998. PDF

• U. Bayazit and W.A. Pearlman, "A Rate-Constrained Block Matching Algorithm for Video Coding," Journal of Electronic Imaging, VCIP'97 Prize Paper Section, , Vol. 7, pp. 145-154, January 1998. PDF

• B-J. Kim and W.A. Pearlman, "Low-Delay Embedded Video Coding with SPIHT", Proc. SPIE 3309, Visual Communications and Image Processing'98, pp. 955-964, Jan. 1998. PDF

• B-J. Kim and W.A. Pearlman, "An Embedded Wavelet Video Coder Using Three-Dimensional Set Partitioning in Hierarchical Trees," IEEE Data Compression Conference, pp. 251-260, March 1997. Compressed PS

• Y. Chen and W.A. Pearlman, "Three-Dimensional Subband Coding of Video Using the Zerotree Method", Visual Communications and Image Processing '96, Proc. SPIE 2727, pp. 1302-1312, Mar. 1996. Compressed PS

Research Interests

Three-Dimensional Image Compression

• Y. Liu and W. A. Pearlman, "Scalable Three-Dimensional SBHP Algorithm with Region of Interest Access and Low Complexity," Applications of Digital Image Processing XXIX , Proc. SPIE Vol. 6312, pp. 631209-1--11, Aug. 2006. PDF Preprint.

• E. Christophe and W. A. Pearlman, "Three-dimensional SPIHT Coding of Volume Images with Random Access and Resolution Scalability," submitted to Eurasip J. on Image and Video Processing, Sep. 11, 2007. PDF.

• E. Christophe and W. A. Pearlman, "Three-dimensional SPIHT Coding of Volume Images with Random Access and Resolution Scalability," Proc. Asilomar Conf. on Signals, Systems, and Computers, , pp. 1897-1901, Pacific Grove, CA, Oct.-Nov. 2006. PDF.

• X. Tang and W. A. Pearlman, "Three-Dimensional Wavelet-Based Compression of Hyperspectral Images," Chapter in Hyperspectral Data Compression, Kluwer Academic Publishers 2005. PDF.

• X. Tang and W. A. Pearlman, "Progressive resolution coding of hyperspectral images featuring region of interest access," SPIE Defense & Security 2005, Visual Information Processing XIV, Proc. SPIE 5817, pp. 570-580, April 2005. PDF.

• S. Yea, S. Cho, and W. A. Pearlman, "Integrated Lossy, Near-lossless, and Lossless Compression of Medical Volumetric Data," Image and Video Communications and Processing 2005, IS&T/SPIE Symposium on Electronic Imaging, 2005, Proc. SPIE 5685, Vol. 2, pp. 151-159, Jan. 2005. PDF.

• X. Tang and W. A. Pearlman, "Lossy-to-Lossless Block-Based Compression of Hyperspectral Volumetric Data," IEEE Int. Conf. on Image Processing (ICIP 2004), Paper WP-P3.6, Oct. 25-27, 2004. PDF.

• S. Cho, D. Kim, and W. A. Pearlman, "Lossless compression of volumetric medical images with improved 3-D SPIHT algorithm," Journal of Digital Imaging , Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 57-63, March 2004. PDF.

• I. Ueno and W. A. Pearlman,"Region of Interest Coding in Volumetric Images with Shape-Adaptive Wavelet Transform," SPIE/IS&T Electronic Imaging 2003, Proceedings SPIE Vol. 5022, Jan. 2003. PDF.

• X. Tang, W. A. Pearlman, and J. W. Modestino, "Hyperspectral Image Compression Using Three-Dimensional Wavelet Coding," SPIE/IS&T Electronic Imaging 2003, Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 5022, Jan. 2003. PDF.

• Y. S. Kim and W. A. Pearlman, "Stripe-Based SPIHT Lossy Compression of Volumetric Medical Images for Low Memory Usage and Uniform Reconstruction Quality," IEEE Int. Conf. on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP 2000), Istanbul, Turkey, June 5-9, 2000. Compressed PS

• Y. S. Kim and W. A. Pearlman, "Lossless Volumetric Image Compression," in Applications of Digital Image Processing XXII, Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 3808, pp. 305-312, 1999 . Compressed PS

• Z. Xiong, X. Wu, D. Y. Yun, and W. A. Pearlman, "Progressive Coding of Medical Volumetric Data Using Three-dimensional Integer Wavelet Packet Transform," Proc. IEEE Signal Processing Society 1998 Workshop on Multimedia Signal Processing, pp. 553-558, Dec. 1998.

Research Interests

Audio and Biological Signal Compression

• Z. Lu, D. Y. Kim, and W. A. Pearlman, "Wavelet Compression of ECG Signals by the Set Partitioning in Hierarchical Trees (SPIHT) Algorithm," IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, Vol. 47, pp. 849-856, July 2000. PDF

• Z. Lu and W. A. Pearlman, "High Quality Scalable Stereo Audio Coding," 1999. Compressed PS

• Z. Lu and W. A. Pearlman, "An Efficient, Low-Complexity Audio Coder Delivering Multiple Levels of Quality for Interactive Applications," Proc. IEEE Signal Processing Society 1998 Workshop on Multimedia Signal Processing, pp. 529-534, Dec. 1998. Compressed PS

Research Interests

Information Theory, Quantization and Rate-Distortion Theory

• J. J. Harmsen and W. A. Pearlman, "Capacity of Steganographic Channels," Submitted to IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, May 3, 2006. PDF

• J. J. Harmsen and W. A. Pearlman, "Capacity of Steganographic Channels," ACM Workshop on Multimedia Security, New York, NY, Aug. 1-3,2005. PDF

• L. Lu and W. A. Pearlman, "Conditional Entropy-Constrained Tree-Structured Vector Quantization with Applications to Sources with Memory," IEEE Transactions on Information Theory (not published). Compressed PS Compressed PS

• U. Bayazit and W.A. Pearlman, "Variable-Length Constrained-Storage Tree-Structured Vector Quantization," IEEE Trans. on Image Processing, vol. 8, pp. 321-331, March 1999. Compressed PS

• S. Rao and W. A. Pearlman, "Analysis of Linear Prediction, Coding and Spectral Estimation from Subbands," IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, vol. 42, pp.1160--1178, July 1996. Compressed PS

• A. Divakaran and W. A. Pearlman, "Information-Theoretic Performance of Quadrature Mirror Filters," IEEE Trans. on Information Theory, vol. 41, pp. 2094-2100, Nov. 1995. Compressed PS

• D.P. deGarrido and W.A. Pearlman, "Conditional Entropy-Constrained Vector Quantization: High-Rate Theory and DesignAlgorithms," IEEE Trans. on Information Theory, vol. 41, pp. 901-916, July 1995. PDF Preprint

• M. Balakrishnan, W.A. Pearlman, and L. Lu "Variable-Rate Tree-Structured Vector Quantizers," IEEE Trans. on Information Theory, vol. 41, pp. 917-930, July 1995.

• D.P. deGarrido, W.A. Pearlman, and W.A. Finamore, " A Clustering Algorithm for Entropy-Constrained Quantizer Design with Applications in Coding Image Pyramids," IEEE Trans. on Circuits and Sytems for Video Technology, vol. 5, pp. 83-85, April 1995. Compressed PS

Research Interests

Filter and Filter Bank Design, Image Processing

• N. Polyak and W. A. Pearlman, "A New Flexible Biorthogonal Filter Design for Multiresolution Filterbanks with Application to Image Compression," IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, Vol. 48, pp. 2279-2288, Aug. 2000. PDF

• J-M. Park, W-J. Song, and W. A. Pearlman, "Speckle Filtering of SAR Images Based on Adaptive Windowing," IEE Proceedings - Vision, Image and Signal Processing, Vol. 146, pp. 191-197, Aug. 1999.

• N. Polyak and W.A. Pearlman, "Filters and Filter Banks for Periodic Signals, the Zak Transform, and Fast Wavelet Decomposition," IEEE Trans. on Signal Processing, Special Issue on Theory and Application of Filter Banks and Wavelet Transforms, Vol. 46, pp. 857-873, April 1998. Compressed PS

• N. Polyak and W. A. Pearlman, "New Wavelet Decomposition Combined with Lifting and Prediction, " Proc. 1998 IEEE Int. Conf. On Image Processing (ICIP'98), Paper No. WP09_03, Chicago, IL, Oct. 1998.

• N. Polyak and W.A. Pearlman, "Wavelet Decomposition and Reconstruction Using Arbitrary Kernels," Proc. 1997 IEEE Int. Conf. on Image Processing (ICIP'97), Vol. I, pp. 660-662, October 1997. Compressed PS

• A. Divakaran and W.A. Pearlman, "A Closed Form Expression for an Efficient Class of Quadrature Mirror Filters and Its FIR Approximation," IEEE Trans. on Circuits and Systems II: Analog and Digital Signal Processing, vol. 43, pp. 207 -219, March 1996. Compressed PS

Security and Watermarking

• J. J. Harmsen and W. A. Pearlman, "Capacity of Steganographic Channels," Submitted to IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, May 3, 2006. PDF

• J. J. Harmsen and W. A. Pearlman, "Capacity of Steganographic Channels," ACM Workshop on Multimedia Security, New York, NY, Aug. 1-3,2005. PDF

• J. J. Harmsen and W. A. Pearlman, "Steganalysis of Additive Noise Modelable Information Hiding," SPIE/IS&T Electronic Imaging 2003, Proceedings SPIE Vol. 5022, Jan. 2003 (in press). PDF

Research Interests