A Review of Wavelet-Based Image Processing Methods for Fingerprint Compression in Biometric Application

A data compression algorithm is a signal processing technique used to convert data from a large format to one optimized for compactness. Huge volumes of fingerprint images that need to be transmitted over a network of biometric databases are an excellent example of why data compression is important. The cardinal goal of image compression is to obtain the best possible image quality at a reduced storage and transmission bandwidth costs. In this paper, a review of different methodological approaches to fingerprint image compression based on the wavelet algorithm is conducted. From the survey of the existing wavelet-based image compression methods, the problems that have been identified include: the limitation of WSQ standard to a compression ratio of 15:1 which could be improved with better algorithm. High complexity of image encoding process of the existing techniques is also a problem. Most of the existing methods require the generation of codebooks or lookup tables which require additional computational cost for implementation. Additionally, significant degradation in the biometric features of fingerprint at compression ratio higher than 15:1 remains a major challenge. Therefore, the investigation of an efficient compression method that can significantly reduce fingerprint image size while preserving its biometric properties (the core, ridge endings and bifurcations) is justified.