An ultra-fast smoothing algorithm for time–frequency transforms based on Gabor functions

Gabor functions, Gaussian wave packets, are optimally localized in time and frequency, and thus in principle ideal as (frame) basis functions for a wavelet, windowed Fourier or wavelet-packet transform for the detection of events in noisy signals or for data compression. A major obstacle for their use is that a tailored efficient operator acting on the transform coefficients for altering the width of the wave packets does not exist. However, by virtue of a curious property of the Gabor functions it is possible to change the width of the wave packets using just one-dimensional convolutions with very short kernels. The cost of a wavelet-type transform based on the scheme presented below is similar to that of a low order wavelet transform for a compact kernel and significantly less than the algorithme à trous. The scheme can hence easily be employed for the processing of signals in real time.