Grouped B-Spline Windows for the Design of

Modulated Filter Banks

Lucian Stanciu, Valentin Stanciu, Cristian Stanciu
University Politehnica of Bucharest, Department of Telecommunications, Bucharest, Romania
*
E-mail : lucians@comm.pub.ro

Abstract—A fast technique for designing prototype filters for where Rk 1 (e j )  R(e j )* R(e j )*....... *R (e j ) is a k-1
modulated filter banks is proposed. This technique is based on
using the grouped B-spline windows for designing the prototype times convolution of R(e j ) .
filter and also spline functions in the transition band to The impulse response for an ideal lowpass digital filter, with
approximate ideal filters. The main advantage of the proposed
design scheme is that it lowers the computational complexity when
cutoff angular normalized frequency 1 , is given by
compared with other existing techniques. Some examples are 1
included illustrating the resulting filter banks closely satisfy the q ( n)  IDTFT{Q (e j )} sin c (1n) (4)

perfect reconstruction property.
Keywords- filter bank design; spline windows; prototype filter. By convolving Q(e j ) and Rk 1 (e j ) the result is

I. INTRODUCTION g i (n)  IDTFT {Gi (e j )}=IDTFT {Q(e j ) * Rk 1 (e j )}=

In M-channel cosine-modulated filter banks, analysis and 1 k (5)
= sin c (1n). tk sin ck (t n )
synthesis filters are cosine-modulated versions of a lowpass  
prototype filter. The design of the cosine-modulated filter bank
For k =2, the expression of Gi (e j ) is:
reduces to that of the prototype filter.
The main purpose of this paper is to further study the  4t2 , for 0    1  2t
properties of nearly perfect-reconstruction systems resulting 
when using a fast technique for designing prototype filters for  2 / 2   (1  2t )  2t2  21t
 2
cosine-modulated M-channel transmultiplexer systems. This   / 2, for 1  2t    1
technique is based on applying the windowing technique, by Gi (e j )   1 (6)
using grouped B-spline windows and spline functions in the  2 / 2   (1  2t )  21t  2t2
transition band to approximate the ideal filter, for generating  2
 1 / 2, for 1    1  2 t
the prototype filter. The reconstruction errors can be minimized 0,
by using spline functions.  for 1  2t    
 Gi (e j )
II. SMOOTH D IGITAL PROTOTYPE FILTERS
The impulse response r (n ) for an ideal lowpass digital filter,
The general normalized expression of Gi (e j ) is:
with cutoff angular normalized frequency t , is given by the
Inverse Discrete Time Fourier Transform (IDTFT) of R (e j ) 1, for 0    1  kt
where 
j
G (e )  S ( x )
 Gin (e j )= i j 0   k , for 1  kt    1  kt
j 1 j t Gi (e )  Sk (0) (7)
r (n)  IDTFT {R(e )}   R(e )e jn d  sin c(t n)
2  0, for   k    
  1 t

(1) = Gin ( e j )
1,   (t , t )   1  kt
R (e j )=  (2) where x  and Sk ( x) is the symmetrical B-spline
0,   [ , t )  (t ,  ) 2kt
function of order k. These functions can be generated [1] as:
sin( x) k 1
and sin c( x)  . (1) j j k 1 k 1
x Sk ( x )   Ck 1 ( x   j )k u ( x   j) (8)
k ! 2 2
By convolving k-1 times in the frequency domain, the result j 0
is a reduced ringing impulse response: where u(x) is the unit step function
k
rk 1 (n)  IDTFT{Rk 1 (e j )}= tk sin c k (t n) (3) 0, x  0
 u( x)   . (9)
1, x  0
 The next recurrence relation [1] holds: III. DIGITAL MODULATED FILTERS B ANKS WITH FLAT
FREQUENCY RESPONSE
k 1 1 k 1 1
Sk ( x)  [( x)S k 1 ( x  )  (  x) Sk 1 ( x  )] / k H (e j ) is the prototype filter transfer function. Now let us
2 2 2 2
(10) consider the use of a linear-phase filter H (e j ) of length N.
A B-spline function of order k can be generated by iteratively
H (e j ) [2] should satisfy the conditions:
convolving the rectangular pulse:

S k ( x )  S k 1 ( x) * S0 ( x) (11) 2 2
H (e j )  H (e j (   / M ) )  1, for 0     /M
(16)
where j
H (e )  0, for  /M    
1, x  (1 / 2,1 / 2)
S0 ( x )   (12)
0, otherwise
In [2], [3] it was shown that practical linear phase FIR filters
cannot exactly satisfy the conditions (16). Equation (16) will be
 1 k 1 k approximated by using spline functions. The objective is to
The function S k ( x) is nonzero for x     ,   .
 2 2 2 2 minmize the function
We’ll try to optimize the prototype filter, by using three 2 2
grouped B-spline functions of order k:  max H ( e j )  H ( e j (  / M ) ) 1 (17)
0  / M
SGk ( x )   S k ( x   )  S k ( x)   S k ( x   ) (13)
The ajustable parameters f1 = ω1/(2π) and ft = ωt/(2π) allow
an explicit control of the transition bandwidth. The optimized
where α, β and γ are real coefficients. The parameters α and γ values of f1 and ft can be obtained by using unconstrained
control the domain where SGk ( x ) is not zero. So SGk ( x )  0 optimization techniques, where ft >0.5/(2M).
The impulse-response coefficients of the resulting prototype
 2  1 k 2  1 k  filter are given by:
for x  ,  . If we impose
 2 2 2 2 
SGk (0)  1 , the expression of β is: h(n )  g i (n  n0 ) w(n) (18)

where w(n) is a grouped B-spline window.

1 Sk (0)
  (14) For a causal bandpass filter, centered on the normalized
S k (   ) S k ( )
angular frequency 0  2 f 0 , the impulse response will be:

So SGk ( x ) can be expressed as: h1 ( n)  h(n ) cos 0 n (19)

 2  k  1 k 1
  S k ( x   ), for  x So H1 (e j ) is the Discrete Time Fourier Transform (DTFT)
2 2
 of h1 (n ) :
  S ( x   )  S ( x), for  k  1  x  2  k  1
 k k
2 2
 H (e j ( 0 ) ) H (e j ( 0 ) )
  S ( x   )  S ( x)   S ( x   ), 2  k  1  x  2  k  1 H1 (e j )=DTFT{h1 (n)}=  (20)
SGk ( x)   k k k
2 2 2 2
 2  k  1 k 1 The impulse response of the smooth frequency response
 S k ( x)   S k ( x   ), for  x using B-spline functions for a filter with M passbands, every
 2 2
 k 1 2  k  1 passband being centered on the frequency 0i and having
  S k ( x   ), for x
 2 2 amplitude Ai , is:
 0, otherwise M

To obtain grouped B-spline windows, grouped B-spline

(15) h( n)   A g (n  n )w(n) cos 
i 1
i i 0 0i n (21)

functions are uniformly sampled with N samples in the interval where gi (n) is given by (5).
2  k  1 The values for α and γ are chosen so the magnitude response
x  [ q , q ) , where q is given by q  . These samples
2 of the prototype filter must achieve approximately
will generate a discrete causal window for n  0, N  1 .
j / (2 M )
H (e ) 1/ 2 (22)
 To illustrate the benefits of the proposed design method, Fig. where
1 presents frequency response, in dB, of the optimized 1
M 1
2
prototype filter for k=3, N=466 and M=32, by using optimal T0 (e j )   H (e j (  k / M  /(2 M ))
(25)
values f1=0.009625 and ft=0.00011. An eighth order grouped M k 0
B-spline window is used. The support is x  (-1,1) for γ=1 and A corresponding measure for the combined aliasing
α=5.5. γ and α are decreased. The optimal value are α=3.0202 distortion is the peak aliasing error, defined by the peak
and γ =0.5. Fig. 2 shows the amplitude responses of the analysis aliasing distortion
filters, in dB, for N=466 and M=32. Ea (e j )  max E (e j ) (26)
Fig. 3 gives the amplitude response plot for the overall [0, ]
distortion where
M 1
2
j (  k  / M  /(2 M ))
  H (e (23)
 M 1 2
1/2
k 0 E (e j )    Tl (e j )  (27)
 l  0 
of the analysis filters from Fig. 2. where
M 1
1
0 Tl (e j )  H k (e
j (  2 l / M )
)Fk (e j ) (28)
M k 0
-20
where H k (e j ) and Fk (e j ) are the transfer functions of the
-40 analysis and synthesis filters, respectively [4].
The peak amplitude distortion is Epp =2.564.10-3. The value
Amplitude, dB

-60
of the minimum stopband attenuation of the prototype filter is
-80 am=117.9 dB. The maximum aliasing error Ea= 2.7628. 10-7 is
very small. For comparison the method of [5] gives the results
-100 Epp=2.721.10-3, am =100 dB, Ea= 2.3818.10-7, by using a
windowing approach. We can observe that high stopband
-120
attenuation characteristic and small reconstruction error ripples
-140 are conflicting objectives.
0 0.005 0.01 0.015 0.02 0.025 0.03 0.035 0.04 0.045 0.05
Normalized frequency
1.0004
Figure 1. Amplitude response for the prototype filter, for N=466 and M=32.
1.0002

0 1

-20 0.9998
Amplitude

0.9996
-40
Amplitude, dB

0.9994
-60

0.9992
-80
0.999
-100
0.9988
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5
-120 Normalized frequency

Figure 3. Amplitude response plot for the overall distortion of the analysis
-140 filters, from Fig. 2.
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3 0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5
Normalized frequency
It is important to have a good selectivity in frequency, so that
Figure 2. Amplitude responses of the analysis filters, for N=466 and M=32.
the sum in the power in the subbands is not much more than
The performance of the filter banks is evaluated in the terms of the power of the original signal. Important attention must be
the minimum stopband attenuation of filters, am, given to the shape of the frequency response in order to
reconstruction error and aliasing error. minimize problems.
A good measure for the un-aliased distortion is the peak-to- The maximum value of the optimized objective function has
peak amplitude distortion, given by been reduced with the introduction of a spline function in the
transition band.
It is desirable for the filters to have a smooth frequency

E pp  max M T0 (e j )  min M T0 (e j )
[0, ]
 [0, ]
  (24) response in order to optimize the transient performance.
 Fig. 4 shows frequency response, in dB, of the optimized observe small ringing impulse responses for the filters obtained
prototype filter for k=6, N=102 and M=8, by using optimal by our algorithm.
values f1=0.03757975 and ft=0.000342. A sixhth order grouped 1.002
B-spline window is used. The support is x  (-1,1) for γ=1 and
α=4.5. γ is increased and α is decreased. The optimal value are 1.0015

α=4.6485 and γ=0.46. We observe that the integer value of k has

1.001
an influence on the transition band behavior of the resulting
lowpass prototype filter. 1.0005

Amplitude
Fig. 5 presents, in dB, the amplitude responses of the
1
analysis filters for N=102 and M=8.
Fig. 6 shows the amplitude response plot for the overall 0.9995
distortion of the analysis filters from Fig. 5.
The peak amplitude distortion is Epp=2.11.10-3. The value of 0.999

the minimum stopband attenuation of the prototype filter is 0.9985

am=114.5 dB. The maximum aliasing error Ea= 3.6523. 10-4 is 0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3
Normalized frequency
0.35 0.4 0.45 0.5

very small. For comparison the method of [6] give the results Figure 6. Amplitude response plot for the overall distortion, for N=102 and
Epp =5.9566.10-3, am =45 dB, Ea= 3.38949.10-4. M=8.

IV. CONCLUSIONS
0
This paper proposed an improved technique for designing
-20 prototype filters for conventional cosine-modulated pseudo-
quadrature mirror filter banks. The idea in this approach is to
-40 include a spline function to shape the transition band to
Amplitude, dB

approximate the ideal filter. The technique is based also on the

-60
windowing technique for finding the prototype filter. The
-80
design method uses a fast optimization technique.
Simulations indicated that good candidate windows resulting
-100 in very good nearly perfect-reconstructing systems are the
grouped B-spline windows, where the adjustable parameters
-120 are selected so that the errors caused by the nearly perfect
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.09 0.1
reconstruction property will be reduced.
Normalized frequency

Figure 4. Amplitude response for the prototype filter, for N=102 and M=8. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This work was supported by the UEFISCDI under Grants

0
PN-II-RU-TE-2014-4-1880 and by the Sectorial Operational
Program Human Resources Development 2007-2013 of the
-20
Ministry of the European Funds through the Financial
Agreement POSDRU/159/1.5/S/134398.
-40
Amplitude, dB

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-60
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