  The efficient realization of linear space-variant (non-convolution) filters
is a challenging computational problem in image processing. In this paper, we
demonstrate that it is possible to filter an image with a Gaussian-like
elliptic window of varying size, elongation and orientation using a fixed
number of computations per pixel. The associated algorithm, which is based on a
family of smooth compactly supported piecewise polynomials, the
radially-uniform box splines, is realized using pre-integration and local
finite-differences. The radially-uniform box splines are constructed through
the repeated convolution of a fixed number of box distributions, which have
been suitably scaled and distributed radially in an uniform fashion. The
attractive features of these box splines are their asymptotic behavior, their
simple covariance structure, and their quasi-separability. They converge to
Gaussians with the increase of their order, and are used to approximate
anisotropic Gaussians of varying covariance simply by controlling the scales of
the constituent box distributions. Based on the second feature, we develop a
technique for continuously controlling the size, elongation and orientation of
these Gaussian-like functions. Finally, the quasi-separable structure, along
with a certain scaling property of box distributions, is used to efficiently
realize the associated space-variant elliptical filtering, which requires O(1)
computations per pixel irrespective of the shape and size of the filter.
