An efficient system for reliably transmitting image and video data over low bit rate noisy channels

This research project is intended to develop an efficient system for reliably transmitting image and video data over low bit rate noisy channels. The basic ideas behind the proposed approach are the following: employ statistical-based image modeling to facilitate pre- and post-processing and error detection, use spare redundancy that the source compression did not remove to add robustness, and implement coded modulation to improve bandwidth efficiency and noise rejection. Over the last six months, progress has been made on various aspects of the project. Through our studies of the integrated system, a list-based iterative Trellis decoder has been developed. The decoder accepts feedback from a post-processor which can detect channel errors in the reconstructed image. The error detection is based on the Huber Markov random field image model for the compressed image. The compression scheme used here is that of JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group). Experiments were performed and the results are quite encouraging. The principal ideas here are extendable to other compression techniques. In addition, research was also performed on unequal error protection channel coding, subband vector quantization as a means of source coding, and post processing for reducing coding artifacts. Our studies on unequal error protection (UEP) coding for image transmission focused on examining the properties of the UEP capabilities of convolutional codes. The investigation of subband vector quantization employed a wavelet transform with special emphasis on exploiting interband redundancy. The outcome of this investigation included the development of three algorithms for subband vector quantization. The reduction of transform coding artifacts was studied with the aid of a non-Gaussian Markov random field model. This results in improved image decompression. These studies are summarized and the technical papers included in the appendices

Iterative joint design of source codes and multiresolution channel codes

We propose an iterative design algorithm for jointly optimizing source and channel codes. The joint design combines channel-optimized vector quantization (COVQ) for the source code with rate-compatible punctured convolutional (RCPC) coding for the channel code. Our objective is to minimize the average end-to-end distortion. For a given channel SNR and transmission rate, our joint source and channel code design achieves an optimal allocation of bits between the source and channel coders. This optimal allocation can reduce distortion by up to 6 dB over suboptimal allocations for the source data set considered. We also compare the distortion of our joint iterative design with that of two suboptimal design techniques: COVQ optimized for a given channel bit-error-probability, and RCPC channel coding optimized for a given vector quantizer. We conclude by relaxing the fixed transmission rate constraint and jointly optimizing the transmission rate, source code, and channel code

Quantization Watermarking for Joint Compression and Data Hiding Schemes

International audienceEnrichment and protection of JPEG2000 images is an important issue. Data hiding techniques are a good solution to solve these problems. In this context, we can consider the joint approach to introduce data hiding technique into JPEG2000 coding pipeline. Data hiding consists of imperceptibly altering multimedia content, to convey some information. This process is done in such a way that the hidden data is not perceptible to an observer. Digital watermarking is one type of data hiding. In addition to the imperceptibility and payload constraints, the watermark should be robust against a variety of manipulations or attacks. We focus on trellis coded quantization (TCQ) data hiding techniques and propose two JPEG2000 compression and data hiding schemes. The properties of TCQ quantization, defined in JPEG2000 part 2, are used to perform quantization and information embedding during the same time. The first scheme is designed for content description and management applications with the objective of achieving high payloads. The compression rate/imperceptibility/payload trade off is our main concern. The second joint scheme has been developed for robust watermarking and can have consequently many applications. We achieve the better imperceptibility/robustness trade off in the context of JPEG2000 compression. We provide some experimental results on the implementation of these two schemes

Optimal soft-decoding combined trellis-coded quantization/modulation.

Chei Kwok-hung.Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2000.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 66-73).Abstracts in English and Chinese.Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1Chapter 1.1 --- Typical Digital Communication Systems --- p.2Chapter 1.1.1 --- Source coding --- p.3Chapter 1.1.2 --- Channel coding --- p.5Chapter 1.2 --- Joint Source-Channel Coding System --- p.5Chapter 1.3 --- Thesis Organization --- p.7Chapter Chapter 2 --- Trellis Coding --- p.9Chapter 2.1 --- Convolutional Codes --- p.9Chapter 2.2 --- Trellis-Coded Modulation --- p.12Chapter 2.2.1 --- Set Partitioning --- p.13Chapter 2.3 --- Trellis-Coded Quantization --- p.14Chapter 2.4 --- Joint TCQ/TCM System --- p.17Chapter 2.4.1 --- The Combined Receiver --- p.17Chapter 2.4.2 --- Viterbi Decoding --- p.19Chapter 2.4.3 --- Sequence MAP Decoding --- p.20Chapter 2.4.4 --- Sliding Window Decoding --- p.21Chapter 2.4.5 --- Block-Based Decoding --- p.23Chapter Chapter 3 --- Soft Decoding Joint TCQ/TCM over AWGN Channel --- p.25Chapter 3.1 --- System Model --- p.26Chapter 3.2 --- TCQ with Optimal Soft-Decoder --- p.27Chapter 3.3 --- Gaussian Memoryless Source --- p.30Chapter 3.3.1 --- Theorem Limit --- p.31Chapter 3.3.2 --- Performance on PAM Constellations --- p.32Chapter 3.3.3 --- Performance on PSK Constellations --- p.36Chapter 3.4 --- Uniform Memoryless Source --- p.38Chapter 3.4.1 --- Theorem Limit --- p.38Chapter 3.4.2 --- Performance on PAM Constellations --- p.39Chapter 3.4.3 --- Performance on PSK Constellations --- p.40Chapter Chapter 4 --- Soft Decoding Joint TCQ/TCM System over Rayleigh Fading Channel --- p.42Chapter 4.1 --- Wireless Channel --- p.43Chapter 4.2 --- Rayleigh Fading Channel --- p.44Chapter 4.3 --- Idea Interleaving --- p.45Chapter 4.4 --- Receiver Structure --- p.46Chapter 4.5 --- Numerical Results --- p.47Chapter 4.5.1 --- Performance on 4-PAM Constellations --- p.48Chapter 4.5.2 --- Performance on 8-PAM Constellations --- p.50Chapter 4.5.3 --- Performance on 16-PAM Constellations --- p.52Chapter Chapter 5 --- Joint TCVQ/TCM System --- p.54Chapter 5.1 --- Trellis-Coded Vector Quantization --- p.55Chapter 5.1.1 --- Set Partitioning in TCVQ --- p.56Chapter 5.2 --- Joint TCVQ/TCM --- p.59Chapter 5.2.1 --- Set Partitioning and Index Assignments --- p.60Chapter 5.2.2 --- Gaussian-Markov Sources --- p.61Chapter 5.3 --- Simulation Results and Discussion --- p.62Chapter Chapter 6 --- Conclusion and Future Work --- p.64Chapter 6.1 --- Conclusion --- p.64Chapter 6.2 --- Future Works --- p.65Bibliography --- p.66Appendix-Publications --- p.7

Design of joint source/channel coders

The need to transmit large amounts of data over a band limited channel has led to the development of various data compression schemes. Many of these schemes function by attempting to remove redundancy from the data stream. An unwanted side effect of this approach is to make the information transfer process more vulnerable to channel noise. Efforts at protecting against errors involve the reinsertion of redundancy and an increase in bandwidth requirements. The papers presented within this document attempt to deal with these problems from a number of different approaches