Multicast networks : capacity, algorithms, and implementation

textIn this dissertation, we investigate the capacity and performance of wireless networks with an emphasis on multicast traffic. The defining characteristic of a multicast network is a network where a number of different destinations all require the information generated by a single source. The models that we explore differ in the nature of the nodes from all-mobile case where all nodes are mobile to hybrid case where some nodes are mobile and some are static. We investigate different performance measure for these wireless multicast networks: upper bounds, capacity scaling laws, and achievable rates. The understanding of these measures for such networks helps in the development of efficient algorithms for operating these networks. In addition, we study the practical realization of algorithms for real-time streaming of rich multimedia content in the context of mobile wireless networks for embedded and cyberphysical systems. Our initial work is in the context of unicast and multiple unicast systems over an autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) network. Bandwidth requirements and stringent delay constraints of real-time video streaming, paired with limitations on computational complexity and power consumptions imposed by the underlying implementation platform, make cross-layer and cross-domain co-design approaches a necessity. In this dissertation, we propose a novel, low-complexity rate-distortion optimized (RDO) protocol specifically targeted at video streaming over mobile embedded networks. First, we test the performance of our RDO algorithm on simulation models developed for aerial mobility of multiple wirelessly communicating AAVs. Second, we test the performance of our RDO algorithm and other proposed adaptive algorithms on a real network of AAVs and present a comparative study between these different algorithms. Note that generalizing these algorithms to multicast settings is relatively straightforward and thus is not highlighted to a great degree in this thesis.Electrical and Computer Engineerin

Loss-resilient Coding of Texture and Depth for Free-viewpoint Video Conferencing

Free-viewpoint video conferencing allows a participant to observe the remote 3D scene from any freely chosen viewpoint. An intermediate virtual viewpoint image is commonly synthesized using two pairs of transmitted texture and depth maps from two neighboring captured viewpoints via depth-image-based rendering (DIBR). To maintain high quality of synthesized images, it is imperative to contain the adverse effects of network packet losses that may arise during texture and depth video transmission. Towards this end, we develop an integrated approach that exploits the representation redundancy inherent in the multiple streamed videos a voxel in the 3D scene visible to two captured views is sampled and coded twice in the two views. In particular, at the receiver we first develop an error concealment strategy that adaptively blends corresponding pixels in the two captured views during DIBR, so that pixels from the more reliable transmitted view are weighted more heavily. We then couple it with a sender-side optimization of reference picture selection (RPS) during real-time video coding, so that blocks containing samples of voxels that are visible in both views are more error-resiliently coded in one view only, given adaptive blending will erase errors in the other view. Further, synthesized view distortion sensitivities to texture versus depth errors are analyzed, so that relative importance of texture and depth code blocks can be computed for system-wide RPS optimization. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme can outperform the use of a traditional feedback channel by up to 0.82 dB on average at 8% packet loss rate, and by as much as 3 dB for particular frames

Downlink Video Streaming for Users Non-Equidistant from Base Station

We consider multiuser video transmission for users that are non-equidistantly positioned from base station. We propose a greedy algorithm for video streaming in a wireless system with capacity achieving channel coding, that implements the cross-layer principle by partially separating the physical and the application layer. In such a system the parameters at the physical layer are dependent on the packet length and the conditions in the wireless channel and the parameters at the application layer are dependent on the reduction of the expected distortion assuming no packet errors in the system. We also address the fairness in the multiuser video system with non-equidistantly positioned users. Our fairness algorithm is based on modified opportunistic round robin scheduling. We evaluate the performance of the proposed algorithms by simulating the transmission of H.264/AVC video signals in a TDMA wireless system