Multi-stage vector quantizer design for image transmission over packet networks

The design of a source-channel system based on the multi-stage vector quantizer (MSVQ) is optimized for packet networks. Resilience to packet loss is further enhanced by a proposed interleaving scheme that ensures that a single lost packet only eliminates a subset of the vector stages. The design is optimized while taking into account compression efficiency, packet loss rate, and the interleaving technique in use. Simulation results demonstrate that the packet network-optimized MSVQ outperforms traditional MSVQ for a variety of images and channel conditions, with gains of up to 2.0 dB in PSNR. Although the formulation is given in the context of packet networks, the work is directly extendible to the broader category of erasure channels