Entropy-constrained trellis-coded quantization

Trellis-coded quantization is generalized to allow noiseless coding of the trellis branch reproduction symbols. An entropy-constrained trellis-coded quantization (ECTCQ) design algorithm is presented, based on the generalized Lloyd algorithm for trellis code design and the entropy-constrained vector quantization design algorithm. ECTCQ systems are designed for memoryless Gaussian and Laplacian sources, and for first- and second-order Gauss-Markov sources. With an 8-state trellis, the mean-squared error ECTCQ encoding performance for memoryless sources with smooth densities is within about 0.5 dB of the rate-distortion function. Small additional improvements are achieved with larger trellises. Similar, though not quite as good, performance is achieved for the Gauss-Markov sources by using the ECTCQ in a predictive coding structure.<>