Multi-Terminal Source Encoding with Side-Information Aided Encoder Breakdown

We consider a problem which is an extension of the multi-terminal source coding problem with encoder breakdown studied by Berger-Yeung. In our problem when, and only when, encoder breakdown happens the decoder gets help from a third node in the form of side-information which is degraded with respect to the un-encoded source. Inner and outer bounds on the rate-distortion region are derived. The achievable region is tight when both source components are reconstructed losslessly at the non-breakdown scenario and partially tight when the distortion measures are degraded and deterministic. Our results also explain the missing sum-rate constraint in the characterization of the rate-distortion region of the Berger-Yeung problem.