A Flexible Multiple Description Coding Scheme Based on Rateless Codes

The multiple description coding of an independent and identically distributed Gaussian source over bit error channels is considered. A novel practical multiple description coding scheme is proposed based on scalar embedded quantizers and rateless codes. A peer-to-peer network model is studied where users can receive different number of descriptions and an arbitrary large number of descriptions can be created and transmitted between peers. For this network model convex system optimization problems are defined and solved. The proposed scheme can be regarded as an efficient implementation of "channel optimized quantization", where the index assignment is obtained via a low-complexity linear function. The scheme is shown to be robust to bit errors and to achieve higher reconstruction signal-to-noise ratios when compared to previously reported designs.