Multiple-description vector quantization using translated lattices with local optimization [joint source/channel coding]

Multiple-description coding is a joint source- and channel coding technique suitable for real-time multimedia transmission over erasure channels. This work improves the previous methods of multiple-description vector quantization using lattice structured codebooks by introducing translated lattices in the single-description codebooks. The quantizer can easily adapt to the current channel conditions, using the locally optimized combined-description codebooks, assuming that channel statistics are available at the encoder. Compared to previous methods, the central distortion is greatly reduced for noisy channels, without a significant effect on complexity.