Source-Aware Nonuniform Information Transmission for Minimum Distortion

This letter considers average input-output distortion minimization through joint optimization of source index assignment and modulation design. First, we derive the general optimization criterion and discuss simultaneous minimization of bit-error rate (BER) and distortion. Second, we propose a novel source-aware information transmission approach by exploiting the nonuniformity in Gray-coded constellations. The proposed approach makes it possible for simultaneous BER and distortion minimization and outperforms the existing schemes with big margin when channel coding is involved. Third, optimal source-aware constellation design for minimum distortion is proposed by incorporating the source information into constellation design. The power efficiency of the proposed source-aware nonuniform transmission scheme makes it attractive for any digital systems with analog inputs, particularly for systems with tight power constraints such as wireless sensor networks and space communications