Delay-optimized robust transmission of images over multiple channels

Transmission of delay-sensitive images over wireless channels can be hampered by insufficient bandwidth and unreliable channels. These challenges can be overcome by aggregation of multiple channels into a single, higher bandwidth logical channel and by employing strategic error correction. This paper addresses the problem of partitioning image data over multiple channels with unequal characteristics to minimize delay, and the robustness to channel losses and failures is provided by product codes. Data is unequally error protected based on both decoding priorities and channel reliabilities. The proposed product codes outperform a conventional product code due to the adaptivity of the partitions to the channel conditions. Two schemes for product coding are considered and their relative merits are analyzed and compared.