Adaptive inter-frame interleaving for cross-layer diversity techniques in multimedia transmission

In multimedia transmission over wireless channel, cross-layer diversity techniques, able to take advantage of both application and physical layer diversity, highly improve the overall system performance. Although the optimization of source and channel coding to the diversity orders available from the channel can deeply improve the system performance, low quality image are received at the decreasing of these diversity orders. In this work, we propose an adaptive interleaving technique able to increase the cross-layer diversity gain in the transmission of embedded images/video bitstream over orthogonal frequency diversity multiplexing systems. We construct multiple independent descriptions using a FEC-based strategy, and we analyze the interleaver depth optimization based on the diversity order available in both time and frequency domain. Then, we provide results of the proposed method, and we demonstrate its superior performance in progressive image transmissions. Finally, we extend the inter-frame interleaver technique to video transmission in multiuser scenario. The flexibility of the method is able to increase the cross-layer diversity gain, meeting in the meanwhile each user requirements.