Real-time unequal error protection for distortion-optimal progressive image transmission

For optimal progressive transmission of an embedded image code over a noisy channel, we consider an unequal error protection strategy that minimizes the average of the expected distortion over a set of intermediate rates. In contrast to previous work, we find a near-optimal solution in real-time. For a binary symmetric channel, two state-of-the-art source coders (SPIHT and JPEG200), and a rate-compatible punctured turbo coder as a channel coder, we compare our solution to the strategy that optimizes the end-to-end performance.