Previsualized image vector quantization with optimized pre- and postprocessors

The optimal previsualized image vector quantization method for compressing digital images to a bit rate of 0.75 bpp or below with moderately low to very low subjective distortion is presented. The encoding method incorporates a visual model as part of the distortion measure. By modeling the quantization noise as an additive signal-dependent noise process, an optimum pre- and postprocessing system, which minimizes the mean-squared error measured inside the visual model, is derived. The analysis of the system performance and a coordinate descent design algorithm are discussed. A set of experiments was conducted using the optimum system, and the results were compared to those obtained by other methods. The study shows that the images quantized by the method presented exhibit much less sawtooth, blocking, and contouring effects and higher subjective quality. Images of surprising quality have been produced by this method at a bit rate of about 0.1 bpp with a compression ratio of 80:1 relative to a normal 8 bpp original