<title>Optimized multilevel codebook searching algorithm for vector quantization in image coding</title>

Abstract

An optimized multi-level codebook searching algorithm (MCS) for vector quantization is presented in this paper. Although it belongs to the category of the fast nearest neighbor searching (FNNS) algorithms for vector quantization, the MCS algorithm is not a variation of any existing FNNS algorithms (such as k-d tree searching algorithm, partial-distance searching algorithm, triangle inequality searching algorithm...). A multi-level search theory has been introduced. The problem for the implementation of this theory has been solved by a specially defined irregular tree structure which can be built from a training set. This irregular tree structure is different from any tree structures used in TSVQ, prune tree VQ, quad tree VQ... Strictly speaking, it cannot be called tree structure since it allows one node has more than one set of parents, it is only a directed graph. This is the essential difference between MCS algorithm and other TSVQ algorithms which ensures its better performance. An efficient design procedure has been given to find the optimized irregular tree for practical source. The simulation results of applying MCS algorithm to image VQ show that this algorithm can reduce searching complexity to less than 3% of the exhaustive search vector quantization (ESVQ) (4096 codevectors and 16 dimension) while introducing negligible error (0.064 dB degradation from ESVQ). Simulation results also show that the searching complexity is close linearly increase with bitrate.