Progressive image transmission over differentially space-time coded OFDM systems

Abstract

In this paper, we consider progressive image transmission over differentially space-time coded orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems and treat the problem as one of optimal joint source-channel coding (JSCC) in the form of unequal error protection (UEP), as necessitated by embedded source coding (e.g., SPIHT and JPEG 2000). We adopt a product channel code structure that is proven to provide powerful error protection and employ low-complexity decision-feedback decoding for differentially space-time coded OFDM without assuming channel state information. For a given SNR, the BER performance of the differentially space-time coded OFDM system is treated as the channel condition in the JSCC/UEP design via a fast product code optimization algorithm so that the end-to-end quality of reconstructed images is optimized in the average minimum MSE sense. Extensive image transmission experiments show that SNR/BER improvements can be translated into quality gains in reconstructed images. Moreover, compared to another non-coherent detection algorithm, i.e., the iterative receiver based on expectation-maximization algorithm for the space-time coded OFDM systems, differentially space-time coded OFDM systems suffer some quality loss in reconstructed images. With the efficiency and simplicity of decision-feedback differential decoding, differentially space-time coded OFDM is thus a feasible modulation scheme for applications such as wireless image over mobile devices (e.g., cell phones). Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.