Interframe DPCM with robust median-based predictors for transmission of image sequences over noisy channels

A new image sequence coding technique based on robust median-based predictors is presented for the transmission of image sequences over noisy channels. We analyze the robustness of median-based predictors against channel errors. A heuristic algorithm for the design of a robust predictor from a given median-based predictor is presented. It is shown that with small modifications in terms of a necessary requirement for a median-based predictor to be robust against channel errors, the robustness of a given median-based predictor can be considerably improved. Simulations on a real image sequence show significant improvement over the conventional differential pulse code modulation (DPCM) at high bit error rate (BER) using this new technique. The technique does not increase the transmission rate. It is shown that the quality of reconstructed images obtained by robust median-based predictors can be further improved by postprocessing the image using a nonlinear detail-preserving noise-smoothing filter.