Enabling low bit-rate and reliable video surveillance over practical wireless sensor network

With the rapid development of hardware and embedded systems, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are being developed for surveillance applications. While meriting more in-depth research and development, deploying a practical WSN for surveillance is challenging due to the limited power and bandwidth of the battery-operated sensor nodes. In this paper, we first propose an energy-efficient image transportation strategy through motion detection. In case of data delivery over long distance, this paper further investigates the use of cooperative communications to design a reliable image transmission scheme over WSN, and demonstrates its effectiveness in improving network reliability in wireless multimedia sensor networks.     

Efficient decoding algorithm for 3D video over wireless channels

Multimedia Tools and Applications - In wireless communication networks, additive channel noise and time varying multipath fading are considered amongst the main challenges and these effects will...     

Concealment of whole-frame losses for wireless low bit-rate video based on multiframe optical flow estimation

In low bit-rate packet-based video communications, video frames may have very small size, so that each frame fills the payload of a single network packet; thus, packet losses correspond to whole-frame losses, to which the existing error concealment algorithms are badly suited and generally not applicable. In this paper, we deal with the problem of concealment of whole frame-losses, and propose a novel technique which is capable of handling this very critical case. The proposed technique presents other two major innovations with respect to the state-of-the-art: i) it is based on optical flow estimation applied to error concealment and ii) it performs multiframe estimation, thus optimally exploiting the multiple reference frame buffer featured by the most modern video coders such as H.263+ and H.264. If data partitioning is employed, by e.g., sending headers, motion vectors, and coding modes in prioritized packets as can be done in the DiffServ network model, the algorithm is capable of exploiting the motion vectors to improve the error concealment results. The algorithm has been embedded in the H.264 test model software, and tested under both independent and correlated packet loss models with parameters typical of the wireless environment. Results show that the proposed algorithm significantly outperforms other techniques by several dBs in peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), provides good visual quality, and has a rather low complexity, which makes it possible to perform real-time operation with reasonable computational resources.     

Interest-suppression-based NDN live video broadcasting over wireless LAN

Named data networking (NDN) is a new Internet architecture that replaces today’s focus on where – addresses and hosts with what – the content that users and applications care about. One of NDN’s prominent advantages is scalable and efficient content distribution due to its native support of caching and multicast in the network. However, at the last hop to wireless users, often the WiFi link, current NDN implementation still treats the communication as multiple unicast sessions, which will cause duplicate packets and waste of bandwidth when multiple users request for the same popular content. WiFi’s built-in broadcast mechanism can alleviate this problem, but it suffers from packet loss since there is no MAC-layer acknowledgement as in unicast. In this paper, we develop a new NDN-based cross-layer approach called NLB for efficient and scalable live video streaming over wireless LAN. The core ideas are: using WiFi’s broadcast channel to deliver content from the access point to the users, a leader-based mechanism to suppress duplicate requests from users, and receiver-driven rate control and loss recovery. The design is implemented and evaluated in a physical testbed comprised of one software AP and 20 Raspberry Pi-based WiFi clients. While NDN with multiple unicast sessions or plain broadcast can support no more than ten concurrent viewers of a 1Mbps streaming video, NDN plus NLB supports all 20 viewers, and Received December 29, 2015; accepted April 28, 2016 E-mail: zhxp@tsinghua.edu.cn can likely support much more when present.     

Real-time video streaming over multipath in multi-hop wireless networks

Given the limited wireless link throughput, high loss rate, and varying end-to-end delay, supporting video applications in multi-hop wireless networks becomes a challenging task. Path diversity exploits multiple routes for each session simultaneously, which achieves higher aggregated bandwidth and potentially decreases delay and packet loss. Unfortunately, for TCP-based video streaming, naive load splitting often results in inaccurate estimation of round trip time (RTT) and packet reordering. As a result, it can suffer from significant instability or even throughput reduction, which is also validated by our analysis and simulation in multi-hop wireless networks. To make real-time TCP-based streaming viable over multi-hop wireless networks, we propose a novel cross-layer design with a smart traffic split scheme, namely, multiple path retransmission (MPR). MPR differentiates the original data packets and the retransmitted packets and works with a novel QoS-aware multi-path routing protocol, QAOMDV, to distribute them separately. MPR does not suffer from the RTT underestimation and extra packet reordering, which ensures stable throughput improvement over single-path routing. Through extensive simulations, we further demonstrate that, as compared with state-of-the-art multi-path protocols, our MPR with QAOMDV noticeably enhances the TCP streaming throughput and reduces bandwidth fluctuation, with no obvious impact to fairness.     

ALAVIT: An adaptive layered video transmission for wireless OFDM channels

It is well-known that the layered transmission for video bit-streams generated by a layered coding can gracefully accommodate the receivers' heterogeneity in wireless networks. In this paper, we propose a new layered video transmission scheme employing the subcarrier allocation based on the wireless channel characteristics of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) physical (PHY) layer, leading to an adaptive layered video transmission (ALAVIT). In our scheme, scalable video coding (SVC) is exploited to generate the layered video bit-streams; and the resulting base layer (BL) and enhancement layer (EL) bits are modulated differently to obtain their individual wireless symbols. According to the estimated channel characteristics described by the subcarrier channel gains of a connected wireless receiver, subcarriers with good channel quality are allocated to BL symbols for a better protection of these more important bits. In this unicast case, our ALAVIT scheme is demonstrated to provide a much better performance as compared to the state-of-the-art PHY layer techniques such as s-mod and MixCast. This framework is then generalized from unicast to multicast where the problem is formulated into an optimization involving the average bit-error-rate (BER) over all connected receivers. While the complexity of solving this problem remains extremely high for the current OFDM case of 64 or even more subcarriers, we demonstrate by using a case study of 8 subcarriers that the optimal solution indeed offers a better performance than the heuristic solutions.     

Utility-based scheduling in wireless multi-hop networks over non-deterministic fading channels

In this paper, an innovative scheduling scheme is proposed for interference-limited wireless multi-hop networks with non-deterministic fading channels. The scheduling problem is considered as a network utility maximization (NUM) problem subject to link rate constraints. By jointly taking into account of the link scheduling and the statistical variations of signal and interference power, the convex sets for the NUM are derived. Two types of non-deterministic fading channels (i.e., Rayleigh fading channel and Ricean fading channel) are characterized into our NUM models as examples. To solve the convex optimization problem, the subgradient projection method based on dual decomposition is employed. Then, a heuristic algorithm is designed for the TDM mode wireless multi-hop networks by minimizing the discrepancy between the expected network cost and the optimal one in each timeslot. At last, the source–destination session rate and network utility are evaluated in a dedicated wireless multi-hop network scenario. The numerical results demonstrate that the session rates convergence and the network utility is improved by our proposed scheme.     

无线传感器网络中基于衰减信道的决策融合

无线传感器网络中的链路通信质量对上层应用有重要的影响.为此,本文研究了基于衰减信道的多传感器决策融合问题,提出了最优似然比融合规则,并推导出适用于无线传感器网络的二种次优融合规则,最后讨论了相同传感器和相同信道模型下的融合情况.仿真结果表明此方法能比较好的适应在无线传感器网络中信息融合时所遇到的链路衰减和噪声干扰等问题.     

面向无线视频传输的内容感知AQM算法研究

区分服务（DiffServ,Differentiated Services）在各种保障技术中能更好地满足视频流对服务的要求。在区分服务网络中,常用的主动队列管理算法由于对视频重要数据保护强度的不足,不能很好地满足用户的QoS的需求。针对H.264/MPEG-4视频编码的特性,在现有算法WRED的基础上,通过改变平均队长的计算方法,进一步加强对重要数据的保护能力,以提高视频传输的质量,同时,还考虑了延时对视频传输的影响,提出了超时早检测机制,避免了无效视频数据传输占用宝贵的网络资源。仿真结果显示该算法在原有算法的基础上进一步提高了视频传输质量。     

Sub-packet forward error correction mechanism for video streaming over wireless networks

Traditional Forward Error Correction (FEC) mechanisms can be divided into Packet level FEC (PFEC) mechanisms and Byte level FEC (BFEC) mechanisms. The PFEC mechanism of recovering from errors in a source packet requires an entire FEC redundant packet even though the error involves a few bit errors. The recovery capability of the BFEC mechanism is only half of the FEC redundancy. Accordingly, an adaptive Sub-Packet FEC (SPFEC) mechanism is proposed in this paper to improve the quality of video streaming data over wireless networks, simultaneously enhancing the recovery performance and reducing the end-to-end delay jitter. The SPFEC mechanism divides a packet into n sub-packets by means of the concept of a virtual packet. The SPFEC mechanism uses a checksum in each sub-packet to identify the position of the error sub-packet. Simulation experiments show the adaptive SPFEC mechanism achieves high recovery performance and low end-to-end delay jitter. The SPFEC mechanism outperforms traditional FEC mechanism in terms of packet loss rate and video Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR). SPFEC offers an alternative for improved efficiency video streaming that will be of interest to the designers of the next generation environments.     

Adaptive hybrid error correction model for video streaming over wireless networks

The Hybrid ARQ (HARQ) mechanism is the well-known error packet recovery solution composed of the Automation Repeat reQuest (ARQ) mechanism and the Forward Error Correction (FEC) mechanism. However, the HARQ mechanism neither retransmits the packet to the receiver in time when the packet cannot be recovered by the FEC scheme nor dynamically adjusts the number of FEC redundant packets according to network conditions. In this paper, the Adaptive Hybrid Error Correction Model (AHECM) is proposed to improve the HARQ mechanism. The AHECM can limit the packet retransmission delay to the most tolerable end-to-end delay. Besides, the AHECM can find the appropriate FEC parameter to avoid network congestion and reduce the number of FEC redundant packets by predicting the effective packet loss rate. Meanwhile, when the end-to-end delay requirement can be met, the AHECM will only retransmit the necessary number of redundant FEC packets to receiver in comparison with legacy HARQ mechanisms. Furthermore, the AHECM can use an Unequal Error Protection to protect important multimedia frames against channel errors of wireless networks. Besides, the AHECM uses the Markov model to estimate the burst bit error condition over wireless networks. The AHECM is evaluated by several metrics such as the effective packet loss rate, the error recovery efficiency, the decodable frame rate, and the peak signal to noise ratio to verify the efficiency in delivering video streaming over wireless networks.     

Blind quality scalable video compression algorithm for low bit-rate coding

Multimedia Tools and Applications - An efficient way of using Embedded Zero-trees of Wavelet (EZW) architecture for video compression, termed as “Two Threshold EZW”, has been introduced...     

Streaming video transforms the media industry

After years of promises, streaming media has finally arrived. Skeptics argued for years that IP-based videa was an overhyped technology that only succeeded in frustrating users by its high failure rate. But proponents maintained that streaming was first and foremost about access, and that full-screen, DVD-quality video was a matter of time. Developments have proved them right. Streaming media is causing a sea change in education, business, and mass media. Millions of people watch live newscasts, sports, and concerts on their PCs. Universities deploy streaming technology to enhance their distance learning programs, and corporations use it to improve knowledge-sharing and cross-company cooperation. Media companies and broadcasters are opening their archives, giving consumers access to thousands of popular and long-forgotten movies, documentaries, and 50 years of television programming. Web casters are proliferating, targeting audiences ranging from homemakers to business professionals, and advertisers insert interactive audiovisual ads in Web pages. Streaming is not limited to PCs. Wireless carriers target mobile phones with made-for-mobile content, and several carriers are preparing to launch live TV services for mobile phones. Streaming combines the immediacy of with the interactivity of the internet and is revolutionizing the media landscape. Its provides access-on-demand rich media anywhere on any device. Based on Internet protocols, sttreaming technology enables small companies and individuals to become Web casters with a global audience.     

Optimal source rate control for adapting VBR video over CBR channels

In this paper we discuss the source rate control problem of adapting variable bit-rate (VBR) compressed video over constant bit-rate (CBR) channels. Firstly we formulate it as an optimal control problem of a discrete linear system with state and control constraints. Then we apply the discrete maximum principle to get the optimal solution. Experimental results are given in the end. Compared with traditional algorithms, the proposed algorithm is suitable for the coder with continuous output rates, and can achieve the better solution. Our algorithm can be used in both off-line and on-line coding.     

Optimal source rate control for adapting VBR video over CBR channels

In this paper we discuss the source rate control problem of adapting variable bit-rate （VBR） compressed video over constant bit-rate （CBR） channels. Firstly we formulate it as an optimal control problem of a discrete linear system with state and control constraints. Then we apply the discrete maximum principle to get the optimal solution. Experimental results are given in the end. Compared with traditional algorithms, the proposed algorithm is suitable for the coder with continuous output rates, and can achieve the better solution. Our algorithm can be used in both off-line and on-line coding.     

Adaptive residual-based distributed compressed sensing for soft video multicasting over wireless networks

Recently, multicasting of video signals has become a useful technology in wireless networks, in which the main challenge is to scalably serve multiple receivers that have different channel characteristics. In this paper, we propose an adaptive residual-based distributed compressed-sensing scheme for soft video multicast (ARDCS-cast). At the encoder, we first adaptively determine if a block in a non-reference frame should be measured directly or predictively during compressed-sensing. The resulting adaptive measurements from non-reference frames are then packeted together with the measurements of the reference frames. We further derive the optimal power allocation scheme for the measurements from each frame within each packet. The packets are then transmitted over the wireless channel. At the decoder, the receivers with different channel characteristics obtain different numbers of packets and reconstruct videos with different quality. Experimental results show that the proposed ARDCS-cast is more effective than the state-of-the-art SoftCast-2D, SoftCast-3D and DCS-cast schemes in both unicast and multicast scenarios.     

Identification and guaranteed performance control of Hammerstein systems over wireless channels

The problems of identification and stabilization of a class of Hammerstein systems over a wireless network are investigated in this paper. A new approach for the proof of iterative identification is presented first. Then a guaranteed performance controller is designed to stabilize the system. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated by numerical examples.     

On Kalman filtering over fading wireless channels with controlled transmission powers

We study stochastic stability of centralized Kalman filtering for linear time-varying systems equipped with wireless sensors. Transmission is over fading channels where variable channel gains are counteracted by power control to alleviate the effects of packet drops. We establish sufficient conditions for the expected value of the Kalman filter covariance matrix to be exponentially bounded in norm. The conditions obtained are then used to formulate stabilizing power control policies which minimize the total sensor power budget. In deriving the optimal power control laws, both statistical channel information and full channel information are considered. The effect of system instability on the power budget is also investigated for both these cases.     

Efficient XML data placement schemes over multiple mobile wireless broadcast channels

The Journal of Supercomputing - Broadcasting is one of the basic ways to access XML data via mobile wireless networks. In these networks, XML data are disseminated over a wireless broadcast channel...