A Scalable Multiuser Framework for Video Over OFDM Networks: Fairness and Efficiency

• Published in: IEEE transactions on circuits and systems for video technology Vol. 16; no. 10; pp. 1217 - 1231
• Main Authors: Guan-Ming Su, Zhu Han, Min Wu, Liu, K.J.R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.10.2006; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Algorithms; Applied sciences; Circuit properties; Coding, codes; Computational efficiency; Computing time; Delay systems; Detection, estimation, filtering, equalization, prediction; Deviation; Distortion; Downlink; Dynamic resource allocation; Efficiency; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Frequency division multiplexing; Information, signal and communications theory; Multidimensional systems; Multiplexing; multiuser orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) networks; multiuser video communications; Noise levels; OFDM; Optimization; Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing; PSNR; Quality of service; Scalability; scalable video coding; Signal and communications theory; Signal convertors; Signal, noise; Telecommunications and information theory; Time division multiplexing; Video codecs; Video coding; Performance evaluation; Scalability; Resource allocation; Equity; Downlink; Time division multiplexing; scalable video coding; Videoconference; Optimization; Video signal processing; Codec; Dynamic allocation; Fast algorithm; Multidimensional system; Multiple access; Dynamic resource allocation; Delay system; Division algorithm; multiuser video communications; Image quality; Simulation; multiuser orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) networks; Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing; Resource management; Service quality; Signal to noise ratio
• ISSN: 1051-8215; 1558-2205
• DOI: 10.1109/TCSVT.2006.883513

In this paper, we propose a framework to transmit multiple scalable video programs over downlink multiuser orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) networks in real time. The framework explores the scalability of the video codec and multidimensional diversity of multiuser OFDM systems to achieve the optimal service objectives subject to constraints on delay and limited system resources. We consider two essential service objectives, namely, the fairness and efficiency. Fairness concerns the video quality deviation among users who subscribe the same quality of service, and efficiency relates to how to attain the highest overall video quality using the available system resources. We formulate the fairness problem as minimizing the maximal end-to-end distortion received among all users and the efficiency problem as minimizing total end-to-end distortion of all users. Fast suboptimal algorithms are proposed to solve the above two optimization problems. The simulation results demonstrated that the proposed fairness algorithm outperforms a time division multiple (TDM) algorithm by 0.5 ~ 3 dB in terms of the worst received video quality among all users. In addition, the proposed framework can achieve a desired tradeoff between fairness and efficiency. For achieving the same average video quality among all users, the proposed framework can provide fairer video quality with 1 ~ 1.8 dB lower PSNR deviation than a TDM algorithm