Rate-distortion optimized interactive browsing of JPEG2000 images

This paper is concerned with remote browsing of JPEG2000 compressed imagery. A potentially interactive client identifies a region and maximum resolution of interest. The server responds by sending information from the JPEG2000 code-stream which is relevant to this region and resolution. We propose an algorithm for sequencing data from the original code-stream in such a way as to maximize the received image quality within the region of interest, at each point in the transmission. The proposed R-D optimal sequencing algorithm is demonstrated in the context of two quite different client-server paradigms, one of which is consistent with the evolving JPIP (JPEG2000 internet protocols) standard. Performance improvements as large as 8 dB are achieved with respect to a layer progressive sequencing strategy.