Cross-layer scheme for low latency multiple description video streaming over Vehicular Ad-hoc NETworks (VANETs)

There is nowadays a growing demand in vehicular communications for real-time applications requiring video assistance. The new state-of-the-art high-efficiency video coding (HEVC) standard is very promising for real-time video streaming. It offers high coding efficiency, as well as dedicated low delay coding structures. Among these, the all intra (AI) coding structure guarantees minimal coding time at the expense of higher video bitrates, which therefore penalizes transmission performances. In this work, we propose an original cross-layer system in order to enhance received video quality in vehicular communications. The system is low complex and relies on a multiple description coding (MDC) approach. It is based on an adaptive mapping mechanism applied at the IEEE 802.11p standard medium access control (MAC) layer. Simulation results in a realistic vehicular environment demonstrate that for low delay video communications, the proposed method provides significant video quality improvements on the receiver side.