Method for learned image compression and related autoencoder

Abstract

A method for learned image compression implemented in an autoencoder includes: a) extracting from an image a latent space by the learnable encoder; b) quantizing the latent space by a quantizer to obtain a quantized latent space; c) entropy coding the quantized latent space by an entropy encoder to obtain a bitstream, wherein an entropy model used to encode the latent space is represented by a probability distribution; d) entropy decoding the bitstream by an entropy decoder to obtain an entropy decoded bitstream; e) feeding the entropy decoded bitstream to the decoder; f) recover a reconstructed image by the decoder; g) training the autoencoder via standard gradient descent of the backpropagated error gradient by finding learnable parameters of the learnable encoder and of the decoder that minimize a rate distortion cost function, wherein the entropy encoder is based on a differentiable formulation of a soft frequency counter.

CPC Classifications