On Cascade Source Coding with A Side Information "Vending Machine"

TL;DR

This paper investigates a cascade source coding model with a cost-constrained side information vending machine, providing single-letter characterizations of the trade-offs among rate, distortion, and side information acquisition cost.

Contribution

It introduces a new model incorporating a cost-aware side information vending machine in cascade source coding and derives fundamental trade-offs for this scenario.

Findings

Single-letter characterizations of rate-distortion-cost trade-offs.

Analysis of side information acquisition at intermediate or end nodes.

Framework applicable to cost-efficient information acquisition scenarios.

Abstract

The model of a side information "vending machine" accounts for scenarios in which acquiring side information is costly and thus should be done efficiently. In this paper, the three-node cascade source coding problem is studied under the assumption that a side information vending machine is available either at the intermediate or at the end node. In both cases, a single-letter characterization of the available trade-offs among the rate, the distortions in the reconstructions at the intermediate and at the end node, and the cost in acquiring the side information are derived under given conditions.