Method and data processing system for lossy image or video encoding, transmission, and decoding

A method for lossy image or video encoding, transmission and decoding, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving an input image at a first computer system;
• encoding the input image using a first trained neural network to produce a latent representation, wherein the latent representation has a probability distribution described by at least one probability parameter;
• encoding the latent representation using a third neural network to produce a hyper-latent representation;
• dividing the latent representation into a plurality of sub-latent representations, wherein each sub-latent representation has a sub-probability distribution described by at least one sub-probability parameter;
• entropy encoding the plurality of sub-latent representations using the plurality of at least one sub-probability parameters, and entropy encoding the hyper-latent representation, to produce a bitstream;
• transmitting the bitstream to a second computer system;
• entropy decoding a first portion of the bitstream to produce the hyper-latent representation and decoding the hyper-latent representation using a fourth neural network to produce the plurality of at least one sub-probability parameters;
• entropy decoding a second portion of the bitstream using the plurality of at least one sub-probability parameters to retrieve the plurality of sub-latent representations and combining the plurality of sub-latent representations to retrieve the latent representation;
• and
• decoding the latent representation using a second trained neural network to produce an output image, wherein the output image is an approximation of the input image;
• wherein the step of entropy encoding the plurality of sub-latent representations using the plurality of at least one sub-probability parameters to produce a bitstream comprises the steps of:
• entropy encoding each of the plurality of sub-latent representations to obtain a plurality of states and a corresponding plurality of sub-bitstreams, each of the plurality of states comprising one or more entropy encoded symbols associated with the corresponding sub-bitstream;
• entropy encoding the plurality of states;
• and
• combining the plurality of sub-bitstreams and the entropy encoded plurality of states to produce the bitstream.