Title: Enabling Continuous Bitrate Management in Scalable Image Coding for Human and Machine Vision Without Training

Abstract: While continuous variable-rate compression is critical for practical applications, it has received limited attention within the context of scalable image coding designed for both human viewers and machine algorithms. This study introduces a novel, training-free framework for variable-rate scalable image coding. The approach facilitates seamless bitrate adjustment by modulating quantization steps according to predicted scale values, thereby maintaining high-scale data integrity in both the machine and enhancement layers. Our experimental findings validate the efficacy of this method and underscore the significance of optimizing bitrate distribution across these distinct layers.

Source: arXiv Generated at: 2026-06-02 00:00:00 UTC