Improved Decision Fusion Model for Wireless Sensor Networks over Rayleigh Fading Channels

This paper deals with decision fusion in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) over Rayleigh fading channels. The likelihood ratio test (LRT) is considered as the optimal fusion rule when applied at the fusion center (FC). However, applying the LRT at the FC requires both the channel state information (CSI) and the local sensors’ performance indices. Acquiring such information is considered as an overhead in energy and bandwidth constrained systems such as WSNs. To avoid these drawbacks, we propose a modification to the traditional three-layer system model of a WSN where the LRT is applied as a local decision making method at the sensors level. Applying the LRT at the sensors level does not require the CSI or the local sensors’ performance indices. It only requires the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Moreover, a new fusion rule based on selection combining (SC) is suggested. This fusion method has the lowest complexity when compared to other diversity combining based fusion rules such as the equal gain combiner (EGC) and the maximum ratio combiner (MRC). Simulation results show that the performance of the proposed model outperforms the traditional model. In addition, applying the EGC at the FC in the proposed model provides comparable performance to the traditional model that applies the LRT at the FC.