A novel framework for the network-wide distributed detection problem

This paper presents a new framework for distributed target detection in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In our previous work, for multiple networked sensors collaboratively detecting the presence or absence of a target in the sensor field, every sensor uses an identical threshold for local decision-making. In this paper, we propose a framework where the sensors in the network collaboratively decide and select non-identical thresholds to improve network-wide detection performance in a dynamic manner. This threshold selection scheme is based on a new statistical metric called false discovery rate (FDR). Assuming a signal attenuation model, where the received signal power decays as the distance from the target increases, various performance indices like system level probability of detection and probability of false alarm are studied. Analytical and simulation results are provided for system level probability of false alarm and probability of detection. Performance comparison between the proposed approach and the classical identical local sensor threshold approach is provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of this scheme.