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Virginia Tech

Spectrum Sensing in the Presence of Channel and Tx/Rx Impairments

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The task of spectrum sensing, defined here to consist of signal detection, signal parameter estimation, and signal identification, is a critically important task in a wide-variety of wireless communication applications. For example, in recent years, government and research initiatives have proposed the idea of communication systems that could gain access to spectrum opportunistically when being unused by primary licensed spectrum users. In order for these opportunistic systems to be realizable, methods by which secondary spectrum users can detect and classify these primary users will be necessary. Furthermore, detection and classification among the secondary users themselves will be important for efficient spectrum usage in these systems. As another example, spectrum sensing is also of critical importance in many military applications. This is due to the inherent expectation that a priori information of hostile wireless systems will be minimal or unavailable. The goal of this dissertation is to provide both insight and solutions in the critical area of spectrum sensing. More specifically, the research contained within this dissertation deals with the development and analysis of spectrum sensing algorithms that address key issues related to channel and radio impairments that are at present underdeveloped in the literature. First, research is presented on a method-of-moments based signal parameter estimation and likelihood-based modulation classification approach for linear digital amplitude-phase modulated signals (PAM, PSK, QAM, ...) in slowly-varying flat-fading channels. Based on this work, research is then presented on a feature-based modulation classification approach which relaxes the requirements of perfect frequency synchronization and knowledge of the phase information of the received signal that the likelihood-based approach requires. Finally, research is presented on the impact that both sensor reliability and sensor correlation information have on collaborative signal detection and intelligent sensor selection.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Ph. D.
Level thesis:degree_level
doctoral
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Electrical Engineering
Department dc:contributor.department
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2015

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Headley, William C.
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Reed, Jeffrey H.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Athanas, Peter M.
  • Roan, Michael J.
  • Buehrer, R. Michael
  • McGwier, Robert W.

Subjects

dc:subject × 4

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
vt_gsexam:5474
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/52915

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Headley, William C.. Spectrum Sensing in the Presence of Channel and Tx/Rx Impairments. doctoral thesis, Virginia Tech, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/52915