Optimal data fusion of correlated local decisions in multiple sensor detection systems

Z. Chair and P.R. Varshney (1986) solved the data fusion problem for fixed binary local detectors with statistically independent decisions. Their solution is generalized by using the Bahadur-Lazarsfeld expansion of probability density functions. The optimal data fusion rule is developed for correlation local binary decisions, in terms of the conditional correlation coefficients of all orders. It is shown that when all these coefficients are zero, the rule coincides with the original Chair-Varshney design.< >