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. / Ph. D.

No description available.