Security and trust are two interdependent concepts and are often used interchangeably when defining a secure wireless sensor network (WSN) system. However, security is different from trust in that, it assumes no node is trustworthy and requires ongoing authentication using sophisticated protocols leading to high communication and computation overheads. This makes the traditional cryptographic security tools hard, if not impossible, to be used in wireless sensor networks that are severely resource constrained. Trust on the other hand is the exact opposite of security in that any node can interact with any other and requires no authentication and unwrapping of hidden keys to carry on with their business and hence carries zero overhead. However, this leads to the miss-use and abuse of networks causing loss and damage to the owners of the networks. This thesis focuses on developing novel methods for modelling and managing trust that enable WSN to be secure while significantly reducing computing and communication overheads. Although researchers have been studying the problem of trust modelling and management in wireless sensor networks for over a decade, their focus was on the trust associated with routing messages between nodes (communication trust). However, wireless sensor networks are mainly deployed to sense the world and report data, both continuous and discrete. However, there are no methods in the literature that focus on the trust associated with misreporting data (data trust). In this thesis, we model the trust associated with the integrity of the data, and propose methods to combine the data trust with the communication trust to infer the total trust. Bayesian probabilistic approach is used to model and manage trust. A new risk assessment algorithm for establishing trust in wireless sensor networks based on the quality of services characteristics of sensor nodes, using the traditional weighting approach is introduced. Then a Beta distribution is used to model communication trust (due to its binary nature) and determine the weights in terms of the Beta distribution parameters to probabilistically combine direct and indirect trust. The thesis extends the Bayesian probabilistic approach to model data trust for cases when the sensed data is continuous. It introduces the Gaussian trust and reputation system to that accounts for uncertain characteristics of sensor data. Finally we introduce a Bayesian fusion algorithm to combine the data trust and communication trust to infer the overall trust between nodes. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate how the models accurately classify different nodes as being trustworthy or not based on their reliability in sensor reporting and routing functions.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

IS-95, an interim standard proposed for future digital personal communications systems, uses two levels of encoding of digital data for error control and compatibility with code-division multiple access (CDMA) transmission. The data is first convolutionally encoded and the resulting symbols are interleaved and then groups are encoded as orthogonal Walsh sequences. Decoding these two separate encodings is traditionally done in separate sequential steps. By combining the decoding and applying feedback of the final decision of the second level of decoding to the first level decoder it is possible to reduce the error rate of the decoder. Each Walsh sequence encodes six non-adjacent symbols of the convolutional code. The receiver computes an estimate of the probability that each of the sixty-four possible Walsh sequences has been sent, and uses this estimate as an estimate for each of the convolution symbols which specified the Walsh sequence. Since the convolution symbols are non-adjacent, it is likely that the actual value of some of the earlier symbols will have been determined by the final decoder before later symbols specifying the same Walsh sequence are used by the convolution decoder. The knowledge of the values of these symbols can be used to adjust the probability estimates for that Walsh sequence, improving the likelihood that future convolutional symbols will be correctly decoded. Specific metrics for estimating probabilities that each convolutional symbol was sent were tested with and without the proposed feedback, and error rates were estimated based on extensive computer simulations. It was found that applying feedback does improve error rates. Analytical methods were also applied to help explain the effects. / Graduation date: 1996

This thesis consists of two studies on joint bandwidth and power allocation strategy for wireless communication networks. In the first study, joint bandwidth and power allocation strategy is proposed for wireless multi-user networks without relaying and with decode-and-forward relaying. It is shown that the formulated resource allocation problems are convex and, thus, can be solved efficiently. Admission control problem based on the joint bandwidth and power allocation strategy is further considered, and a greedy search algorithm is developed for solving it efficiently. In the second study, joint bandwidth and power allocation strategy is presented for maximizing the sum ergodic capacity of secondary users under fading channels in cognitive radio networks. Optimal bandwidth allocation is derived in closed-form for any given power allocation. Then the structures of optimal power allocations are derived. Using these structures, efficient algorithms are developed for finding the optimal power allocations. / Communications

Thesis (M.E.)--University of Florida, 2001. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 71 p.; also contains graphics. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 69-70).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2006. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 148-154).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Thesis (M.S.)--Worcester Polytechnic Institute. / Keywords: precision personnel locator; digital systems; embedded systems; waveform generation; data communication. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 108-110).

With the world suffering from energy crisis, Smart Grid is the expanding research topic that deals vigorously with the current problems. It promotes decentralized renewable energy generation system, participate many local energy producers to energy market, adds vehicle to grid (V2G), minimize the energy loss in the electrical system, and participate many active consumers to the real market. It is an emerging project that needs an expert from many fields, thus it opens door of opportunities for many people around the globe. The present thesis deals with the communication scenario in smart grid. Communication is the backbone of Smart Grid and the thesis tries to highlight the available communication technologies for smart grid application. The thesis discuss most profitable communication technologies used for this purpose which are power line communication and wireless communication, in which power line communication aspects and characteristics are covered more than wireless communication for its use are seen more in upcoming days. In all the thesis will outline the opportunities and challenges of power line communication and wireless communication for smart grid application.