Synonyms
Distributed detection; Distributed inference making; Multiple classifier fusion; Statistical signal processing
Definition
Decision-level fusion falls under a broader area known as distributed detection systems and is the process of selecting one hypothesis from multiple M hypotheses given the decisions of multiple Nsensors in the presence of noise and interference. In biometrics, decision-level fusion creates a single decision from typically two hypotheses, imposter and genuine user, from multiple biometric sensor decisions, which may or may not be identical sensors. Often, decision-level fusion is implemented to save communication bandwidth as well as improve decision accuracy. A statistical performance model for each biometric sensor is needed a priori to support the system wide optimization in terms of two error rates: false acceptance rate, admitting an imposter, and false rejection rate, rejecting the genuine user. A weighted sum of these two errors is a useful...