Mohammad Rezaeian | Searcharxiv

arXiv2006

Sensor Scheduling for Optimal Observability Using Estimation Entropy

We consider sensor scheduling as the optimal observability problem for partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDP). This model fits to the cases where a Markov process is observed by a single sensor which needs to be dynamically adjusted or by a set of sensors which are selected one at a time in a way that maximizes the information acquisition from the process. Similar to conventional POMDP problems, in this model the control action is based on all past measurements; however here this action is not for the control of state process, which is autonomous, but it is for influencing the measurement of that process. This POMDP is a controlled version of the hidden Markov process, and we show that its optimal observability problem can be formulated as an average cost Markov decision process (MDP) scheduling problem. In this problem, a policy is a rule for selecting sensors or adjusting the measuring device based on the measurement history. Given a policy, we can evaluate the estimation entropy for the joint state-measurement processes which inversely measures the observability of state process for that policy. Considering estimation entropy as the cost of a policy, we show that the problem of finding optimal policy is equivalent to an average cost MDP scheduling problem where the cost function is the entropy function over the belief space. This allows the application of the policy iteration algorithm for finding the policy achieving minimum estimation entropy, thus optimum observability.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2006

Hidden Markov Process: A New Representation, Entropy Rate and Estimation Entropy

We consider a pair of correlated processes {Z_n} and {S_n} (two sided), where the former is observable and the later is hidden. The uncertainty in the estimation of Z_n upon its finite past history is H(Z_n|Z_0^{n-1}), and for estimation of S_n upon this observation is H(S_n|Z_0^{n-1}), which are both sequences of n. The limits of these sequences (and their existence) are of practical and theoretical interest. The first limit, if exists, is the entropy rate. We call the second limit the estimation entropy. An example of a process jointly correlated to another one is the hidden Markov process. It is the memoryless observation of the Markov state process where state transitions are independent of past observations. We consider a new representation of hidden Markov process using iterated function system. In this representation the state transitions are deterministically related to the process. This representation provides a unified framework for the analysis of the two limiting entropies for this process, resulting in integral expressions for the limits. This analysis shows that under mild conditions the limits exist and provides a simple method for calculating the elements of the corresponding sequences.

cs.IT↗