Analysis and assessment software for multi-user collaborative cognitive radio networks

Computer simulations are without a doubt a useful methodology that allows to explore research queries and develop prototypes at lower costs and timeframes than those required in hardware processes. The simulation tools used in cognitive radio networks (CRN) are undergoing an active process. Currently, there is no stable simulator that enables to characterize every element of the cognitive cycle and the available tools are a framework for discrete-event software. This work presents the spectral mobility simulator in CRN called “App MultiColl-DCRN”, developed with MATLAB’s app designer. In contrast with other frameworks, the simulator uses real spectral occupancy data and simultaneously analyzes features regarding spectral mobility, decision-making, multi-user access, collaborative scenarios and decentralized architectures. Performance metrics include bandwidth, throughput level, number of failed handoffs, number of total handoffs, number of handoffs with interference, number of anticipated handoffs and number of perfect handoffs. The assessment of the simulator involves three scenarios: the first and second scenarios present a collaborative structure using the multi-criteria optimization and compromise solution (VIKOR) decision-making model and the naïve Bayes prediction technique respectively. The third scenario presents a multi-user structure and uses simple additive weighting (SAW) as a decision-making technique. The present development represents a contribution in the cognitive radio network field since there is currently no software with the same features

Fuzzy Based PC-PUSH in CR-MANETs

In cognitive radio (CR), the secondary user (SU) needs to hand off its ongoing communication to an idle channel in order to avoid interference to the primary user (PU). Spectrum hand off issue becomes challenging in CR mobile ad hoc networks (CR-MANETs) because of the uncertainty in spectrum availability, broad range of spectrum bands and lack of central entity. The purpose of this study is to design a unified spectrum handoff (USH) scheme for CR-MANETs that considers the spectrum heterogeneity and its availability over time and space. A local flow hand off is performed when spectrum hand off cannot be carried out due to the SUs mobility. To improve further USH, preemptive unified spectrum handoff (PUSH) algorithm is proposed in which two different preemptive hand off threshold regions are defined. The PUSH algorithm also predicts the cognitive link availability considering the PU interference boundary. Although the PUSH scheme improves the hand off performance, the number of spectrum hand offs due to the PU activity should be reduced in this scheme. Therefore, the PC-PUSH (Power Controller-PUSH) scheme is proposed in which the fuzzy logic is used to improve the PUSH in terms of the number of spectrum handoffs because of the PU activity. The PC-PUSH decreases the interference to the PUs, while reducing the number of spectrum handoffs. The results show that the proposed scheme improves the link maintenance probability, decreases the hand off delay, and reduces the number of spectrum handoffs

Bio-inspired route estimation in cognitive radio networks

Cognitive radio is a technique that was originally created for the proper use of the radio electric spectrum due its underuse. A few methods were used to predict the network traffic to determine the occupancy of the spectrum and then use the ‘holes’ between the transmissions of primary users. The goal is to guarantee a complete transmission for the second user while not interrupting the trans-mission of primary users. This study seeks the multifractal generation of traffic for a specific radio electric spectrum as well as a bio-inspired route estimation for secondary users. It uses the MFHW algorithm to generate multifractal traces and two bio-inspired algo-rithms: Ant Colony Optimization and Max Feeding to calculate the secondary user’s path. Multifractal characteristics offer a predic-tion, which is 10% lower in comparison with the original traffic values and a complete transmission for secondary users. In fact, a hybrid strategy combining both bio-inspired algorithms promise a reduction in handoff. The purpose of this research consists on deriving future investigation in the generation of multifractal traffic and a mobility spectrum using bio-inspired algorithms

Improved Multi-hop Pro-active Hand-off for Cognitive Radio Network

Wireless spectrum is currently regulated by governmental agencies and is assigned to license holders or services on a long-term basis over vast geographical regions. The new area of research foresees the development of cognitive radio networks to further improve spectrum efficiency. In the proposed framework, Channel-Switching policies and a proactive spectrum handoff protocol are proposed to let unlicensed users vacate a channel before a licensed user utilizes it to avoid unwanted interference. In our base paper the main focus has been on spectrum mobility, but the effects of mobile users across multiple cells are not considered. In this paper the results of the base paper are compared with a mobile user and handoff. The simulation is done using NS2 and analysis by using Mat Lab; the results show fewer disruptions to primary transmissions by letting SUs proactively predict the future spectrum availability

Optimal Pricing Effect on Equilibrium Behaviors of Delay-Sensitive Users in Cognitive Radio Networks

This paper studies price-based spectrum access control in cognitive radio networks, which characterizes network operators' service provisions to delay-sensitive secondary users (SUs) via pricing strategies. Based on the two paradigms of shared-use and exclusive-use dynamic spectrum access (DSA), we examine three network scenarios corresponding to three types of secondary markets. In the first monopoly market with one operator using opportunistic shared-use DSA, we study the operator's pricing effect on the equilibrium behaviors of self-optimizing SUs in a queueing system. %This queue represents the congestion of the multiple SUs sharing the operator's single \ON-\OFF channel that models the primary users (PUs) traffic. We provide a queueing delay analysis with the general distributions of the SU service time and PU traffic using the renewal theory. In terms of SUs, we show that there exists a unique Nash equilibrium in a non-cooperative game where SUs are players employing individual optimal strategies. We also provide a sufficient condition and iterative algorithms for equilibrium convergence. In terms of operators, two pricing mechanisms are proposed with different goals: revenue maximization and social welfare maximization. In the second monopoly market, an operator exploiting exclusive-use DSA has many channels that will be allocated separately to each entering SU. We also analyze the pricing effect on the equilibrium behaviors of the SUs and the revenue-optimal and socially-optimal pricing strategies of the operator in this market. In the third duopoly market, we study a price competition between two operators employing shared-use and exclusive-use DSA, respectively, as a two-stage Stackelberg game. Using a backward induction method, we show that there exists a unique equilibrium for this game and investigate the equilibrium convergence.Comment: 30 pages, one column, double spac

A Survey on Spectral Handoff Mechanisms for the Cognitive Radio Network

In a cognitive radio network, the cognitive radio (CR) devices also called as secondary users (SU's) need to change their operating frequency due to the inclusion of primary user (PU) in that frequency band. Thus when a PU arrives in a frequency band and asks for a channel in that band, it gets that band and occupies the channel which may be occupied by a SU. In this situation, the SU needs to find another channel in a different frequency band which leads to the spectral handoff. Thus in addition to the location based handoffs for the SU, spectral handoff also occur. This spectral handoff may be done several times for the SU. Thus this situation leads to the study of handoff mechanism. This paper carries out a survey of the handoff types and their mechanisms which have been already conceptualized. DOI: 10.17762/ijritcc2321-8169.15012

A Handoff using Guard Channels Scheme (HGCS) for Cognitive Radio Networks

Spectrum handoff is a very important phenomenon in Cognitive Radio (CR) networks. It provides flawless transmission upon the arrival of primary user (PU) while the channel is in use by the secondary user (SU). Spectrum handoff process provides the SUs with the opportunity to continue their communication on other unoccupied channels as soon as the PU repossesses its channel. FCC (Federal Communications Commission) has released new White Space rules in September 2010 which eliminate the requirement of spectrum sensing, making CRs more flexible. In addition, the CR is to be equipped with TV channel database. Taking these new rules into account, this paper suggests a new handoff scheme, HGCS (Handoff using Guard Channels Scheme), which makes effective use of the guard channels for communication. A preemptive resume priority (PRP) M/G/1 queuing network model is proposed to assess total service time for the suggested HGCS and comparing it to the existing random proactive-decision handoff scheme. Simulation and numerical results verify that HGCS can minimize the handoff delay, hence reduces the total service time compared to the random proactive approach

Prediction-Based Channel Selection Prediction in Mobile Cognitive Radio Network

The emerging 5G wireless communications enabled diverse multimedia applications and smart devices in the network. It promises very high mobile traffic data rates, quality of service as in very low latency and improvement in user’s perceived quality of experience compared to current 4G wireless network. This encourages the increasing demand of significant bandwidth which results a significant urge of efficient spectrum utilization. In this paper, modelling, performance analysis and optimization of future channel selection for cognitive radio network by jointly exploiting both CR mobility and primary user activity to provide efficient spectrum access is studied.  The modelling and prediction method is implemented by using Hidden Markov Model algorithm. The movement of CR in wireless network yields location-varying spectrum opportunities. The current approaches in most literatures which only depend on reactive selection spectrum opportunities result of inefficient channel usages. Moreover, conventional random selection method tends to observe a higher handoff and operation delays in network performance.  This inefficiency can cause continuous transmission interruptions leading to the degradation of advance wireless services. This work goal is to improve the performance of CR in terms number of handoffs and operation delays. We perform simulation on our prediction strategy with a commonly used random sensing method with and without location. Through simulations, it is shown that the proposed prediction and learning strategy can obtain significant improvements in number of handoffs and operation delays performance parameters. It is also shown that future CR location is beneficial in increasing mobile CR performance. This study also shows that the number of primary user in the network and the PU protection range affect the performance of mobile CR channel selection for all methods

DISTRIBUTED INTELLIGENT SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT IN COGNITIVE RADIO AD HOC NETWORKS

The rapid growth of the number of wireless devices has brought an exponential increase in the demand of the radio spectrum. However, according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), almost all the radio spectrum for wireless com- munications has already been allocated. In addition, according to FCC, up to 85% of the allocated spectrum is underutilized due to the current fixed spectrum alloca- tion policy. To alleviate the spectrum scarcity problem, FCC has suggested a new paradigm for dynamically accessing the allocated spectrum. Cognitive radio (CR) technology has emerged as a promising solution to realize dynamic spectrum access (DSA). With the capability of sensing the frequency bands in a time and location- varying spectrum environment and adjusting the operating parameters based on the sensing outcome, CR technology allows an unlicensed user to exploit the licensed channels which are not used by licensed users in an opportunistic manner. In this dissertation, distributed intelligent spectrum management in CR ad hoc networks is explored. In particular, four spectrum management issues in CR ad hoc networks are investigated: 1) distributed broadcasting in CR ad hoc networks; 2) distributed optimal HELLO message exchange in CR ad hoc networks; 3) distributed protocol to defend a particular network security attack in CR ad hoc networks; and 4) distributed spectrum handoff protocol in CR ad hoc networks. The research in this dissertation has fundamental impact on CR ad hoc network establishment, net- work functionality, network security, and network performance. In addition, many of the unique challenges of distributed intelligent spectrum management in CR ad hoc networks are addressed for the first time in this dissertation. These challenges are extremely difficult to solve due to the dynamic spectrum environment and they have significant effects on network functionality and performance. This dissertation is essential for establishing a CR ad hoc network and realizing networking protocols for seamless communications in CR ad hoc networks. Furthermore, this dissertation provides critical theoretical insights for future designs in CR ad hoc networks