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

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 Spectrum Mobility using Virtual Reservation in Collaborative Cognitive Radio Networks

Cognitive radio technology would enable a set of secondary users (SU) to opportunistically use the spectrum licensed to a primary user (PU). On the appearance of this PU on a specific frequency band, any SU occupying this band should free it for PUs. Typically, SUs may collaborate to reduce the impact of cognitive users on the primary network and to improve the performance of the SUs. In this paper, we propose and analyze the performance of virtual reservation in collaborative cognitive networks. Virtual reservation is a novel link maintenance strategy that aims to maximize the throughput of the cognitive network through full spectrum utilization. Our performance evaluation shows significant improvements not only in the SUs blocking and forced termination probabilities but also in the throughput of cognitive users.Comment: 7 pages, 10 figures, IEEE ISCC 201

Optimal value of past samples for decision making in cognitive radio networks

Context: Modeling and prediction of spectrum use by PUs is an important aspect to reduce interference between SUs and PUs, and improve the performance of the spectral decision. This requires past spectral information, which allows the algorithm to model the behavior of the PU. Objective: Determine the optimal value of past samples and time to recalculate decision criteria for decision-making algorithms in cognitive radio networks. Methodology: Several simulation experiments are performed from the FFAHP algorithm, in two different approaches, real-time and best-effort, with high and low traffic, in the GSM frequency band. A statistical analysis of the data obtained is performed, varying the time range parameters, while time criteria remains constant, and vice versa. Results: For high traffic it is enough to take 1800 previous samples to calculate the initial value of the parameters and update them every 10 minutes (1800). If the traffic is low, it is enough to take 5400 previous samples to calculate the initial value of the parameters and update them every 10 minutes (1800). Conclusions: A large number of previous samples is not necessary to determine the initial value of the decision parameters to obtain a good performance of the handoff rate, nor is it necessary for updating them, for traffic corresponding to the band of GSM frequency. Funding: This work is a result of a research project funded by the Center for Research and Scientific Development of the Francisco José de Caldas District University.Contexto: El modelado y predicción del uso del espectro por parte de los PU es un aspecto importante para reducir la interferencia entre los SU y PU, y mejorar el desempeño de la decisión espectral. Lo anterior requiere de información espectral pasada, que permita al algoritmo modelar el comportamiento del PU. Objetivo: Determinar el valor óptimo de muestras pasadas y tiempo de recalculo de criterios de decisión, para los algoritmos de toma de decisiones en redes de radio cognitiva. Metodología: Se realizan varios experimentos de simulación a partir del algoritmo FFAHP, en dos diferentes enfoques, tiempo-real y mejor-esfuerzo, con tráfico alto y bajo, en la banda de frecuencia GSM. Se realiza un análisis estadístico de los datos obtenidos, variando los parámetros de time range, mientras criteria time permanece constante, y viceversa. Resultados: Para tráfico alto es suficiente con tomar 1800 muestras anteriores para calcular el valor inicial de los parámetros y actualizarlos cada 10 minutos (1800). Si el tráfico es bajo es suficiente con tomar 5400 muestras anteriores para calcular el valor inicial de los parámetros y actualizarlos cada 10 minutos (1800). Conclusiones: No es necesario un número elevado de muestras anteriores para determinar el valor inicial de los parámetros de decisión para obtener un buen desempeño de la tasa de handoff, así como tampoco lo es para la actualización de los mismos, para un tráfico correspondiente a la banda de frecuencia GSM. Financiamiento: El presente trabajo es un resultado de un proyecto de investigación financiado por el Centro de Investigaciones y Desarrollo Científico de la Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas

Game theory for dynamic spectrum sharing cognitive radio

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University on 21 June 2010.‘Game Theory’ is the formal study of conflict and cooperation. The theory is based on a set of tools that have been developed in order to assist with the modelling and analysis of individual, independent decision makers. These actions potentially affect any decisions, which are made by other competitors. Therefore, it is well suited and capable of addressing the various issues linked to wireless communications. This work presents a Green Game-Based Hybrid Vertical Handover Model. The model is used for heterogeneous wireless networks, which combines both dynamic (Received Signal Strength and Node Mobility) and static (Cost, Power Consumption and Bandwidth) factors. These factors control the handover decision process; whereby the mechanism successfully eliminates any unnecessary handovers, reduces delay and overall number of handovers to 50% less and 70% less dropped packets and saves 50% more energy in comparison to other mechanisms. A novel Game-Based Multi-Interface Fast-Handover MIPv6 protocol is introduced in this thesis as an extension to the Multi-Interface Fast-handover MIPv6 protocol. The protocol works when the mobile node has more than one wireless interface. The protocol controls the handover decision process by deciding whether a handover is necessary and helps the node to choose the right access point at the right time. In addition, the protocol switches the mobile nodes interfaces ‘ON’ and ‘OFF’ when needed to control the mobile node’s energy consumption and eliminate power lost of adding another interface. The protocol successfully reduces the number of handovers to 70%, 90% less dropped packets, 40% more received packets and acknowledgments and 85% less end-to-end delay in comparison to other Protocols. Furthermore, the thesis adapts a novel combination of both game and auction theory in dynamic resource allocation and price-power-based routing in wireless Ad-Hoc networks. Under auction schemes, destinations nodes bid the information data to access to the data stored in the server node. The server will allocate the data to the winner who values it most. Once the data has been allocated to the winner, another mechanism for dynamic routing is adopted. The routing mechanism is based on the source-destination cooperation, power consumption and source-compensation to the intermediate nodes. The mechanism dramatically increases the seller’s revenue to 50% more when compared to random allocation scheme and briefly evaluates the reliability of predefined route with respect to data prices, source and destination cooperation for different network settings. Last but not least, this thesis adjusts an adaptive competitive second-price pay-to-bid sealed auction game and a reputation-based game. This solves the fairness problems associated with spectrum sharing amongst one primary user and a large number of secondary users in a cognitive radio environment. The proposed games create a competition between the bidders and offers better revenue to the players in terms of fairness to more than 60% in certain scenarios. The proposed game could reach the maximum total profit for both primary and secondary users with better fairness; this is illustrated through numerical results

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

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