On synchronized channel sensing and accessing for cognitive radio users in IEEE 802.11 wireless networks

One of the most challenging issues in cognitive radio systems is channel sensing and channel accessing. In this paper, a synchronized channel-sensing and accessing for cognitive radio users in IEEE 802.11 wireless networks is proposed. The mechanism consists of two phases: fast channel sensing and proactive channel vacating. Fast channel sensing is for a pair of cognitive radio users to search an available channel time-efficiently; proactive channel vacating is for the pair of cognitive radio users to be aware of the presence of primary users and vacate the occupied channel as quick as possible. We utilize the concept of channel hopping to reduce the average channel sensing time of cognitive radio users. Besides, through the designed interruption mechanism, cognitive radio users can create opportunities for primary users to claim the spectrum and thus minimize the caused interference to primary users. From the simulation results, our proposed protocol can efficiently balance the tradeoff between throughput performance of a cognitive radio network and waiting time of primary users to claim channels.