Hybrid detection based on energy and entropy analysis as a novel approach for spectrum sensing

Detection of weak signals has become the study of particular importance as a consequence of the ongoing technology development in many different fields such as more efficient radio communication or reaching further exploration in astrophysics. Its main task still remains spectrum sensing, which is detecting the weak signals hidden in the noise. Among the well-known methods most commonly used remains energy detection, extended in the following years to double thresholding or cooperative sensing by multiple receivers. The authors of the article propose the innovative hybrid detection, where cooperation is realized on the basis of two independent methods within a single receiver. In the studied case of detection, the energy associated with equally simple analysis of entropy allows to improve the detection results in a changing radio environment. Reasonability of the proposed approach is confirmed by the results achieved in experimental detection system.