A Parallel, Multi-Resolution Sensing Technique for Multiple Antenna Cognitive Radios

A parallel, multi-resolution spectrum sensing technique that is amenable to multiple-antenna cognitive radios is introduced. We show that for energy-detector-type spectrum sensors, the total sensing time due to FFT latency is reduced by 100 times using the proposed method versus the fixed-resolution, serial detection method employed in single-antenna systems. System-level tradeoffs such as the number of antennas, sensing bandwidth, and FFT size are also explored.