A reputation-based Stackelberg game approach for spectrum sharing with cognitive cooperation

In this paper, we consider the problem of spectrum sharing with cooperation in a wireless system with two pairs of source-destination links, which have different priorities to access the channel. The cognitive low priority user (LPU) cooperates with the high priority user (HPU), acting as a relay, in exchange for an opportunity to access the channel. We study the interactions between the HPU and the LPU using a game theoretical approach to search for the optimal time allocation for individual transmissions and cooperation among users. We propose a new Stackelberg game formulation, in which the reputation of both users is considered to encourage cooperation and prevent misbehavior. The proposed utility functions are designed so that fairness and energy efficiency are taken into account.