Optimizing sensing duration for multiple secondary users in cognitive radio networks

In this paper, optimization of sensing duration is carried out in cognitive radio networks (CRNs), which could lead to increased throughput in comparison with equal allocation of sensing duration. In our model, multiple secondary users (SUs) sense two primary channels (PCs) and detect whether they are idle or active before the transmission of data packets over channels occurs. Based on our method, the CRN can decide about the status of channels by polling multiple SUs. The allocation of sensing duration between PCs in this scenario, which contains multiple SUs, can be considered as optimization problems which vary depending on the network's polling method. In our work two specific optimization problems will be scrutinized. Simulation results provided for these two optimization problems illustrate the behavior of transmission opportunity over the entire sensing duration for both channels, and reveal the optimal point on the entire span of time given to SUs for detection. In addition, the system performance with regard to the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is investigated.