Entropy-based Spectrum Sensing for Cognitive Radio Networks in the Presence of an Unauthorized Signal

Abstract

Spectrum sensing is a key component of cognitive radio. The prediction of the primary user status in a low signal-to-noise ratio is an important factor in spectrum sensing. However, because of noise uncertainty, secondary users have difficulty distinguishing between the primary signal and an unauthorized signal when an unauthorized user exists in a cognitive radio network. To resolve the sensitivity to the noise uncertainty problem, we propose an entropy-based spectrum sensing scheme to detect the primary signal accurately in the presence of an unauthorized signal. The proposed spectrum sensing uses the conditional entropy between the primary signal and the unauthorized signal. The ability to detect the primary signal is thus robust against noise uncertainty, which leads to superior sensing performance in a low signal-to-noise ratio. Simulation results show that the proposed spectrum sensing scheme outperforms the conventional entropy-based spectrum sensing schemes in terms of the primary user detection probability.