Opportunistic channel allocation decision making in cognitive radio communications

Abstract

SUMMARYThe global spread of wireless devices with mobile Internet access and the increasing demand of multimedia‐based applications are fueling the need for wireless broadband networks. IEEE 802.16 and 802.20 are standards for a broadband wireless access with promising cognitive radio features to support mobile Internet access. However, because of the fast changing radio environment and the demand for dynamic spectrum allocation mechanisms, these standards must continuously readjust different radio parameters. The cognitive radio makes decisions based on its built‐in inference engine, which also in time can adapt itself to different situations through the process of learning from experience. In this paper we present an automated opportunistic decision making and learning process for cognitive radio based on uncertainty reasoning algorithms. This novel approach is well suited in fast changing wireless environments with vague, incomplete, and heterogeneous information. Theory and simulations prove that decision making and learning of the cognitive radio based on the proposed approach cope with the changes in the radio environment. In this work we use fuzzy logic for the learning and decision making of the cognitive radio. Simulation also show that our approach provides accurate and precise decisions on allocating spectrum to mobile Internet users even in fast varying radio conditions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.