QoS-aware Dynamic Spectrum Access for Cognitive Radio Networks

Ubiquitous wireless networking requires efficient dynamic spectrum access (DSA) among heterogeneous users with diverse transmission types and bandwidth demands. To meet user-specific quality-of-service (QoS) requirements, the power and spectrum allocated to each user should lie inside a power/spectral-shape bounded region in order to be meaningful for the intended application. Most existing DSA methods aim at enhancing the total system utility. As such, spectrum wastage may arise when the system-wide optimal allocation falls outside individual users' desired regions for QoS provisioning. In this work, novel QoS-aware DSA algorithms are developed for both non-cooperative power allocation (QoSNCPA) and cooperative (QoSCPA) users in cognitive radio (CR) networks. The algorithms maximize the "useful utilities" to the users, and minimize the power consumption and mutual interference within the CR network. Simulations results of the QoSNCPA and QoSCPA for single and multiple channel cases demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithms for DSA.