Optimization of MAC Frame Structure for Opportunistic Spectrum Access

• Published in: IEEE transactions on wireless communications Vol. 11; no. 6; pp. 2036 - 2045
• Main Authors: Jing Zhang, Lina Qi, Hongbo Zhu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.06.2012; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Subjects: Access methods and protocols, osi model; Applied sciences; Bandwidth; channel handoff; Detectors; Equipments and installations; Exact sciences and technology; Indexes; Information, signal and communications theory; Lead; MAC frame structure optimization; Mobile radiocommunication systems; Opportunistic spectrum access; Optimization; Radiocommunications; sensing-throughput tradeoff; Signal and communications theory; Signal representation. Spectral analysis; Signal, noise; Systems, networks and services of telecommunications; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Teleprocessing networks. Isdn; Throughput; Transmission and modulation (techniques and equipments); Access control; Mobile radiocommunication; sensing-throughput tradeoff; Wireless telecommunication; Information rate; Theoretical study; Opportunistic spectrum access; MAC frame structure optimization; Information transmission; Optimization; False alarm rate; Spectrum analysis; Handover; Dynamic model; Signal analysis; Collision avoidance; Open service access; channel handoff
• ISSN: 1536-1276
• DOI: 10.1109/TWC.2012.032812.110015

Sensing-throughput tradeoff is involved in opportunistic spectrum access (OSA). At the physical layer it's expressed as the tradeoff between false alarm and misdetection, while at the MAC layer it's between maximizing the throughput of secondary users and reducing collisions with primary users. To balance both tradeoffs together drives the optimization of MAC frame structure for OSA. Since channel handoff results in a time overhead for MAC frame, it's first researched by modeling OSA dynamics in the paper. Three handoff cases and their probabilities are deduced, which lead to three application scenarios of MAC frame. Thus the throughput model of secondary network involving channel handoff is proposed. By balancing the misdetection and false alarm probabilities and maximizing the throughput of secondary network subject to the sensing quality and collision avoidance constraints, the optimal sensing time and frame duration are deduced as closed forms. The characteristics of the optimal MAC frame structure are researched as well. Theoretical and simulated results disclose the impacts of channel handoff and spectrum sensing on MAC frame structure and the achievable throughput of secondary network, which provide an insight for OSA design and improvement.