A cloud model and concept prototype for cognitive radio networks

The FCC's approval for the first commercial operation in TV white space gives new momentum to the development of cognitive radio in TVWS. On the other hand, the rapid growth of Cloud computing makes it possible and more economical to build a CR metropolitan area network with commodity hardware. In view of the opportunity and challenges brought about by these two technologies, we propose a CR cloud networking model that is able to support CR access in TVWS. Making use of the flexible and vast computing capacity of the cloud, a database and a cooperative spectrum sensing algorithm that estimates the radio power map of licensed users are realized on a CR cloud implemented with Microsoft's Windows Azure Cloud platform. The CRC can support CSS, dynamic spectrum access and mobility management. A medium access control protocol is also developed for this CRCN model to collect sensing reports and provide access to the TVWS and CRC services. Through this CRCN prototype, important network parameters such as the mean squared errors in CSS, the CR channel vacating delay, and the cloud-based handover time are measured for the design and deployment of the CRCN concept.