Media Access Control (MAC) Protocol for Cognitive Wireless Networks

摘要

A new media access control (MAC) protocol for cognitive wireless networks is described. The new MAC protocol allows each of multiple nodes, such as cell phones and computers with wireless, to determine utilization of a communication spectrum, such as the television broadcast band. The nodes collaborate to achieve a combined view of spectrum utilization in their local vicinity, in which scheduled users and empty time segments are mapped across a wide range of frequencies. Nodes negotiate with each other to reserve idle segments of the spectrum for packet exchange on negotiated frequencies. Control packet structure allows nodes to become prescient of the local spectrum utilization during handshaking. A cognitive device operating under the new MAC has a first radio that both scans the spectrum and monitors a control channel; and a second reconfigurable radio with adjustable parameters, including frequency and bandwidth, for packet transmission.