EARS: Accelerating Spectrum Access in Cognitive Radio Networks via Social Analysis of Secondary Users

认知无线电网络(CRN)中用户接入频谱的一个基本操作是信道交会。在建立交会后，用户之间的信道信息交换和传播对于有效的频谱接入也是必不可少的。现有关于CRN中信道交会的研究存在局限性，不适用于有效的接入场景。有关用户的其他信息可以帮助在CRN中生成智能设计，从而缩短频谱接入延迟。然而，由于实际条件的限制，在确定交会地点之前，要获得这样的信息是极其困难的。挖掘认知用户(或二次用户，SU)的社交模式，并智能地利用捕获的社交信息是一种很有前途的方法。本项目的目标是设计、分析和评估无公共控制信道的CRN快速高效的频谱接入方案。这项工作的一个独特之处是考虑了SU社会模式，并纳入了社会分析以提高频谱接入效率。该方法包括分析SU的时间、位置和频谱依赖的社交模式；在SU社交分析的帮助下识别和解决信道会合、安全和推荐设计中的新挑战；以及主动利用SU的社交模式进行完全分布式快速安全的频谱接入设计。该项目将对高效的频谱接入产生重大影响。用户社交分析是进一步提升频谱接入效率、加快CRN部署的关键环节。这种跨学科的研究具有潜在的变革性，因为它将有助于为众多的CRN应用产生创新的技术。它还将极大地提高对移动用户在无线网络中的社交互动的理解。该项目为研究生和本科生提供了一个极好的机会，让他们获得宝贵的教育培训和研究经验。研究成果将在IEEE/ACM期刊和国际会议上发表。

A fundamental operation for users in cognitive radio networks (CRNs) to access the spectrum is channel rendezvous. After rendezvous is established, channel information exchange and propagation among users are also essential for efficient spectrum access. Existing studies on channel rendezvous in CRNs have limitations and are unsuitable for efficient access scenarios. Additional information about users can help generate intelligent designs in CRNs that can shorten spectrum access delay. However, due to practical constraints, such information is extremely difficult to obtain before rendezvous is established. Mining the social patterns of CR users (or secondary users, SUs) and intelligently utilizing the captured social information is a promising approach. The objective of this project is to design, analyze, and evaluate fast and efficient spectrum access schemes for CRNs without a common control channel. One unique feature of this work is the consideration of SU social patterns and the incorporation of social analysis to enhance spectrum access efficiency. The approach involves analyzing the time, location, and spectrum-dependent social patterns of SUs; identifying and addressing new challenges in channel rendezvous, security, and recommendation designs with the assistance of SU social analysis; and proactively utilizing social patterns of SUs for fully distributed fast and secure spectrum access design. This project will have a significant impact on efficient spectrum access. Social analysis of users is a critical component to further enhance spectrum access efficiency and accelerate CRN deployment. This interdisciplinary research is potentially transformative as it will help generate innovative techniques to numerous CRN applications. It will also greatly enhance the understanding of social interactions of mobile users in wireless networks. This project provides an excellent opportunity for graduate and undergraduate research students to gain valuable educational training and research experiences. The research results will be presented at IEEE/ACM journals and international conferences.