EARS: Enhancing Radio-Frequency Spectrum Through Interference Resilient Cognitive Radio Systems: Design, Performance Analysis and Optimization

无线设备和传感器数量的不断增加，以及对更高数据速率和有限射频频谱资源的巨大需求，促使对具有改进的射频频谱共享功能的新型无线通信技术的需求。最近的无线电频谱测量证实了无线电频谱被低效利用的事实，因此，认知无线电的概念被提出为有效利用无线电频谱的一种有前途的方法。认知无线电是一种通信系统，具有通过感知和测量来了解周围环境的能力，并能够调整其特征以更好地利用现有的无线电频谱资源，目的是确保通信链路具有足够的服务质量。这项建议解决了认知无线电系统可以在实践中实施之前必须克服的几个重要问题。这些挑战包括设计具有足够精度的电路来处理接收的信号，设计快速和计算高效的方法来感测频谱的占用，以及设计和分析允许许多用户共享频谱而不会造成彼此不适当干扰的多址方案。该项目将使用创新技术解决这些挑战，从而更好地利用现有无线电频谱资源。这项工作的应用范围包括射电天文、通信网络、智能电网、无线传感和监测设备、地球远程监测和远程医疗。本项目将设计基于认知网络的抗干扰性正交频分复用并优化其性能，以更好地利用无线电频谱。其目标是通过揭示和利用混合模拟/数字信号处理、快速频谱感知、计算统计和随机几何的跨学科概念和结果来开发变革性的解决方案和方法，对理论和实践都有重大影响。该项目的成功完成有可能促进在频谱共享通信网络的部署和优化方面的最先进的知识和理解。该项目将开发新的算法和方法，以优化存在主要用户干扰的射频前端和模数转换器的设计，以及减少次要用户干扰的多址方案。该项目还将有助于开发大规模模拟和计算方法，以增强认知无线通信网络的运作。拟议的研究工作将通过发展创新的教学做法、为学生提供咨询、积极招收国内学生和来自代表性不足群体的学生，将与教育使命相结合。这些努力将与德克萨斯农工大学雄心勃勃的25-25岁增长计划相吻合，该计划寻求到2025年将工程学院的招生人数增加到2.5万人，从而增加获得高质量教育的机会。

The continuous increase in the number of wireless devices and sensors along with the huge demand for higher data rates and limited radio frequency spectrum resources have prompted the need for novel wireless communications technologies with improved radio frequency spectrum sharing features. Recent radio spectrum measurements have corroborated the fact that the radio spectrum is being used inefficiently; and consequently, the concept of cognitive radio has been proposed as a promising approach for the efficient utilization of the radio frequency spectrum. A cognitive radio represents a communication system equipped with the abilities to learn its surrounding environment through sensing and measurements and to adapt its features for a better utilization of existing radio frequency spectrum resources with the aim of securing communications links with adequate quality of service. This proposal addresses several important problems that must be overcome before cognitive radio systems can be implemented in practice. These challenges include the design of circuits with adequate precision for processing of the received signals, the design of fast and computationally efficient ways to sense the occupancy of the spectrum and the design and analysis of multiple access schemes that will permit many users to share the spectrum without causing undue interference to each other. This project will use innovative techniques to solve these challenges thereby enabling a better utilization of the available radio spectrum resources. Applications of the proposed work include radio astronomy, communication networks, smart grids, wireless sensing and monitoring devices, remote monitoring of earth, and telemedicine.This project will design interference-resilient orthogonal frequency division multiplexing based cognitive networks and optimize their performance for better utilization of the radio frequency spectrum. The objective is to develop transformative solutions and approaches by unveiling and exploiting cross-disciplinary concepts and results from mixed analog/digital signal processing, fast spectrum sensing, computational statistics and stochastic geometry with significant impact to both theory and practice. Successful completion of this project holds the potential to advance the state-of-the-art knowledge and understanding in the deployment and optimization of spectrum sharing communications networks. This project will develop new algorithms and methodologies to optimize the design of a radio frequency front-end and analog-to-digital converters in the presence of primary user interference, and multiple-access schemes to mitigate secondary user interference. This project will also contribute to the development of large-scale simulation and computational methods for enhancing the operation of cognitive wireless communications networks. The proposed research work will be integrated with the educational mission through the development of innovative pedagogical practices, advising of students, active recruitment of domestic students and students from under-represented groups. These efforts will dovetail with the ambitious 25 by 25 growth plan at Texas A&M University, which seeks to increase the enrollment in the College of Engineering to 25,000 students by 2025, thereby increasing access to high quality education.