Overlay/Underlay Spectrum Sharing for Multi-Operator Environment in Cognitive Radio Networks

A new system model is introduced for spectrum sharing in a multi-operator environment. The infrastructure based cognitive radio network operates in underlay/overlay (hybrid) transmission mode sharing the spectrum of licensed users. Primary user networks (PUNs) are benefitted by the relaying capability of the cognitive radio base station so that their service degraded users due to low coverage, can enhance the performance. The cognitive radio network (CRN) also helps itself by transmitting its own data along with the primary data on the same band, while agreeing to maintain the signal to interference plus noise ratios of primary users´ at a predetermined level. CRN operates in an underlay mode with an imposed interference threshold. In addition, maximizing the secondary user capacity by strategically changing the available frequencies from time slot to time slot is discussed with the introduction of two primary data relaying schemes (asynchronous / synchronous). The objective of the secondary user capacity maximization is reformulated into a linear programming problem with interference cancellation techniques. Power allocation for all the active users and the capacity of the secondary user is analyzed in both of the schemes.