Voluntary Spectrum Handoff: A Novel Approach to Spectrum Management in CRNs

In this paper, a new spectrum management scheme for CRNs called Voluntary Spectrum Handoff (VSH) is introduced. The two mechanisms proposed under VSH estimate opportune times to initiate unforced spectrum handoff events to facilitate setup and signaling of alternative channels without having communication disruption, which occurs when a secondary user is forced out of an operating spectrum due to primary user activity. VSH has been evaluated through extensive simulations. Simulation results indicate that VSH significantly reduces the communication disruption duration due to handoffs.