Reduced complexity multiband multi-sensor spectrum sensing

A spectrum sensing problem in which multiple sensors are used to detect an idle period in multiple channels is considered in this paper. By casting the problem using a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP), a sequential detection scheme that minimizes the expected detection time and false alarm is described. Recent research shows that the POMDP formulation can be applied to spectrum sensing problems that sense multiple channels using only one sensor. This paper shows that this approach can be generalized to systems that incorporate an arbitrary number of sensors. Based on this more general procedure, this paper proposes two sequential detection schemes that exploit the additional sensors to reduce the detection time in the spectrum sensing system while maintaining its false alarm rate under a desired design constraint. The performances of the two detectors are investigated through Monte Carlo simulation.