Channel quality ranking in cognitive radio networks

Cognitive radios have enabled the users to utilize licensed bands opportunistically without causing harmful interference to licensed users. Spectrum analysis is an important technique in cognitive radio networks. And it helps ranking available channels using spectrum sensing results. Appropriate channel assignment decisions will be made according to the ranking results and user requirements. Here we provide an overview of spectrum analysis in this paper. Some basic concepts of cognitive radio network and cognitive cycle are recalled in this paper first. Then, we introduce some traditional channel quality evaluation parameters. Finally, we provide our own ranking mechanism and describe it with the help of a flow diagram.