STTR Phase I: SpiderRadio: Enabling Cognitive Dynamic Spectrum Access Wireless Communications

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project consists of the research and development of a comprehensive, integrated multi-layer solution for cognition enabled dynamic spectrum access wireless communications. Several spectrum measurement studies indicate that valuable radio spectrum is severely underutilized. This has resulted in time and geographical region specific spectrum holes or white spaces. The intellectual merits of this project consists of the following technical objectives: (a) development of sensing algorithms to identify unused or underused spectrum in real-time by optimally trade-off sensing accuracy for delay; (b) design of a medium access control protocol that will enable dynamic spectrum access based on the information provided by the sensing algorithms; (c) development of a multi-network communication protocol to enhance spectrum access; and (d) cross-layer optimization of these protocols to significantly improve the data rate while achieving the application delay constraints. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will be in the understanding of practically achievable performance of cognitive dynamic spectrum access wireless networks. Highly accurate models and simulation tools for designing cognitive wireless networks will be developed. These will be very valuable to the technical and practitioner communities. The proposed technology will lead to interoperable wireless public safety communications, low cost rural broadband connectivity in television white spaces, and infrastructure for robust mobile video applications. The combined market size for these sectors is estimated to be several billion dollars, globally.