A consensus-based protocol for spectrum sharing fairness in cognitive radio ad hoc & sensor networks

Spectrum sharing is an important topic in cognitive radio ad hoc networks (CRAHNs) and cognitive radio sensor networks (CRSNs). Bio-inspired consensus-based protocols can provide light-weight and efficient solutions for CRAHNs and CRSNs but the theoretical ground should be investigated for spectrum sharing fairness. In this paper, we investigate the convergence condition when applying a consensus protocol to spectrum sharing while ensuring spectrum sharing fairness. Based on the local observation and local control scheme using spectrum-related information, an individual cognitive node can effectively perform the spectrum sharing if a certain condition is met. Then we propose a consensus-based protocol for spectrum sharing. Supported with computer simulations, we show the effectiveness of using the proposed consensus-based protocol to solve spectrum sharing problems in CRAHNs and CRSNs.