Spectrum aware cluster-based architecture for cognitive radio ad-hoc networks

To encounter the mounting necessity of radio spectrum, proper utilization of the radio spectrum is must. Cognitive radio practices an open spectrum allocation technique to make efficient utilization of the wireless radio spectrum and reduces the bottleneck on the frequency bands. A robust architecture with suitable communication protocol is a precondition in the deployment of cognitive radio networks. A novel cluster-based architecture for an ad-hoc cognitive radio network is proposed in this paper, where the spatial variations of spectrum opportunities are considered for clustering. Our cluster formation is defined as a maximum edge biclique problem. Each cluster consists with a set of free common channels, which benefits smooth shift between control channels. A set of cognitive radio nodes are grouped into the same cluster if they sense similar free channels and are within the communication range of the leader node called cluster head. The selection of cluster head is based on a parameter called Cluster Head Determination Factor (CHDF). Considering the re-clustering issue for mobile nodes, we also introduce the concept of secondary cluster-head. The secondary cluster-head takes charge of a cluster whenever a cluster-head moves out from the cluster. Proposed clusters adapt themselves dynamically with respect to spectrum availability, and the high mobility of the nodes. Finally, we simulate the proposed architecture to evaluate the performance of our method.