A spectrum sensing algorithm based on estimating the number of source signals

Spectrum sensing is a key technology in cognitive radio systems. The quiet period is commonly used during the sensing period to avoid the interference from the cognitive networks. In this paper, we propose a new sensing algorithm that does not need to set the quiet period. The presence or absence of the primary signal is judged by estimating the number of source signals based on the application of information theoretic criteria for model selection. The performance of the new method is validated by simulation results.