A dynamic channel access strategy for underlay cognitive radio networks: Markov modelling and performance evaluation

Unlike in overlay cognitive radio networks, secondary users in underlay cognitive radio networks can access licensed spectrum even at the presence of a primary user, given that the interference caused by the secondary transmission is lower than a pre-specified threshold. Based on this underlay access principle, we propose in this paper a dynamic channel access strategy for multi-channel cognitive radio networks. Different from existing underlay access techniques, channel assembling, spectrum adaptation and restricted channel occupancy are also considered in the proposed strategy in order to achieve better performance in the secondary network. Accordingly, a partial channel occupancy mode, w…