Cognitive Radio with Machine Learning to Increase Spectral Efficiency in Indoor Applications on the 2.5 GHz Band

Abstract

Due to the propagation characteristics in the 2.5 GHz band, the signal is significantly degraded by building entry loss (BEL), making coverage in indoor environments in some cases non-existent. Signal degradation inside buildings is a challenge for planning engineers, but it can be seen as a spectrum usage opportunity for a cognitive radio communication system. This work presents a methodology based on statistical modeling of data collected by a spectrum analyzer and the application of machine learning (ML) to leverage the use of those opportunities by autonomous and decentralized cognitive radios (CRs), independent of any mobile operator or external database. The proposed design targets using as few narrowband spectrum sensors as possible in order to reduce the cost of the CRs and sensing time, as well as improving energy efficiency. Those characteristics make our design especially interesting for internet of things (IoT) applications or low-cost sensor networks that may use idle mobile spectrum with high reliability and good recall.