Joint Improvement of Spectral and Energy Efficiency in Energy Harvesting Based Cognitive Radio Networks

Abstract

Background and Objectives: In an energy harvesting cognitive radio network, both energy efficiency and spectrum efficiency can be improved, simultaneously. In this paper, we consider an energy harvesting-based multi-antenna cognitive radio network to execute cooperative spectrum sensing, data transmission and RF energy harvesting by secondary transmitter from PU’ signal and the ambient noise, simultaneously. Methods: In his paper, two novel models called Joint Power allocation and Energy Harvesting by Time switching and Antennas splitting (JPEHTA) and Joint Power allocation and Continuous Energy Harvesting (JPCEH) are proposed. We formulate the joint optimization problems of the sensing time, detection threshold, energy harvesting time, number of cooperative antennas for sensing and energy harvesting as well as power allocation for each antenna in both proposed models. The aim is for enhancing both the spectral and the energy efficiencies under constraints on the probabilities of global detection and false alarm, energy harvesting and transmission power budget. Then, the considered multi-variable problem is solved by using two convex-based iterative proposed algorithms having less computational complexity compared to baseline approaches to achieve the optimal parameters and goals of the problem. Results: The results present insights about the impact of the sensing time, detection threshold, power allocation and the number of antennas on the energy and spectrum efficiencies of cognitive radio network with an energy harvesting capability. Conclusion: Simulation results have shown that the proposed schemes outperform the structures that have not optimized all the parameters considered in this paper, jointly or schemes in which single-antenna SU are participated in spectrum sensing, energy harvesting and data transmitting.