Constructing Balanced, Conflict-Minimal, Overlap-Fair Channel Sensing Schedules

摘要

Wireless communication technologies such as Wi-Fi offer the use of multiple channels in different radio frequency ranges. Synchronously switching among channels supports the robustness of network operation and is also applied in cognitive radio networks to avoid conflicts with licensed users. In our previous work, we have devised quality metrics and algorithms for the derivation of communication schedules, i.e., finite sequences of channels actively used for message transfer. In this paper, we extend these results by constructing sensing schedules, i.e., finite sequences of channels passively used for channel quality measurement. Sensing schedules have the following properties. First, they are balanced in the sense that all available channels are sensed equally often. Second, they are conflict-minimal w.r.t. the current communication schedule regarding overlap of channels placed in the same position of both schedules. Third, under these constraints, they maximize overlap-fairness.