Patent ID: 8295261

Claim:
A method for detecting hidden nodes in a cognitive radio network including a set of primary nodes (PNs) and a set of secondary nodes (SNs) using a wide band frequency spectrum partitioned into a set of bands, comprising: partitioning time into cognitive cycles including a sensing period, a signaling period and a transmission period, and for each cycle further comprising the steps of: sensing, in each SN during the sensing period, primary nodes transmissions on the set of bands; forming, in each SN node, a set of detected PNs based on the sensing; signaling, by each SN during the signaling period, the set of detected PNs; and transmitting, by the SN during the transmission period, data on the bands that are disjoint of the bands used by the set of detected PNs, wherein a probability of sensing all PNs transmitting during the sensing period is between 0 and 1 for each SN, and wherein the probability is P D ⁡ ( n , N ) = q + ( 1 - q ) ⁢ ∑ i = 1 n ⁢ ⁢ ∑ d = 1 N - 1 ⁢ ⁢ ( N - 1 d ⁢ ) ⁢ q d ⁡ ( 1 - q ) N - d - 1 × d × τ ⁡ ( 1 - τ ) d - 1 ⁢ ( 1 - d × τ ⁡ ( 1 - τ ) d - 1 ) i - 1 , where n is a number of the time slots, N is a number of PNs, q a probability of sensing all the PNs by a particular SN, and d is a number of SNs, τ is a probability of transmission by the SN.