Patent ID: 8160004

Claim:
A method for optimizing spatial diversity of a set of nodes for cooperative spectrum sensing, comprising: selecting an initial set of nodes from a plurality of nodes, the initial set of nodes selected at random from the plurality of nodes; obtaining sensing results from each node of the initial set of nodes, the sensing results produced by the nodes in response to performing a cooperative sensing regime; determining an initial cooperative sensing index of the initial set of nodes based on the sensing results, the initial cooperative sensing index indicating a level of spatial diversity of the initial set of nodes, wherein the initial cooperative sensing index satisfies a minimum spatial diversity criteria; selecting at least one additional node from a remaining set of nodes, the remaining set of nodes consisting of nodes in the plurality of nodes not in the initial set of nodes, wherein the at least one additional node is selected at random from the remaining nodes, wherein selecting at least one additional node is performed by determining a cooperative sensing index of the initial set of nodes when sensing results of each one of the at least one additional nodes is included individually in the determination of the cooperative sensing index, and determining which additional node increases the cooperative sensing index most over the initial cooperative sensing index; and replacing at least one node in the initial set of nodes with the at least one additional node to produce an optimized set of nodes, the optimized set of nodes having an increased cooperative sensing index that is higher than the initial cooperative sensing index, wherein replacing at least one node is performed by including the additional node which increased the cooperative sensing index most, and individually removing each node of the initial set of nodes and determining the cooperative sensing index with each node of the initial set of nodes removed individually, and determining which node of the initial set of nodes which, when removed, has a lowest effect on the cooperative sensing index.