Distributed multi-channel cognitive mac protocol

Abstract

A method includes sending a message from a first to at least one second cognitive radio apparatus to determine a channel to be used for sending data from the first to the second radio apparatus, the message sent over a first channel and comprising an advertisement of at least one second channel for use in sending the data from the first to the second radio apparatus, the advertisement comprising a corresponding proposition/evaluation bit for each second channel, receiving a reply from the second radio apparatus over the first channel, comprising an acceptance of one of the second channels with the corresponding proposition/evaluation bit, a rejection of the second channel and an advertisement of a third channel, or a rejection of the second channel without an advertisement of a third channel, and transmitting the data from the first to the second radio apparatus over an agreed upon second or third channel.

1 . A method, comprising;
 sending a message from a first cognitive radio apparatus to at least one second cognitive radio apparatus during a negotiation phase to determine a channel to be used for sending data from the first cognitive radio apparatus to the at least one second cognitive radio apparatus, the message being sent over a first communication channel and comprising an advertisement of at least one second communication channel for use in sending the data from the first cognitive radio apparatus to the at least one second cognitive radio apparatus, the advertisement comprising a corresponding proposition/evaluation bit for each of the at least one second communication channel;   receiving a reply from the at least one second cognitive radio apparatus over the first communication channel, the reply comprising one of an acceptance of one of the at least one second communication channels with the corresponding proposition/evaluation bit from the advertisement, a rejection of the at least one second communication channel and an advertisement of at least one third communication channel, and a rejection of the at least one second communication channel without an advertisement of at least one third communication channel; and   transmitting the data from the first cognitive radio apparatus to the at least one second cognitive radio apparatus over an agreed upon one of the second or third communication channels in response to a completion of the negotiation phase.