ABSTRACT
Users' needs of wireless services leads to scarcity of the available spectrum and inefficient channel utilization. The cognitive radio (CR) is the optimum solution for these requirements. The ability to detect a primary user (PU) as well as to avoid any false alarm are important for such a system. The radio spectrum is a limited resource and is regulated by government agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This chapter discusses the cognitive radio concepts, statistical features, and the proposed adaptive cognitive radio detection system. CR, including software-defined radio (SDR) as an enabling technology, was proposed to realize adaptable and effective usage of the spectrum. Selection of the appropriate features of a signal improves the performance of the detection and reduces its complexity through the implementation. The statistical features are represented by higher-order moments and cumulants.
