Cognitive Radio Architecture: The Engineering Foundations of Radio XML

Chapter 2. TECHNICAL OVERVIEW

This chapter defines iCR in terms of functional capabilities, characterizing the related contributions and limitations of the enabling technologies. Think of this chapter as a needs summary and functional overview of AACR.

THE iCR HAS SEVEN CAPABILITIES

An ideal cognitive radio (iCR) may be defined as a wireless system with the following capabilities [145], each of which is necessary in evolving AACR toward iCR:

1. Sensing: RF, audio, video, temperature, acceleration, location, and others.

2. Perception: Determining what is in the "scene" conveyed by the sensor domains.

3. Orienting: Assessing the situation—determining if it is familiar. Reacting immediately if necessary. Orienting requires real-time associative memory.

4. Planning: Identifying the alternative actions to take on a deliberative time line.

5. Making Decisions: Deciding among the candidate actions, choosing the best action.

6. Taking Action: Exerting effects in the environment, including RF, human–machine, and machine–machine communications.

7. Learning Autonomously: From experience gained from capabilities 1–6.

Capabilities 1 and 2—sensing and perception—may be termed "observing." Together, these seven capabilities comprise a cognitive system. Cognitive systems observe, orient, plan, decide, and act, all the time learning about themselves and their environments in order to be more effective over time. In 2004, DARPA's view was that in order to be termed "cognitive" a system must learn to adapt its behavior through ...