Spectrum Leasing to Multiple Cooperating Secondary Cellular Networks

In cognitive radio networks, cooperation between primary and secondary users can enhance the spectrum leasing and eventually improve each network's performance. In this paper, we focus on the cooperation between primary network and multiple secondary networks. We propose a cooperative communication-aware spectrum leasing framework, in which the primary network leverages secondary APs as cooperative relays, and decides the optimal strategy on the relay selection and the price for spectrum leasing. Based on primary network's strategy, secondary networks determine the length of spectrum access time they purchase from the primary network. The above sequential decision procedure is formulated as a Stackelberg game, with primary network acting as the leader and secondary networks as the followers, and a unique Nash Equilibrium (NE) point is achieved through backward induction analysis. At this NE point, all networks maximize their utilities in terms of transmission rate and revenue/payment. Simulation results show that the primary network and secondary networks achieve higher utilities by exploiting cooperative transmission under our proposed framework, which gives all networks incentive for cooperation