System and Method for Probability-based Resource Allocation in a Wireless Communications System

A method for resource allocation at a cognitive radio (CR) user, the method comprising:

• coordinating spectrum sensing information with a set of CR user pairs;
• computing probability-based information based on the spectrum sensing information;
• computing adjustment values for each channel available for allocation;
• computing a utility value and a power allocation for each CR user pair based on the probability-based information;
• sharing the utility values with other CR user pairs in the set of CR user pairs;
• for each channel I, where I ranges from 1 to a number of channels available for allocation,
• setting a transmit power for channel Ito a first value and updating adjustment values if a utility value associated with the channel I for the CR user is a maximum utility value, and
• setting the transmit power for channel I to a second value if the utility value associated with the channel I for the CR user is not the maximum utility value;
• updating the adjustment values;
• repeating the computing a utility value and a power allocation, the sharing the utility values with other CR user pairs, the for each channel I, and the updating the adjustment values if the adjustment values have not converged;
• and
• transmitting over channels allocated to the CR user.

A communications device comprising:

• a receiver coupled to an antenna, the receiver configured to receive signals detected by the antenna;
• a transmitter coupled to the antenna, the transmitter configured to transmit signals using the antenna;
• and
• a processor coupled to the receiver and to the transmitter, the processor configured to sense a state of a spectrum band over which signals are transmitted and received, to combine spectrum band state received from neighboring communications devices, to compute conditional probabilities based on the spectrum band state, to compute and update multipliers for each channel available for allocation, to select communications device pairs based on a computed power allocation and a utility, and to assign resources to selected communications device pairs.