Tactical spectrum harvesting

A method for tactical spectrum harvesting via a cognitive communication device, comprising:

• monitoring a wireless communication frequency spectrum via the cognitive communication device, the cognitive communication device having a secondary priority of usage to the tactical spectrum;
• detecting active net communication transmissions, including detecting preambles of said active net communication transmissions, said active net communication transmissions being transmitted via the monitored communication frequency spectrum by a plurality of active transmitting nets having a first priority of usage to the tactical spectrum, wherein each active transmitting net of the plurality of active transmitting nets utilizes a time reference, a cryptographic key, and a cryptographic algorithm, wherein each particular active transmitting net is a frequency-hopping net, wherein the cognitive communication device operates outside of the plurality of active transmitting nets, and wherein the cognitive communication device is configured with knowledge of the cryptographic key and the cryptographic algorithm utilized by each active transmitting net of the plurality of active transmitting nets;
• determining an identity of each active transmitting net included in the plurality of active transmitting nets at least by correlating a presence of energy in a particular band of the monitored communication frequency spectrum with a detection time of a particular detected active net communication transmission, thereby identifying every active transmitting net included in the plurality of active transmitting nets;
• synchronizing an internal time reference of the cognitive communication device with a time reference of each identified active transmitting net included in the plurality of active transmitting nets to facilitate estimation of future spectral occupancy for each identified active transmitting net of the plurality of active transmitting nets;
• determining an estimated future spectral occupancy for each identified active transmitting net of the plurality of active transmitting nets based at least on authorized frequency data for the plurality of active transmitting nets, time data for the active net communication transmissions, preamble detection data for the active net communication transmissions, spectral energy history data for the plurality of active transmitting nets, and the knowledge of the cryptographic key and the cryptographic algorithm utilized by each identified active transmitting net of the plurality of active transmitting nets, thereby allowing the cognitive communication device to collectively determine estimated future spectral occupancies for every identified active transmitting net included in the plurality of active transmitting nets, wherein the determining the estimated future spectral occupancy for each identified active transmitting net of the plurality of active transmitting nets including determining an estimated frequency for a future transmission burst and an estimated start time of the future transmission burst for each identified active transmitting net of the plurality of active transmitting nets via a cyclostationary detector of the cognitive communication device;
• updating the authorized frequency data, the time data, and the spectral energy history data;
• storing the updated authorized frequency data, the updated time data, and the updated spectral energy history data in memory;
• and
• transmitting the updated authorized frequency data, the updated time data, and the updated spectral energy history data to at least one other cognitive communication device on a same net as the cognitive communication device.

A computer program product, comprising:

• a non-transitory, computer-readable medium bearing one or more instructions for performing tactical spectrum harvesting via a cognitive communication device, the instructions comprising:
• monitoring a wireless communication frequency spectrum via the cognitive communication device, the cognitive communication device having a secondary priority of usage to the wireless communication frequency spectrum;
• detecting active net communication transmissions, said active net communication transmissions being transmitted via the monitored communication frequency spectrum by a plurality of active transmitting nets having a first priority of usage to the wireless communication frequency spectrum, wherein each active transmitting net of the plurality of active transmitting nets utilizes a time reference, a cryptographic key, and a cryptographic algorithm, wherein each particular active transmitting net is a frequency-hopping net, wherein the cognitive communication device operates outside of the plurality of active transmitting nets, and wherein the cognitive communication device is configured with knowledge of the cryptographic key and the cryptographic algorithm utilized by each active transmitting net of the plurality of active transmitting nets;
• determining an identity of each active transmitting net included in the plurality of active transmitting nets at least by correlating a presence of energy in a particular band of the monitored communication frequency spectrum with a detection time of a particular detected active net communication transmission, thereby identifying every active transmitting net included in the plurality of active transmitting nets;
• synchronizing an internal time reference of the cognitive communication device with a time reference of each identified active transmitting net included in the plurality of active transmitting nets to facilitate estimation of future spectral occupancy for each identified active transmitting net of the plurality of active transmitting nets;
• determining an estimated future spectral occupancy for each identified active transmitting net of the plurality of active transmitting nets based at least on authorized frequency data for the plurality of active transmitting nets, time data for the active net communication transmissions, spectral energy history data for the plurality of active transmitting nets, and the knowledge of the cryptographic key and the cryptographic algorithm utilized by each identified active transmitting net of the plurality of active transmitting nets, thereby allowing the cognitive communication device to collectively determine estimated future spectral occupancies for every identified active transmitting net included in the plurality of active transmitting nets;
• updating the authorized frequency data, the time data, and the spectral energy history data;
• storing the updated authorized frequency data, the updated time data, and the updated spectral energy history data in memory;
• and
• transmitting the updated authorized frequency data, the updated time data, and the updated spectral energy history data to at least one other cognitive communication device on a same net as the cognitive communication device.

A computer program product, comprising:

• a non-transitory, computer-readable medium bearing one or more instructions for performing tactical spectrum harvesting via a cognitive communication device, the instructions comprising:
• monitoring a wireless communication frequency spectrum via the cognitive communication device, the cognitive communication device having a secondary priority of usage to the wireless communication frequency spectrum;
• detecting active net communication transmissions, including detecting preambles of said active net communication transmissions, said active net communication transmissions being transmitted via the monitored communication frequency spectrum by a plurality of active transmitting nets having a first priority of usage to the wireless communication frequency spectrum, wherein each active transmitting net of the plurality of active transmitting nets utilizes a time reference, a cryptographic key, and a cryptographic algorithm, wherein each particular active transmitting net is a frequency-hopping net, wherein the cognitive communication device operates outside of the plurality of active transmitting nets, and wherein the cognitive communication device is configured with knowledge of the cryptographic key and the cryptographic algorithm utilized by each active transmitting net of the plurality of active transmitting nets;
• determining an identity of each active transmitting net included in the plurality of active transmitting nets at least by correlating a presence of energy in a particular band of the monitored communication frequency spectrum with a detection time of a particular detected active net communication transmission, thereby identifying every active transmitting net included in the plurality of active transmitting nets;
• synchronizing an internal time reference of the cognitive communication device with a time reference of each identified active transmitting net included in the plurality of active transmitting nets to facilitate estimation of future spectral occupancy for each identified active transmitting net of the plurality of active transmitting nets;
• and
• determining an estimated future spectral occupancy for each identified active transmitting net of the plurality of active transmitting nets based at least on authorized frequency data for the plurality of active transmitting nets, time data for the active net communication transmissions, preamble detection data for the active net communication transmissions, spectral energy history data for the plurality of active transmitting nets, and the knowledge of the cryptographic key and the cryptographic algorithm utilized by each identified active transmitting net of the plurality of active transmitting nets, thereby allowing the cognitive communication device to collectively determine estimated future spectral occupancies for every identified active transmitting net included in the plurality of active transmitting nets, wherein the determining the estimated future spectral occupancy for each identified active transmitting net of the plurality of active transmitting nets including determining an estimated frequency for a future transmission burst and an estimated start time of the future transmission burst for each identified active transmitting net of the plurality of active transmitting nets via a cyclostationary detector of the cognitive communication device;
• updating the authorized frequency data, the time data, and the spectral energy history data;
• storing the updated authorized frequency data, the updated time data, and the updated spectral energy history data in memory;
• and
• transmitting the updated authorized frequency data, the updated time data, and the updated spectral energy history data to at least one other cognitive communication device on a same net as the cognitive communication device.