Cognitive Radio Rides on the Cloud

Cognitive Radio (CR) is capable of adaptive learning and reconfiguration, promising consistent communications performance for C4ISR systems even in dynamic and hostile battlefield environments. As such, the vision of Network-Centric Operations becomes feasible. However, enabling adaptation and learning in CRs may require both storing a vast volume of data and processing it fast. Because a CR usually has limited computing and storage capacity determined by its size and battery, it may not be able to achieve its full capability. The cloud can provide its computing and storage utility for CRs to overcome such challenges. On the other hand, the cloud can also store and process enormous amounts of data needed by C4ISR systems. However, today's wireless technologies have difficulty moving various types of data reliably and promptly in the battlefields. CR networks promise reliable and timely data communications for accessing the cloud. Overall, connecting CRs and the cloud overcomes the performance bottlenecks of each. This paper explores opportunities of this confluence and describes our prototype system.