Beyond Idle Channels: Unlocking Idle Space with Signal Alignment in Massive MIMO Cognitive Radio Networks

Cognitive radio networks (CRNs) have traditionally focused on utilizing idle channels to enhance spectrum efficiency. However, as wireless networks grow denser, channel-centric strategies face increasing limitations. This paper introduces a paradigm shift by exploring the underutilized potential of idle spatial dimensions, termed idle space, in co-channel transmissions. By integrating massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems with signal alignment techniques, we enable secondary users to transmit without causing interference to primary users by aligning their signals within the null spaces of primary receivers. We propose a comprehensive framework that synergizes spatial spectrum sensing, signal alignment, and resource allocation, specifically designed for secondary users in CRNs. Theoretical analyses and extensive simulations validate the framework, demonstrating substantial gains in spectrum efficiency, throughput, and interference mitigation. The results show that the proposed approach not only ensures interference-free coexistence with primary users but also unlocks untapped spatial resources for secondary transmissions.

Dense Cross-Connected Ensemble Convolutional Neural Networks for Enhanced Model Robustness

The resilience of convolutional neural networks against input variations and adversarial attacks remains a significant challenge in image recognition tasks. Motivated by the need for more robust and reliable image recognition systems, we propose the Dense Cross-Connected Ensemble Convolutional Neural Network (DCC-ECNN). This novel architecture integrates the dense connectivity principle of DenseNet with the ensemble learning strategy, incorporating intermediate cross-connections between different DenseNet paths to facilitate extensive feature sharing and integration. The DCC-ECNN architecture leverages DenseNet's efficient parameter usage and depth while benefiting from the robustness of ensemble learning, ensuring a richer and more resilient feature representation.

Neurons Activation Visualization and Information Theoretic Analysis

Understanding the inner working mechanism of deep neural networks (DNNs) is essential and important for researchers to design and improve the performance of DNNs. In this work, the entropy analysis is leveraged to study the neurons activation behavior of the fully connected layers of DNNs. The entropy of the activation patterns of each layer can provide a performance metric for the evaluation of the network model accuracy. The study is conducted based on a well trained network model. The activation patterns of shallow and deep layers of the fully connected layers are analyzed by inputting the images of a single class. It is found that for the well trained deep neural networks model, the entropy of the neuron activation pattern is monotonically reduced with the depth of the layers. That is, the neuron activation patterns become more and more stable with the depth of the fully connected layers. The entropy pattern of the fully connected layers can also provide guidelines as to how many fully connected layers are needed to guarantee the accuracy of the model. The study in this work provides a new perspective on the analysis of DNN, which shows some interesting results.