Optimal scheduling of spectrum sensing in LTE-A TDD frame

Spectral efficiency for LTE-A can be improved by using Opportunistic Spectrum Access (OSA). OSA calls for accurate identification of unused spectral bands, mostly using spectrum sensing. While considerable amount of work has been done on spectrum sensing, the actual implementation issues in mapping sensing operation into the 3GPP defined LTE-A framework, is scarcely addressed. In this paper, we explore the challenges of scheduling the sensing operation in LTE-A TDD frame and propose an inceptive solution. The proposed novel solution facilitates an optimal sensing time that balances the accuracy requirements with throughput maximization in LTE-A framework.