End-to-End Efficiency (E 3 ) Integrated Project of the EC 7 th Framework Programme E 3 WP5 Objectives E 3 WP5 Structure and Research Challenges FP7 E3 WP5 Overview Enrico BURACCHINI, Paolo GORIA, Alessandro TROGOLO Inside E 3, WP5 has the responsibility of studying mechanisms and procedures that will improve the coexistence of heterogeneous standards. In particular WP5 will focus on: -defining and engineering the technical enablers for reconfigurable/cognitive systems, considering the Cognitive Pilot Channel (CPC) and its possible alternatives, -studying the physical aspects and the main possible changes required to existing wireless networks related to the introduction of the CPC, -defining and engineering means that enable RRM and DSA procedures across Heterogeneous Standards, -studying and defining the Cognition enablers for reconfigurable/cognitive systems focusing on specific technologies and mechanisms like spectrum-sensing, distributed sensing for intra- and inter- domain, information provision mechanisms, -definition of the related network supporting functions. Each WP inside E3 has the so called Research Challenges, that are the major challenges to achieve during the lifetime of the project. The main core technological investigation areas inside WP5 are highlighted hereafter. Abstract: This paper presents an overview of the objectives of the FP7 End-to-End Efficiency (E3) WP5, entitled “Support for heterogeneous standards”. Building on the outcomes of the FP6 End-to-End Reconfiguration (IST-E 2 R) project, E 3 is aiming at integrating cognitive wireless systems in the Beyond 3G (B3G) world, evolving current heterogeneous wireless system infrastructures into an integrated, scalable and efficiently managed B3G cognitive system framework. The coexistence of multiple heterogeneous Radio Access Technologies (RAT) is studied with the objective to provide system design and management solutions based on Cognitive System principles; in this context, enabling technologies are considered, such as the Cognitive Pilot Channel, sensing algorithms and information and policies provision. Convergence of Wireless Systems and Related Harmonisation of Standards In the context of a heavily heterogeneous, cognitive wireless systems landscape, the convergence of independently managed radio access systems towards an efficient and integrated framework is a key challenge. In this context, the intention is twofold: to analyse and define the CPC (Cognitive Pilot Channel) logical and physical characteristics (e.g. protocols/frequency/bandwidth) as an enabler for helping the terminal to discover the spectrum allocation and to develop cognition enablers schemes for reconfigurable/cognitive systems focusing on spectrum- sensing and information provision mechanisms. Provision of Context and Resource Optimisation Constraints related Information The availability of context information is a key requirement for cognitive radio systems. Ideally, this information is used in an autonomous and/or collaborative optimisation perspective in order to adapt the operational parameters of an entity, such as edges of the network, user devices, etc. In the case of collaborative distributed decision-making, it is intended to furthermore provide suitable radio resource selection constraints subject to which any optimisation will be performed. For the provision of this information, it is intended to extend available State Of the Art (SOTA) on a Cognitive Pilot Channel (CPC), such as the work of IST E2R, in order to adapt the concepts to heavily heterogeneous systems. In particular, the idea is to study beyond a dedicated physical CPC implementation the possibility to introduce logical channels conveyed by available RATs; in addition, hybrid solutions will be envisaged efficiently exploiting the diversity of a heterogeneous system. Provision for Enablers for Reconfigurable and Cognitive Systems Beyond the provision of a physical and/or logical Cognitive Pilot Channel, it is intended to study spectrum-sensing approaches from both a network centric and distributed point of view. The idea is to enable edges of the network as well as user terminals to identify independently available systems, either in a collaborative single-operator or non-collaborative multiple-operator scenario. For this purpose, algorithmic studies are intended to be performed with the goal to achieve an identification of available resources and access schemes in a distributed way. WP5 has been structured in two sub-Workpackages: the first one is related to System studies, covering CPC and related physical aspects; the second one is related to Cognition enablers study, covering sensing and information provision mechanisms.