According to the problem of cognitive ultra wide-band (UWB) spectrum sensing, a novel UWB pulse signal detection algorithm based on cumulative sum (CUSUM) test is proposed in this paper. Based on the analysis of the existing spectrum sensing schemes for cognitive UWB system, some obvious facts are obtained that it is difficult to detect UWB pulse signal with conventional spectrum sensing schemes, due to its low average signal to noise ratio (SNR), large bandwidth, and low duty ratio. In this paper the detection algorithm of signal distribution change, which is application of CUSUM test, is considered to be applied to cognitive UWB spectrum sensing. But CUSUM test request that the pre-change and the post-change distributions are i.i.d, which cannot be satisfied in the detection process of UWB pulse signal. Since there are two time domain descriptions on UWB pulse signal, namely one contains only noise and the other one contains pulse signal plus noise, the existing detection algorithm of signal distribution change cannot be directly applied to detect UWB pulse signal. Hence the uniform probability density function expression of UWB pulse signal is first deduced, then CUSUM test is applied to cognitive UWB spectrum sensing. The proposed algorithm is a time sequential detection algorithm, with low complexity and minimal detection delay, which is suitable to detect the low duty ratio signal. Its performance is evaluated through theoretical analysis and numerical simulations. It is shown that this algorithm outperforms the conventional energy detection algorithm and conquers SNR wall phenomenon. According to the problem of cognitive ultra wide-band (UWB) spectrum sensing, a novel UWB pulse signal detection algorithm based on cumulative sum (CUSUM) test is proposed in this paper. Based on the analysis of the existing spectrum sensing schemes for cognitive UWB system, some obvious facts are obtained that it is difficult to detect UWB pulse signal with conventional spectrum sensing schemes, due to its low average signal to noise ratio (SNR), large bandwidth, and low duty ratio. In this paper the detection algorithm of signal distribution change, which is application of CUSUM test, is considered to be applied to cognitive UWB spectrum sensing. But CUSUM test request that the pre-change and the post-change distributions are iid, which can not be satisfied in the detection process of UWB pulse signal. Since there are two time domain descriptions on UWB pulse signal, one of only contains noise and the other one contains pulse signal plus noise The proposed algorithm is a time sequential sequential detection algorithm, which can be directly applied to detect UWB pulse signals. with low complexity and minimal detection delay, which is suitable to detect the low duty ratio signal. Its is suitable to detect the low duty ratio signal. Its is is shown to this algorithm out offorms the current energy detection algorithm and conquers SNR wall phenomenon.