Mohamed A. Abd-Elmagid

Optimization of Wireless Powered Communication Networks with Heterogeneous Nodes

This paper studies optimal resource allocation in a wireless powered communication network with two groups of users; one is assumed to have radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting capability and no other energy sources, while the other group has legacy nodes that are assumed not to have RF energy harvesting capability and are equipped with dedicated energy supplies. First, the base-station (BS) with a constant power supply broadcasts an energizing signal over the downlink. Afterwards, all users transmit their data independently on the uplink using time division multiple access (TDMA). We propose two transmission schemes, namely OPIC and OPAC, subject to different energy constraints on the system. Within each scheme, we formulate two optimization problems with different objective functions, namely maximizing the sum throughput and maximizing the minimum throughput, for enhanced fairness. We establish the convexity of all formulated problems which opens room for efficient solution using standard techniques. Our numerical results show the superiority of our realistic system accommodating legacy nodes, along with RF harvesting nodes, compared to the baseline WPCN system with RF energy harvesting nodes only. Moreover, the results reveal new insights and throughput-fairness trade-offs unique to our new problem setting.

On optimal policies in full-duplex wireless powered communication networks

The optimal resource allocation scheme in a full-duplex Wireless Powered Communication Network (WPCN) composed of one Access Point (AP) and two wireless devices is analyzed and derived. AP operates in a full-duplex mode and is able to broadcast wireless energy signals in downlink and receive information data in uplink simultaneously. On the other hand, each wireless device is assumed to be equipped with Radio-Frequency (RF) energy harvesting circuitry which gathers the energy sent by AP and stores it in a finite capacity battery. The harvested energy is then used for performing uplink data transmission tasks. In the literature, the main focus so far has been on slot-oriented optimization. In this context, all the harvested RF energy in a given slot is also consumed in the same slot. However, this approach leads to sub-optimal solutions because it does not take into account the Channel State Information (CSI) variations over future slots. Differently from most of the prior works, in this paper we focus on the long-term weighted throughput maximization problem. This approach significantly increases the complexity of the optimization problem since it requires to consider both CSI variations over future slots and the evolution of the batteries when deciding the optimal resource allocation. We formulate the problem using the Markov Decision Process (MDP) theory and show how to solve it. Our numerical results emphasize the superiority of our proposed full-duplex WPCN compared to the half-duplex WPCN and reveal interesting insights about the effects of perfect as well as imperfect self-interference cancellation techniques on the network performance.

Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access schemes in Wireless Powered Communication Networks

We characterize time and power allocations to optimize the sum-throughput of a Wireless Powered Communication Network (WPCN) with Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA). In our setup, an Energy Rich (ER) source broadcasts wireless energy to several devices, which use it to simultaneously transmit data to an Access Point (AP) on the uplink. Differently from most prior works, in this paper we consider a generic scenario, in which the ER and AP do not coincide, i.e., are two separate entities. We study two NOMA decoding schemes, namely Low Complexity Decoding (LCD) and Successive Interference Cancellation Decoding (SICD). For each scheme, we formulate a sum-throughput optimization problem over a finite horizon. Despite the complexity of the LCD optimization problem, due to its non-convexity, we recast it into a series of geometric programs. On the other hand, we establish the convexity of the SICD optimization problem and propose an algorithm to find its optimal solution. Our numerical results demonstrate the importance of using successive interference cancellation in WPCNs with NOMA, and show how the energy should be distributed as a function of the system parameters.

Towards optimal resource allocation in wireless powered communication networks with non-orthogonal multiple access

The optimal allocation of time and energy resources is characterized in a Wireless Powered Communication Network (WPCN) with non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA). We consider two different formulations; in the first one (max-sum), the sum-throughput of all users is maximized. In the second one (max-min), and targeting fairness among users, we consider maximizing the min-throughput of all users. Under the above two formulations, two NOMA decoding schemes are studied, namely, low complexity decoding (LCD) and successive interference cancellation decoding (SICD). Due to the non-convexity of three of the studied optimization problems, we consider an approximation approach, in which the non-convex optimization problem is approximated by a convex optimization problem, which satisfies all the constraints of the original problem. The approximated convex optimization problem can then be solved iteratively. The results show a trade-off between maximizing the sum throughout and achieving fairness through maximizing the minimum throughput.