Resource Allocation in Wireless Networks with RF Energy Harvesting and Transfer

TL;DR

This paper reviews resource allocation challenges in RF energy harvesting wireless networks, emphasizing receiver operation policies for QoS support, and highlights open research directions in this emerging field.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of RF-EHNs, introduces a case study on receiver operation policy design, and addresses QoS and service differentiation issues not previously explored.

Findings

Analysis of resource allocation issues in RF-EHNs

Design of receiver operation policies for QoS support

Identification of open research directions

Abstract

Radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting and transfer techniques have recently become alternative methods to power the next generation of wireless networks. As this emerging technology enables proactive replenishment of wireless devices, it is advantageous in supporting applications with quality-of-service (QoS) requirement. This article focuses on the resource allocation issues in wireless networks with RF energy harvesting capability, referred to as RF energy harvesting networks (RF-EHNs). First, we present an overview of the RF-EHNs, followed by a review of a variety of issues regarding resource allocation. Then, we present a case study of designing in the receiver operation policy, which is of paramount importance in the RF-EHNs. We focus on QoS support and service differentiation, which have not been addressed by previous literatures. Furthermore, we outline some open research directions.