A Cross-Layer Approach for Distributed Energy-Efficient Power Control in Interference Networks

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel cross-layer energy-efficient power control method for interference networks that accounts for buffer states and transport protocols, ensuring convergence to a Nash equilibrium with practical insights for interference management.

Contribution

It develops a generalized energy-efficiency metric considering buffer and protocol effects, and proves convergence and equilibrium properties of the proposed distributed power control algorithm.

Findings

Convergence to a unique Nash equilibrium is guaranteed.

The proposed metric effectively incorporates buffer and transport protocol impacts.

Numerical results provide insights for interference management policy design.

Abstract

In contrast with existing works which rely on the same type of energy-efficiency measure to design distributed power control policies, the present work takes into account the presence of a finite packet buffer at the transmitter side and the impact of transport protocols. This approach is relevant when the transmitters have a non-zero energy cost even when the radiated power is zero. A generalized energy-efficiency performance metric integrating these features is constructed under two different scenarios in terms of transport layer protocols characterized by a constant or an adaptive packet arrival rate. The derived performance metric is shown to have several attractive properties in both scenarios, which ensures convergence of the used distributed power control algorithm to a unique point. This point is the Nash equilibrium of a game for which the equilibrium analysis is conducted. Although the equilibrium analysis methodology is not new in itself, conducting it requires several non-trivial proofs, including the proof of quasi-concavity of the payoff functions. A thorough numerical analysis is provided to illustrate the effects of the proposed approach, and provides several valuable insights in terms of designing interference management policies.