QoS-Aware Sum Capacity Maximization for Mobile Internet of Things Devices Served by UAVs

TL;DR

This paper presents a geometrical method to optimize the 3D positioning and power allocation of UAV-based flying base stations to maximize IoT device capacity while ensuring minimum service levels, considering practical constraints.

Contribution

It introduces a low-complexity geometrical approach for 3D UAV placement and power control that improves sum capacity by up to 46% over existing methods.

Findings

Increases sum capacity by 15%-46% compared to state-of-the-art.

Provides a practical solution considering UAV power and speed constraints.

Derives UAV positions dynamically as IoT devices move.

Abstract

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) acting as flying base stations (FlyBSs) is considered as an effective tool to improve performance of the mobile networks. Nevertheless, such potential improvement requires an efficient positioning of the FlyBS. In this paper, we maximize the sum downlink capacity of the mobile Internet of Things devices (IoTD) served by the FlyBSs while a minimum required capacity to every device is guaranteed. To this end, we propose a geometrical approach allowing to derive the 3D positions of the FlyBS over time as the IoTDs move and we determine the transmission power allocation for the IoTDs. The problem is formulated and solved under practical constraints on the FlyBS's transmission and propulsion power consumption as well as on flying speed. The proposed solution is of a low complexity and increases the sum capacity by 15%-46% comparing to state-of-the-art works.