System-Level Analysis and Optimization of Cellular Networks With Simultaneous Wireless Information and Power Transfer: Stochastic Geometry Modeling

In this paper, a new mathematical approach for the analysis and optimization of cellular-enabled low-energy mobile devices with simultaneous wireless information and power transfer capabilities is introduced. The proposed methodology relies on modeling the locations of the base stations as points of a spatial Poisson point process, and it leverages stochastic geometry for system-level analysis. The tradeoffs emerging from simultaneous wireless information and power transfer transmission are characterized through the concept of “feasibility regions” and are quantified through the joint cumulative distribution function of harvested power and rate. To gain insight on the achievable performance, in addition, an upper bound is proposed, and its accuracy is discussed. The system model encompasses a realistic channel model that accounts for line-of-sight (LOS) and non-LOS (NLOS) links, different cell association criteria, practical receivers based on time switching and power splitting schemes, and directional beamforming. The analysis shows that optimal values for the time switching and power splitting ratios exist and that directional beamforming and network densification are capable of enhancing system performance. More specifically, high directional antennas lead cellular networks to operate in the noise-limited regime, which is proved to provide optimal performance, and because of the existence of LOS and NLOS links, an optimal deployment density for the base stations is proven to exist for typical system setups.