An overview of simultaneous wireless information and power transfer in massive MIMO networks: A resource allocation perspective
Résumé
Providing a stable and perpetual source of energy to charge battery-powered wireless communication devices is viewed as a major challenge in wireless communication systems. This challenge leads to the trending research area where radio frequency signals are being exploited for energy harvesting purposes. The technique for achieving this is known as simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT). In recent studies on SWIPT, the massive Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) aided energy harvesting has attracted considerable attention from the research community. This can be attributed to the high energy delivery rate of massive MIMO antenna systems due to their capacity to focus transmitted signals in the direction of the intended receivers. However, SWIPT in massive MIMO networks requires an optimal design to achieve a proper balance between different conflicting network objectives. In this article, we aim to discuss various contributions to SWIPT in massive MIMO networks in order to address critical design issues. In particular, we focus on the widely adopted approach to resolving SWIPT-related issues in massive MIMO networks, that is, the resource allocation design. We also extend our discussion to studies dedicated to solving critical design challenges. In this regard, we take into consideration the energy efficiency and security aspect of the system design. Finally, we identify potential areas that can be explored for future research work.