Energy-efficient Wireless Communications via Feedback

Stanford researchers have proposed the use of feedback to improve point-to-point radio performance under a total energy constraint. This framework allows for opportunistic use of feedback and avoids the use of feedback when its energy cost is more than its benefits minimizing energy consumption per bit. The framework allows for the optimization of the total energy consumption on both ends of communication not just one side. Opportunistic power boosting techniques are used to optimize the total energy. This invention can be applied to a various class of encoder and decoders. Interactive coding and modulation schemes have been developed which can highly increase the energy efficiency of the system. Technology Applications: (1) Cellular Communications (2) Wireless Networks (3) Low Power Communication (4) Sensor networks (5) Body-area networks Stage of Research: - Proof-of-concept using simulation models and theoretical analysis - Joint optimization of transmission plus encoding/decoding energy - Continued research on more general optimization models.

Benefits

(1) Interactive modulation schemes (2) Efficient use of battery power on mobile devices and any energy-limited device (e.g. sensors) (3) Opportunistic and dynamic use of feedback and avoids the use of feedback when its energy cost is more than its benefits. (4) Total system energy optimization (on both ends and for both forward and feedback link) (5) Opportunistic energy boosting technique (6) A separate energy optimization layer is introduced which can be tailored to various physical layer components (7) The techniques for interactive communication can be applied bit-by-bit and even for uncoded transmission

Date of release