TY - GEN
T1 - Correlated energy generation and imperfect State-of-Charge knowledge in energy harvesting devices
AU - Michelusi, Nicolo
AU - Badia, Leonardo
AU - Carli, Ruggero
AU - Stamatiou, Kostas
AU - Zorzi, Michele
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Nowadays, many devices in wireless sensor networks are provided with energy harvesting capability to allow for their continuous operation over long periods of time. In principle, the energy level within each sensor should be managed optimally to ensure the best performance. Network engineers, however, often consider optimality under the idealized assumption of perfect knowledge about the State-of-Charge (SOC) of the device. This information is not always realistic or accurate. In our previous work [1], we showed that optimal policies for sensing, transmission, and battery usage should rather consider uncertainty on the SOC of the device. In this paper, we extend that investigation, therein performed in the idealized scenario of i.i.d. energy arrivals, by considering a correlated energy generation process. We show that the knowledge of the SOC and that of the energy generation process are useful in a complementary manner, that is they can be traded for each other. Moreover, the knowledge on the state of the energy generation process can obviate the need for acquiring accurate SOC information. This investigation paves the road for a new line of research in wireless sensor networks, allowing a tighter interaction between the designers of energy harvesting and battery storage mechanisms on the one hand, and the engineers of network operation and control policies on the other.
AB - Nowadays, many devices in wireless sensor networks are provided with energy harvesting capability to allow for their continuous operation over long periods of time. In principle, the energy level within each sensor should be managed optimally to ensure the best performance. Network engineers, however, often consider optimality under the idealized assumption of perfect knowledge about the State-of-Charge (SOC) of the device. This information is not always realistic or accurate. In our previous work [1], we showed that optimal policies for sensing, transmission, and battery usage should rather consider uncertainty on the SOC of the device. In this paper, we extend that investigation, therein performed in the idealized scenario of i.i.d. energy arrivals, by considering a correlated energy generation process. We show that the knowledge of the SOC and that of the energy generation process are useful in a complementary manner, that is they can be traded for each other. Moreover, the knowledge on the state of the energy generation process can obviate the need for acquiring accurate SOC information. This investigation paves the road for a new line of research in wireless sensor networks, allowing a tighter interaction between the designers of energy harvesting and battery storage mechanisms on the one hand, and the engineers of network operation and control policies on the other.
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U2 - 10.1109/IWCMC.2012.6314238
DO - 10.1109/IWCMC.2012.6314238
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84869169531
SN - 9781457713781
T3 - IWCMC 2012 - 8th International Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing Conference
SP - 401
EP - 406
BT - IWCMC 2012 - 8th International Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing Conference
T2 - 8th IEEE International Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing Conference, IWCMC 2012
Y2 - 27 August 2012 through 31 August 2012
ER -