Enabling Wireless Information and Power Transfer through Low-Complexity Waveform Techniques

Introduction

Wireless information and power transfer (WIPT) is a new communication paradigm, which is based on the dual-use of radio-frequency (RF) signals as a means to convey information and energize low power devices. WIPT is an attractive and promising technology for the upcoming 6G communication systems, which are characterized by the massive connectivity of heterogeneous ultra-low-power devices under the umbrella of the Internet of Things (IoT).

Design Challenges

Due to the nonlinearity of the rectification process, the efficient design of WIPT requires an essential rethinking of the entire transceiver chain, including the waveform design at the transmitter side. Specifically, experimental and theoretical results have demonstrated that signals with high peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) such as multisine signals are efficient for RF harvesting.

These signals admit periodic high energy peaks that enable us to overcome the built-in potential of the diodes. On the other hand, it is well-known that PAPR has a detrimental effect on information transfer, thus calling for a sophisticated co-design of the information and energy signals to resolve this issue and accommodate these conflicting goals.

Project Goals

The goal of the WAVE Proof of Concept (PoC) is to demonstrate in real-world scenarios two novel multisine-based WIPT waveforms that achieve a desired information/energy transfer efficiency balance.

We aim to further investigate and implement the following waveforms that have been developed in the ERC Consolidator Grant APOLLO:

1. Tone-Index Multisine (TIM)
2. Frequency-Domain WIPT (FD-WIPT)

Advantages of Proposed Waveforms

The two proposed waveforms exploit PAPR in a controlled way and are characterized by extremely low complexity, which makes them attractive for practical IoT applications.

Experimental Validation

The experimental validation of the developed waveforms will demonstrate their benefits in comparison to the current state of the art. This validation will constitute a useful tool for attracting potential industrial stakeholders and exploring commercial avenues.