Deterministic versus Stochastic Optimization for Joint Path Planning and Dynamic Time Splitting in Multiple-UAV-Cached IoT Networks
2026-06-08 • Information Theory
Information Theory
AI summaryⓘ
The authors study a system where drones help transmit information and power in IoT networks by using energy they harvest and by storing data. They want to maximize the total data sent by smartly deciding how much time to split between charging and communication, where the drones fly, and how much power they use. Because figuring out the best settings is complicated, they propose an efficient method that solves parts of the problem step-by-step and use math tricks to speed up calculations. They also test a genetic algorithm as another way to find good solutions. Their results show improved data transmission and faster computing compared to previous approaches.
Wireless-powered IoTUnmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)Backscatter communicationEnergy harvesting (EH)Dynamic time splitting (DTS)CachingNon-convex optimizationBlock coordinate descent (BCD)Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) conditionsGenetic algorithm (GA)
Authors
Trinh Van Chien, Dinh Thanh Tung, Waqas Khalid, Ngo Cong Dung, Banh Thi Quynh Mai, Symeon Chatzinotas
Abstract
This paper examines wireless-powered Internet of Things (IoT) networks involving multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with backscatter and caching technologies to relay and transmit signals. For data communication and energy harvesting (EH), the source transmits information and power to UAVs using the dynamic time splitting (DTS) method. UAVs use harvested energy for passive communication (backscatter) and for active communication (transmitting information) to the destination. The primary objective is to maximize the total throughput by jointly optimizing the DTS ratio, trajectory, and transmission power, leveraging the UAVs' caching capability. This optimization problem is challenging due to its non-convexity. Therefore, an efficient alternating algorithm using the block coordinate descent (BCD) method is proposed to optimize each variable given the fixed values of the other parameters. By applying the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) conditions, we derive a closed-form expression for the optimal DTS ratio, significantly reducing computation time. The optimal values for the other two parameters are determined using the BCD. In order to thoroughly assess the effectiveness of various solutions for the original problem, this paper introduces an approach leveraging a genetic algorithm (GA). The GA in this context employs a one-point crossover method, value mutation, and rank-based selection based on fitness values. Numerical results show that the BCD and GA achieve at least 31% throughput improvement over the benchmarks, with reduced computational time. These findings demonstrate the performance gain and practical feasibility of our solutions in caching-enabled UAV-aided IoT networks.