Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) is expected to be a technology reshaping the
landscape of low-power applications such as the Internet of Things, Radio
Frequency identification (RFID) networks, etc. Although there has been some
progress towards multi-antenna multi-sine WPT design, the large-scale design of
WPT, reminiscent of massive MIMO in communications, remains an open challenge.
In this paper, we derive efficient multiuser algorithms based on a
generalizable optimization framework, in order to design transmit sinewaves
that maximize the weighted-sum/minimum rectenna output DC voltage. The study
highlights the significant effect of the nonlinearity introduced by the
rectification process on the design of waveforms in multiuser systems.
Interestingly, in the single-user case, the optimal spatial domain beamforming,
obtained prior to the frequency domain power allocation optimization, turns out
to be Maximum Ratio Transmission (MRT). In contrast, in the general weighted
sum criterion maximization problem, the spatial domain beamforming optimization
and the frequency domain power allocation optimization are coupled. Assuming
channel hardening, low-complexity algorithms are proposed based on asymptotic
analysis, to maximize the two criteria. The structure of the asymptotically
optimal spatial domain precoder can be found prior to the optimization. The
performance of the proposed algorithms is evaluated. Numerical results confirm
the inefficiency of the linear model-based design for the single and multi-user
scenarios. It is also shown that as nonlinear model-based designs, the proposed
algorithms can benefit from an increasing number of sinewaves.Comment: Accepted to IEEE Transactions on Signal Processin
