Channel Assignment for Maximum Throughput in Multi-Channel Access Point Networks

We consider the uplink channel assignment problem in a multi-channel access point wireless network, with the goal of attaining maximum system throughput. In this setup, a set of orthogonal channels must be assigned to a set of users, where each user splits its power optimally across the channels allocated to it. While the optimal power allocation solution has a "water-filling" type structure, the optimal channel assignment problem is very challenging due to the non-linear dependence of user throughput on the set of channels assigned to it. Since the optimal channel allocations is computationally intensive to obtain in general, we analyze the system in the two extremal SINR regimes (very high and very low SINR) and show how the optimal solutions can be obtained in these regimes in a computationally efficient manner. Finally, we demonstrate that the best of the optimal solutions obtained for the two extremes shows excellent (close to optimal) performance over the entire SINR range.