Minimum-power & energy-balancing cellular ad hoc augmented networks

We propose the cellular ad hoc augmented networks architecture where each mobile terminal can communicate with either the base station or to a peer mobile located within the ad hoc communication range. We introduce a set of schemes, which are designed towards enabling energy-efficient communications for all entities within the network. Furthermore, the solutions proposed distribute the load across all mobile units. We measure performance through simulations where the results suggest considerable reduction in the average overall power consumption in the network achieved by using CAHAN as opposed to conventional cellular operation. The savings applies to both the uplink and the downlink directions. It is also noted that transmit power reduction is particularly notable in case of large network density. Also, the mobile battery life is increased as a result of energy-efficient communications.