A Cross-Layer Approach for Distributed Energy-Efficient Power Control in Interference Networks

In contrast with existing works that rely on the same type of energy-efficiency (EE) measure to design distributed power control policies, this paper takes into account the presence of a finite packet buffer at the transmitter side and the impact of transport protocols. This approach is relevant when the transmitters have a nonzero energy cost, even when the radiated power is zero. A generalized EE performance metric integrating these features is constructed under two different scenarios in terms of transport layer protocols characterized by a constant or an adaptive packet arrival rate. The derived performance metric is shown to have several attractive properties in both scenarios, which ensures convergence of the used distributed power control algorithm to a unique point. This point is the Nash equilibrium (NE) of a game for which the equilibrium analysis is conducted. Although the equilibrium analysis methodology is not new in itself, conducting it requires several nontrivial proofs, including the proof of quasi-concavity of the payoff functions. A thorough numerical analysis is provided to illustrate the effects of the proposed approach and provides several valuable insights in terms of designing interference management policies.