Systems Engineering and Electronics ›› 2023, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (2): 580-588.doi: 10.12305/j.issn.1001-506X.2023.02.31

• Communications and Networks • Previous Articles    

Multi-UAV-BS layout approach for maximum coverage of users

Yanzhi HU, Fengbin ZHANG, Tian TIAN, Qihang CHEN   

  1. Communication NCO Academy, Army Engineering University of PLA, Chongqing 400035, China
  • Received:2021-10-11 Online:2023-01-13 Published:2023-02-04
  • Contact: Yanzhi HU

Abstract:

Unmanned aerial vehicle base station (UAV-BS) is flexible in deployment and has a better air-to-ground transmission environment. It has unique advantages in emergency communication scenarios. However, the location of UAV-BSs has an important impact on the efficiency of communication networking. How to optimize the deployment location of UAV-BSs, especially the location of multi-UAV-BSs is a key issue. This paper considers the maximum coverage of ground terminals and reduces the base station transmission power as much as possible, and proposes a multi-UAV-BSs position model. First, the maximum coverage radius and the corresponding UAV-BS positioning altitude are calculated by the line-of-sight (LoS) and non-line-of-sight (NLoS) transmission statistics of the area. On this basis, the horizontal positioning layout of the base station is regarded as a multi-circle coverage problem, and a nonlinear constrained optimization model is proposed in order to cover the largest number of users. In addition, the transmission power of each UAV-BS is further optimized while maintaining the maximum coverage of users. Then a new algorithm based on the minimum covering circle problem and genetic algorithm is designed to solve the positioning model with low-order polynomial time complexity. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed approach is verified by simulations, and the results show that the approach can realize 3D positioning in UAV-BSs networking, maximize user coverage and reduce base station power.

Key words: unmanned aerial vehicle base station (UAV-BS), positioning layout, maximum coverage, power optimization

CLC Number: 

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