  Wireless powered communication network (WPCN) is a new networking paradigm
where the battery of wireless communication devices can be remotely replenished
by means of microwave wireless power transfer (WPT) technology. WPCN eliminates
the need of frequent manual battery replacement/recharging, and thus
significantly improves the performance over conventional battery-powered
communication networks in many aspects, such as higher throughput, longer
device lifetime, and lower network operating cost. However, the design and
future application of WPCN is essentially challenged by the low WPT efficiency
over long distance and the complex nature of joint wireless information and
power transfer within the same network. In this article, we provide an overview
of the key networking structures and performance enhancing techniques to build
an efficient WPCN. Besides, we point out new and challenging future research
directions for WPCN.
