A Linear Programming Framework for Optimal Event-Triggered LQG Control

Abstract

This letter explores intelligent scheduling of sensor-to-controller communication in networked control systems, particularly when data transmission incurs a cost. While the optimal controller in a standard linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) setup can be computed analytically, determining the optimal times to transmit sensor data remains computationally and analytically challenging. We show that, through reformulation and the introduction of auxiliary binary variables, the scheduling problem can be cast as a computationally efficient mixed-integer linear program (MILP). This formulation not only simplifies the analysis but also reveals structural insights and provides clear decision criteria at each step. Embedding the approach within a model predictive control (MPC) framework enables dynamic adaptation, and we prove that the resulting scheduler performs at least as well as any deterministic strategy (e.g., periodic strategy). Simulation results further demonstrate that our method consistently outperforms traditional periodic scheduling.