Joint Communication-Sensing Beam Control for Real-Time Object Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication and sensing systems face challenges in efficiently determining the position of objects in an environment while maintaining effective communication with remote devices, particularly due to inter-symbol interference (ISI) and the need for separate modes for communication and sensing.
Innovation Solution
A joint communication and sensing system that utilizes a transmitter to send beams with communication and sensing symbols, employing guard bands and ISI cancellation to reduce interference, and processes reflections to determine object positions in real time, transitioning between modes based on the number of remote devices and objects to optimize throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If separate modes are used for communication and sensing, then communication reliability is improved, but system complexity and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines communication and sensing functions into a single integrated system that operates simultaneously. The same transmitter and receiver infrastructure is used for both communication symbol transmission and sensing symbol transmission, eliminating the need for separate operational modes and reducing system complexity while maintaining reliability through joint processing of communication and sensing data.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication system is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously - it serves as both a communication system for transmitting data to remote devices and a sensing system for determining object positions. The transmitter can send both communication symbols and sensing symbols, and the receiver can process both types of signals, making the system universal and multi-functional.
2Productivity
If communication symbols are transmitted without guard bands, then data throughput is improved, but inter-symbol interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies guard bands selectively - they are added to communication symbols when reflection paths are detected or expected, but not always present in all transmissions. This local application of guard bands ensures signal quality is maintained only when necessary, thereby maximizing throughput while minimizing interference in appropriate conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the sensing function to determine when guard bands are needed. By detecting reflected signals and determining object positions, the system can identify when communication symbols might be affected by reflections and apply guard bands only in those specific cases, optimizing the balance between throughput and signal quality.
3Measurement precision
If fan beam is used for sensing, then object detection capability is improved, but communication efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the beamforming approach by using different beam types for different functions: pencil beams for communication and fan beams for sensing. This segmentation allows each function to use the optimal beam type without compromising the other, as the system can switch between or combine these beam types based on operational requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic switching between communication mode and sensing mode, or between different beam types. By periodically transmitting sensing symbols with fan beams and communication symbols with pencil beams, the system maintains both object detection capability and communication efficiency through time-division multiplexing of different beam patterns.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables real-time object positioning and improved data throughput by reducing ISI and minimizing unnecessary beam directions, allowing simultaneous communication and sensing without separate modes.
Implementation Method 1
a transmitter arranged to transmit a first beam in a first direction selected from a plurality of directions stored in a memory, the first beam comprising communication symbols
Implementation Method 2
a receiver arranged to receive a reflection of the transmitted first beam, the reflected first beam comprising the communication symbols
Data Source
AI summary
Joint communication and sensing by a joint communication and sensing system in a wireless network is disclosed. A transmitter is arranged to transmit a first beam in a direction selected from a plurality of directions stored in a memory, where each direction corresponds to a direction of a respective remote device. The first beam comprises communication symbols to be communicated to the remote device in the direction during a communication session with the remote device. A reflection of the transmitted first beam is received via a receive antenna during the communication session, where the reflected first beam comprises the communication symbols. A position of one or more objects is identified based on a timing of transmission and receipt of the communication symbols in the transmitted first beam and the reflected first beam respectively and the sense symbols in the transmitted second beam and the reflected second beam respectively.