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Deep learning has demonstrated its great potential in channel state information (CSI)-based human activity recognition (HAR), and hence has attracted increasing attention in both the industry and academic communities. While promising, most existing high-accuracy methodologies require to retrain their models when applying the previous-trained ones to a new/unseen environment. This issue has limited their practical usabilities. In order to overcome this challenge, this article proposes an innovative scheme, which combines an activity-related feature extraction and enhancement (AFEE) method and matching network (AFEE-MatNet). The proposed scheme is 'one-fits-all,' meaning that the trained model can be directly applied in new/unseen environments without any retraining. We introduce the AFEE method to enhance CSI quality by eliminating noise. Specifically, the approach mitigates environmental noises unrelated to activity while better compressing and preserving the behavior-related information. Moreover, the size of feature signals generated by AFEE are reduced, which in turn significantly shortens the training time. For effective feature extraction, we propose to use the MatNet architecture to learn transferable features shared among source environments. To further improve the recognition performance, we introduce a prediction checking and correction scheme to rectify some classification errors that do not abide by the state transition of human behaviors. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that our proposed AFEE-MatNet significantly outperforms existing state-of-the-art HAR methods, in terms of both recognition accuracy and training time.

Estimating the Doppler frequency is an important part of sensing moving targets in integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) systems, such as human tracking and activity recognition. However, it can be highly challenging when there is clock asynchronism between the transmitter (Tx) and the receiver (Rx), in bistatic setups that are common nowadays. In this article, we propose three algorithms for Doppler frequency estimation based on the ratio of channel state information (CSI). These algorithms explore different properties of the CSI ratio, including the circle-preserving property of the Mobius transform, the periodicity of the CSI ratio, and the difference (or correlation) between segments of CSI-ratio signals. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithms can estimate Doppler frequency accurately, outperforming the commonly used approach based on cross-antenna cross correlation (CACC).

Angle-of-Arrival (AoA) estimation is an important problem in passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) systems. Affixing an RFID tag array to an object enables to acquire its orientation information. However, the electromagnetic interaction between the tags can induce mutual coupling interference, distorting the RFID fingerprint measurements used for AoA estimation. Moreover, RFID reader modes with radio-frequency (RF) noise-tolerant Miller encoding can induce π-radians phase jump. In this article, we propose a scheme called RF-Mirror that can resolve the mutual coupling and phase jump problems and achieve accurate AoA estimation for an array with two or more tags. First, we characterize the impact of mutual coupling on a tag's signal fingerprint and develop novel RSSI/phase-distance models. We then develop new experimental methods and signal processing techniques to verify the effectiveness of the proposed models. Based on the validated models, we develop new AoA estimation algorithms for tag arrays that deal with the mutual coupling effect explicitly. We provide extensive experimental results, which demonstrate that RF-Mirror can achieve significantly improved performance compared to baseline schemes, with median AoA estimation errors of 11.65° and 6.29° for two- and four-tag arrays, respectively.

As a special case of the Volterra system, the second-order Volterra (SOV) filter is very efficient for nonlinear system identification. The improved correntorpy based on the generalized Gaussian density function has been proven robust against impulsive noise. In this brief, we propose several SOV filters based on a recursive maximum correntropy (RMC) algorithm for nonlinear system identification. We first introduce a basic RMC algorithm, which faces a trade-off between filtering accuracy and tracking capability due to the use of a fixed forgetting factor (FFF). Two RMCs with variable FF (VFF) are further proposed to enhance the tracking ability. Simulation results demonstrate that our proposed algorithms outperform existing ones in impulsive noise environments and/or in time-varying systems.

Mobile network is evolving from a communication-only network towards one with joint communication and radar/radio sensing (JCAS) capabilities, that we call perceptive mobile network (PMN). Radio sensing here refers to information retrieval from received mobile signals for objects of interest in the environment surrounding the radio transceivers, and it may go beyond the functions of localization, tracking, and object recognition of traditional radar. In PMNs, JCAS integrates sensing into communications, sharing a majority of system modules and the same transmitted signals. The PMN is expected to provide a ubiquitous radio sensing platform and enable a vast number of novel smart applications, whilst providing non-compromised communications. In this paper, we present a broad picture of the motivation, methodologies, challenges, and research opportunities of realizing PMN, by providing a comprehensive survey for systems and technologies developed mainly in the last ten years. Beginning by reviewing the work on coexisting communication and radar systems, we highlight their limits on addressing the interference problem, and then introduce the JCAS technology. We then set up JCAS in the mobile network context and envisage its potential applications. We continue to provide a brief review of three types of JCAS systems, with particular attention to their differences in design philosophy. We then introduce a framework of PMN, including the system platform and infrastructure, three types of sensing operations, and signals usable for sensing. Subsequently, we discuss required system modifications to enable sensing on current communication-only infrastructure. Within the context of PMN, we review stimulating research problems and potential solutions, organized under nine topics: performance bounds, waveform optimization, antenna array design, clutter suppression, sensing parameter estimation, resolution of sensing ambiguity, pattern analysis, networked sensing under cellular topology, and sensing-assisted communications. We conclude the paper by listing key open research problems for the aforementioned topics and sharing some lessons that we have learned.

The boundaries of tracking and sensing solutions are continuously being pushed. A stimulation in this field over recent years is exploiting the properties of millimeter wave (mmWave) radar to achieve simultaneous tracking and sensing of multiple objects. This paper aims to provide a critical analysis of the current literature surrounding multi-object tracking and sensing with short-range mmWave radar. There is significant literature available regarding single-object tracking using mmWave radar, demonstrating the maturity of single-object tracking systems. However, innovative research and advancements are also needed in the field of mmWave radar multi-object tracking, specifically with respect to uniquely identifying multiple target tracks across an interrupted field of view. In this article, we aim to provide an overview of the latest progress in multi-target tracking. In particular, an attempt to phrase the problem space is made by firstly defining a typical multi-object tracking architecture. We then highlight the areas for potential advancements. These areas include sensor fusion, micro-Doppler feature analysis, specialized and generalized activity recognition, gait, tagging and shape profile. Potential multi-object tracking advancements are reviewed and compared with respect to adaptability, performance, accuracy and specificity. Although the majority of the literature reviewed has a focus on human targets, most of the methodologies can be applied to targets consisting of different profiles and characteristics to that of humans. Lastly, future research directions are also discussed to shed light on research opportunities and potential approaches in the open research areas.

Joint communications and sensing (JCAS) is potentially a hallmark technology for the sixth generation mobile network (6G). Most existing JCAS designs are based on digital arrays, analog arrays with tunable phase shifters, or hybrid arrays, which are effective but are generally complicated to design and power inefficient. This article introduces the energy-efficient and easy-to-design multi-beam antenna arrays (MBAAs) for JCAS. Using pre-designed and fixed analog devices, such as lens or Butler matrix, MBAA can simultaneously steer multiple beams yet with negligible power consumption compared with other techniques. Moreover, MBAAs enable flexible beam synthesis, accurate angle-of-arrival estimation, and easy handling/utilization of the beam squint effect. All these features have not been well captured by the JACS community yet. To promote the awareness of them, we intuitively illustrate them and also exploit them for constructing a multi-beam JCAS framework. Finally, the challenges and opportunities are discussed to foster the development of green JCAS systems., to appear in IEEE Communications Magazine; 7 pages, 5 figures, 1 table

A low-complexity parametric bilinear generalized approximate message passing (PBiGAMP)-based receiver is conceived for multi-carrier faster-than-Nyquist (MFTN) signaling over frequency-selective fading channels. To mitigate the inherent ill-conditioning problem of MFTN signaling, we construct a segment-based frequency-domain received signal model in the form of a block circulant linear transition matrix, which can be efficiently calculated by applying a two dimensional fast Fourier transform. Based on the eigenvalue decomposition of the block circulant matrices, we can diagonalize the covariance matrix of the complex-valued colored noise process imposed by the associated two dimensional non-orthogonal matched filtering. Building on this model, a PBiGAMP-based parametric joint channel estimation and equalization (JCEE) algorithm is proposed for MFTN systems. In this algorithm, we introduce a pair of additive terms for characterizing the interferences arising from adjacent segments and employ the exact discrete a priori probabilities of the transmitted symbols for improving the bit error rate (BER) performance. To further enhance the system's robustness in the presence of ill-conditioned matrices, we develop a refined PBiGAMP-based JCEE algorithm by introducing a series of scaled identity matrices. Moreover, the proposed PBiGAMP-based JCEE algorithms may be readily decomposed into GAMP-based equalization algorithms, when the channel state information is perfectly known. The overall complexity of the proposed algorithms only increases logarithmically with the total number of transmitted symbols. Our simulation results demonstrate the benefits of the proposed PBiGAMP-based iterative message passing receiver conceived for MFTN signaling.

In this paper, the emerging orthogonal time frequency space (OTFS) modulation is firstly restructured as a precoded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) system, so that the well-established frequency-domain approach can be applied to perform signal in fast fading channels. Then a frequency-domain minimum mean squared error (MMSE) equalizer for OTFS is introduced and its performance is analyzed based on the eigenvalue decomposition of the channel matrix. Inspired by the frequency-domain precoding structure, an adaptive transmission scheme with frequency-domain precoding matrix composed of the eigenvectors of the channel matrix is proposed to improve the system performance under MMSE equalization, and its optimized performance is derived with simple expression. Finally, considering two extreme channel conditions, the lower and upper bounds for the diversity performance of the adaptive transmission scheme are derived. Simulation results show that the proposed adaptive transmission achieves significantly better performance for short signal frames and can work well with imperfect channel state information (CSI). The derived performance bounds can serve as benchmarks for OTFS and other precoded OFDM systems.

Joint communication and sensing (JCAS) is a promising technology for 6th Generation (6G) mobile networks, such as intelligent vehicular networks, intelligent manufacturing, and so on. Equipped with two spatially separated antenna arrays, the base station (BS) can perform downlink active JCAS in a mono-static setup. This paper proposes a Concurrent Downlink and Uplink (CDU) JCAS system where the BS can use the echo of transmitted dedicated signals for sensing in the uplink timeslot, while performing reliable uplink communication. A novel successive interference cancellation-based CDU JCAS processing method is proposed to enable the estimation of uplink communication symbols and downlink sensing parameters. Extensive simulation results verify the feasibility of the CDU JCAS system, showing a performance improvement of more than 10 dB compared to traditional JCAS methods while maintaining reliable uplink communication., 5 pages, 5 figures, submitted to IEEE transactions on vehicular technology correspondence

Effective suppression of inadvertent or deliberate jamming signals is crucial to ensure reliable wireless communication. However, as demonstrated in this paper, when the transmitted jamming signals are highly correlated, and especially when the correlation coefficient varies, nullifying the jamming signals can be challenging. Unlike existing techniques that often assume uncorrelated jamming signals or non-zero but constant correlation, we analyze the impact of the non-zero and varying correlations between transmitted jamming signals on the suppression of the jamming signals. Specifically, we observe that by varying the correlation coefficients between transmitted jamming signals, jammers can “virtually change” the jamming channels hence their nullspace, even when these channels do not physically change. This makes most jamming suppression techniques that rely on steering receiving beams towards the nullspace of jamming channels no longer applicable. To tackle the problem, we develop techniques to effectively track the jamming nullspace and correspondingly update receiving beams. Monte Carlo simulations show that our proposed techniques can suppress/nullify jamming signals for all considered scenarios with non-zero and varying correlation coefficients amongst transmitted jamming signals.

Frequency-hopping (FH) MIMO radar is recently introduced as an underlying system for realizing dual-function radar-communication (DFRC), increasing communication symbol rates to multiples of the radar pulse repetition frequency. As a newly conceived DFRC system, many realistic issues, such as channel estimation and synchronization, are not effectively solved yet. In this paper, we develop a multi-antenna receiver-based downlink communication scheme for the FH-MIMO DFRC, addressing the above issues in multi-path channels. By exploring the unique FH-MIMO radar waveform, we suppress both inter-antenna and inter-hop interference, and introduce minimal constraints on the radar waveform to facilitate DFRC. We then develop accurate estimation methods for timing offset and channel parameters. These methods are further employed to design reliable demodulation methods. We also derive performance bounds for the proposed estimation methods and embedded communications. Simulation results validate the efficacy of our receiving scheme, showing that the performance of estimators and data communications approaches analytical bounds.

Frequency estimation is a fundamental problem in many areas. The well-known A&M and its variant estimators have established an estimation framework by iteratively interpolating the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) coefficients. In general, those estimators require two DFT interpolations per iteration, have uneven initial estimation performance against frequencies, and are incompetent for small sample numbers due to low-order approximations involved. Exploiting the iterative estimation framework of A&M, we unprecedentedly introduce the Pade approximation to frequency estimation, unveil some features about the updating function used for refining the estimation in each iteration, and develop a simple closed-form solution to solving the residual estimation error. Extensive simulation results are provided, validating the superiority of the new estimator over the state-the-art estimators in wide ranges of key parameters.

This paper proposes a new sequence-based approach to resolve the stability problems found in switched systems with unstable subsystems. In existing approaches, the sequence information of switching subsystems is seldom exploited. By exploiting the sequence information, threshold values can be less restrictive and more appropriate for the situation. We study two cases in this paper: (a) all subsystems are unstable, and (b) part of the subsystems are unstable. Both continuous-time and discrete-time systems are studied, and a numerical example is given to show the advantage of our approach.

Gridless methods show great superiority in line spectral estimation. These methods need to solve an atomic $l_0$ norm (i.e., the continuous analog of $l_0$ norm) minimization problem to estimate frequencies and model order. Since this problem is NP-hard to compute, relaxations of atomic $l_0$ norm, such as nuclear norm and reweighted atomic norm, have been employed for promoting sparsity. However, the relaxations give rise to a resolution limit, subsequently leading to biased model order and convergence error. To overcome the above shortcomings of relaxation, we propose a novel idea of simultaneously estimating the frequencies and model order by means of the atomic $l_0$ norm. To accomplish this idea, we build a multiobjective optimization model. The measurment error and the atomic $l_0$ norm are taken as the two optimization objectives. The proposed model directly exploits the model order via the atomic $l_0$ norm, thus breaking the resolution limit. We further design a variable-length evolutionary algorithm to solve the proposed model, which includes two innovations. One is a variable-length coding and search strategy. It flexibly codes and interactively searches diverse solutions with different model orders. These solutions act as steppingstones that help fully exploring the variable and open-ended frequency search space and provide extensive potentials towards the optima. Another innovation is a model order pruning mechanism, which heuristically prunes less contributive frequencies within the solutions, thus significantly enhancing convergence and diversity. Simulation results confirm the superiority of our approach in both frequency estimation and model order selection., This work has been submitted to the IEEE for possible publication. Copyright may be transferred without notice, after which this version may no longer be accessible

IEEE In this paper, we investigate the network utility maximization problem in a dual-functional radar-communication multi-unmanned aerial vehicle (multi-UAV) network where multiple UAVs serve a group of communication users and cooperatively sense the target simultaneously. To balance the communication and sensing performance, we formulate a joint UAV location, user association, and UAV transmission power control problem to maximize the total network utility under the constraint of localization accuracy. We then propose a computationally practical method to solve this NP-hard problem by decomposing it into three sub-problems, i.e., UAV location optimization, user association and transmission power control. Three mechanisms are then introduced to solve the three sub-problems based on spectral clustering, coalition game, and successive convex approximation, respectively. The spectral clustering result provides an initial solution for user association. Based on the three mechanisms, an overall algorithm is proposed to iteratively solve the whole problem. We demonstrate that the proposed algorithm improves the minimum user data rate significantly, as well as the fairness of the network. Moreover, the proposed algorithm increases the network utility with a lower power consumption and similar localization accuracy, compared to conventional techniques.

Suppression of undesired non-information bearing multipaths, aka clutter, from received signals is a key process for sensing parameter estimation in the perceptive mobile network, a next generation mobile network that integrates radar sensing into communications. In this correspondence, we propose a novel clutter suppression method based on the Gaussian mixture model (GMM) and expectation maximization (EM) estimation, which can achieve fast and effective clutter estimation requiring only a small number of samples. We then apply a one-dimension (1D) compressive sensing (CS) based sensing algorithm to extract useful channel information after removing the estimated clutter. Simulation results are provided for the proposed solution and existing techniques, and validate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.

In this paper, we study optimal spatio-temporal power mask design to maximize mutual information (MI) for a joint communication and (radio) sensing (JCAS, a.k.a., radar-communication) multi-input multi-output (MIMO) downlink system. We consider a typical packet-based signal structure which includes training and data symbols. We first derive the conditional MI for both sensing and communication under correlated channels by considering the training overhead and channel estimation error (CEE). Then, we derive a lower bound for the CEE and optimize the energy arrangement between the training and data signals to minimize the CEE. Based on the optimal energy arrangement, we provide optimal spatio-temporal power mask design for three scenarios, including maximizing MI for communication only and for sensing only, and maximizing a weighted sum MI for both communication and sensing. Extensive simulations validate the effectiveness of the proposed designs.