Integrated Communication, Localization, and Sensing in 6G D-MIMO Networks

TL;DR

This paper explores the integration of communication, localization, and sensing in 6G D-MIMO networks, highlighting design architectures, potential benefits, and challenges for unified ISAC functionalities.

Contribution

It investigates various ISAC design architectures in D-MIMO systems, revealing conflicts, synergies, and practical implementation challenges.

Findings

Simulation results demonstrate potential performance gains.

Deployment strategies impact sensing and communication trade-offs.

Identifies key challenges for real-world ISAC deployment.

Abstract

Future generations of mobile networks call for concurrent sensing and communication functionalities in the same hardware and/or spectrum. Compared to communication, sensing services often suffer from limited coverage, due to the high path loss of the reflected signal and the increased infrastructure requirements. To provide a more uniform quality of service, distributed multiple input multiple output (D-MIMO) systems deploy a large number of distributed nodes and efficiently control them, making distributed integrated sensing and communications (ISAC) possible. In this paper, we investigate ISAC in D-MIMO through the lens of different design architectures and deployments, revealing both conflicts and synergies. In addition, simulation and demonstration results reveal both opportunities and challenges towards the implementation of ISAC in D-MIMO.