Hybrid Bit and Semantic Communications

TL;DR

This paper introduces HybridBSC, a practical hybrid system that combines semantic and bit transmission within existing digital communication frameworks, validated through real-world SDR experiments.

Contribution

It proposes a novel hybrid transmission scheme that integrates semantic information into traditional bit communication, enabling easy deployment and real-world validation.

Findings

Successful simultaneous transmission of semantic and bit information

Demonstrated compatibility with existing communication systems

Validated effectiveness through SDR experiments

Abstract

Semantic communication technology is regarded as a method surpassing the Shannon limit of bit transmission, capable of effectively enhancing transmission efficiency. However, current approaches that directly map content to transmission symbols are challenging to deploy in practice, imposing significant limitations on the development of semantic communication. To address this challenge, we propose a hybrid bit and semantic communication system, named HybridBSC, in which encoded semantic information is inserted into bit information for transmission via conventional digital communication systems utilizing same spectrum resources. The system can be easily deployed using existing communication architecture to achieve bit and semantic information transmission. Particularly, we design a semantic insertion and extraction scheme to implement this strategy. Furthermore, we conduct experimental validation based on the pluto-based software defined radio (SDR) platform in a real wireless channel, demonstrating that the proposed strategy can simultaneously transmit semantic and bit information.