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Dual-function radar-communication (DFRC) based on frequency hopping (FH) MIMO radar (FH-MIMO DFRC) achieves symbol rate much higher than radar pulse repetition frequency. Such DFRC, however, is prone to eavesdropping due to the spatially uniform illumination of FH-MIMO radar. How to enhance the physical layer security of FH-MIMO DFRC is vital yet unsolved. In this paper, we reveal the potential of using permutations of hopping frequencies to achieve secure and high-speed FH-MIMO DFRC. Detecting permutations at a communication user is challenging due to the dependence on spatial angle. We propose a series of baseband waveform processing methods which address the challenge specifically for the legitimate user (Bob) and meanwhile scrambles constellations almost omnidirectionally. We discover a deterministic sign rule from the signals processed by the proposed methods. Based on the rule, we develop accurate algorithms for information decoding at Bob. Confirmed by simulation, our design achieves substantially high physical layer security for FH-MIMO DFRC, improves decoding performance compared with existing designs and reduces mutual interference among radar targets.
Enabled by the advancement in radio frequency technologies, the convergence of radar and communication systems becomes increasingly promising and is envisioned as a key feature of future 6G networks. Recently, the frequency-hopping (FH) MIMO radar is introduced to underlay dual-function radar-communication (DFRC) systems. Superior to many previous radar-centric DFRC designs, the symbol rate of FH-MIMO radar-based DFRC (FH-MIMO DFRC) can exceed the radar pulse repetition frequency. However, many practical issues, particularly those regarding effective data communications, are unexplored/unsolved. To promote the awareness and general understanding of the novel DFRC, this article is devoted to providing a timely introduction of FH-MIMO DFRC. We comprehensively review many essential aspects of the novel DFRC: channel/signal models, signaling strategies, modulation/demodulation processing and channel estimation methods, to name a few. We also highlight major remaining issues in FH-MIMO DFRC and suggest potential solutions to shed light on future research works.
Frequency-hopping (FH) MIMO radar-based dual-function radar communication (FH-MIMO DFRC) enables communication symbol rate to exceed radar pulse repetition frequency, which requires accurate estimations of timing offset and channel parameters. The estimations, however, are challenging due to unknown, fast-changing hopping frequencies and the multiplicative coupling between timing offset and channel parameters. In this paper, we develop accurate methods for a single-antenna communication receiver to estimate timing offset and channel for FH-MIMO DFRC. First, we design a novel FH-MIMO radar waveform, which enables a communication receiver to estimate the hopping frequency sequence (HFS) used by radar, instead of acquiring it from radar. Importantly, the novel waveform incurs no degradation to radar ranging performance. Then, via capturing distinct HFS features, we develop two estimators for timing offset and derive mean squared error lower bound of each estimator. Using the bounds, we design an HFS that renders both estimators applicable. Furthermore, we develop an accurate channel estimation method, reusing the single hop for timing offset estimation. Validated by simulations, the accurate channel estimates attained by the proposed methods enable the communication performance of DFRC to approach that achieved based on perfect timing and ideal knowledge of channel.
Traditional multiple input multiple output radars, which transmit orthogonal coded waveforms, suffer from range-azimuth resolution trade-off. In this work, we adopt a frequency division multiple access (FDMA) approach that breaks this conflict. We combine narrow individual bandwidth for high azimuth resolution and large overall total bandwidth for high range resolution. We process all channels jointly to overcome the FDMA range resolution limitation to a single bandwidth, and address range-azimuth coupling using a random array configuration.
Inter-carrier interference (ICI) poses a significant challenge for OFDM joint radar-communications (JRC) systems in high-mobility scenarios. In this paper, we propose a novel ICI-aware sensing algorithm for MIMO-OFDM JRC systems to detect the presence of multiple targets and estimate their delay-Doppler-angle parameters. First, leveraging the observation that spatial covariance matrix is independent of target delays and Dopplers, we perform angle estimation via the MUSIC algorithm. For each estimated angle, we next formulate the radar delay-Doppler estimation as a joint carrier frequency offset (CFO) and channel estimation problem via an APES (amplitude and phase estimation) spatial filtering approach by transforming the delay-Doppler parameterized radar channel into an unstructured form. To account for the presence of multiple targets at a given angle, we devise an iterative interference cancellation based orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) procedure, where at each iteration the generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) detector is employed to form decision statistics, providing as by-products the maximum likelihood estimates (MLEs) of radar channels and CFOs. In the final step, target detection is performed in delay-Doppler domain using target-specific, ICI-decontaminated channel estimates over time and frequency, where CFO estimates are utilized to resolve Doppler ambiguities, thereby turning ICI from foe to friend. The proposed algorithm can further exploit the ICI effect to introduce an additional dimension (namely, CFO) for target resolvability, which enables resolving targets located at the same delay-Doppler-angle cell. Simulation results illustrate the ICI exploitation capability of the proposed approach and showcase its superior detection and estimation performance in high-mobility scenarios over conventional methods.
In this paper, we consider the design of a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) transmitter which simultaneously functions as a MIMO radar and a base station for downlink multiuser communications. In addition to a power constraint, we require the covariance of the transmit waveform be equal to a given optimal covariance for MIMO radar, to guarantee the radar performance. With this constraint, we formulate and solve the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) balancing problem for multiuser transmit beamforming via convex optimization. Considering that the interference cannot be completely eliminated with this constraint, we introduce dirty paper coding (DPC) to further cancel the interference, and formulate the SINR balancing and sum rate maximization problem in the DPC regime. Although both of the two problems are non-convex, we show that they can be reformulated to convex optimizations via the Lagrange and downlink-uplink duality. In addition, we propose gradient projection based algorithms to solve the equivalent dual problem of SINR balancing, in both transmit beamforming and DPC regimes. The simulation results demonstrate significant performance improvement of DPC over transmit beamforming, and also indicate that the degrees of freedom for the communication transmitter is restricted by the rank of the covariance.