arXiv subjects

Anke Schmeink

Publications and source records attributed to Anke Schmeink.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2026

Study of Robust Power Allocation for User-Centric Cell-Free Massive MIMO Networks

In cell-free massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) networks, robust resource allocation is critical to ensure reliable system performance in the presence of channel uncertainties resulting from imperfect channel state information (CSI). In this work, we propose a robust power allocation method that formulates the power optimization problem into a least-squares framework, enhanced by Tikhonov regularization to mitigate the adverse effects of channel estimation errors. We integrate our approach with zero-forcing precoding, enabling a design that is both computationally efficient and resilient to CSI imperfections. Numerical results indicate that the proposed method outperforms existing non-robust techniques while benefiting from low computational overhead, making it well-suited for large-scale deployments under CSI uncertainty.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2026

Joint Communication Scheduling and Resource Allocation for Distributed Edge Learning: Seamless Integration in Next-Generation Wireless Networks

Distributed edge learning (DL) is considered a cornerstone of intelligence enablers, since it allows for collaborative training without the necessity for local clients to share raw data with other parties, thereby preserving privacy and security. Integrating DL into the 6G networks requires a coexistence design with existing services such as high-bandwidth (HB) traffic like eMBB. Current designs in the literature mainly focus on communication round-wise designs that assume a rigid resource allocation throughout each communication round (CR). However, rigid resource allocation within a CR is a highly inefficient and inaccurate representation of the system's realistic behavior, especially when CR duration far exceeds the channel coherence time due to large model size or limited resources. This is due to the heterogeneous nature of the system, as clients inherently may need to access the network at different time instants. This work zooms into one arbitrary CR, and demonstrates the importance of considering a time-dependent design for sharing the resource pool with HB traffic. We first formulate a timeslot-wise optimization problem to minimize the consumed time by DL within the CR while constrained by a DL energy budget. Due to its intractability, a session-based optimization problem is formulated assuming a CR lasts less than a large-scale coherence time. Some scheduling properties of such multi-server joint communication scheduling and resource allocation framework have been established. An iterative algorithm has been designed to solve such non-convex and non-block-separable-constrained problems. Simulation results confirm the importance of the efficient and accurate integration design proposed in this work.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2026

Confusions and Erasures of Error-Bounded Block Decoders with Finite Blocklength

This paper investigates two distinct types of block errors - undetected errors (confusions) and erasures - in additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels with error-bounded block decoders operating in the finite blocklength (FBL) regime. While block error rate (BLER) is a common metric, it does not distinguish between confusions and erasures, which can have significantly different impacts in cross-layer protocol design, despite upper-layer protocols universally assuming physical (PHY) errors manifest as packet erasures rather than undetected corruptions - an assumption lacking rigorous PHY-layer validation. We present a systematic analysis of confusions and erasures under BLER-constrained maximum likelihood (ML) decoding. Through sphere-packing analysis, we provide analytical bounds for both block confusion and erasure probabilities, and derive the sensitivities of these bounds to blocklength and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on this topic in the FBL regime. Our findings provide theoretical validation for the block erasure channel abstraction commonly assumed in medium access control (MAC) and network layer protocols, confirming that, for practical FBL codes, block confusions are negligible compared to block erasures, especially at large blocklengths and high SNR.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2026

DMH-HARQ: Reliable and Open Latency-Constrained Wireless Transport Network

The extreme requirements for high reliability and low latency in the upcoming Sixth Generation (6G) wireless networks are challenging the design of multi-hop wireless transport networks. Inspired by the advent of the virtualization concept in the wireless networks design and openness paradigm as fostered by the Open-Radio Access Network (O-RAN) Alliance, we target a revolutionary resource allocation scheme to improve the overall transmission efficiency. In this paper, we investigate the problem of automatic repeat request (ARQ) in multi-hop decode-and-forward (DF) relaying in the finite blocklength (FBL) regime, and propose a dynamic scheme of multi-hop hybrid ARQ (HARQ), which maximizes the end-to-end (E2E) communication reliability in the wireless transport network. We also propose an integer dynamic programming (DP) algorithm to efficiently solve the optimal Dynamic Multi-Hop HARQ (DMH-HARQ) strategy. Constrained within a certain time frame to accomplish E2E transmission, our proposed approach is proven to outperform the conventional listening-based cooperative ARQ, as well as any static HARQ strategy, regarding the E2E reliability. It is applicable without dependence on special delay constraint, and is particularly competitive for long-distance transport network with many hops.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2025

Joint Link Adaptation and Device Scheduling Approach for URLLC Industrial IoT Network: A DRL-based Method with Bayesian Optimization

In this article, we consider an industrial internet of things (IIoT) network supporting multi-device dynamic ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) while the channel state information (CSI) is imperfect. A joint link adaptation (LA) and device scheduling (including the order) design is provided, aiming at maximizing the total transmission rate under strict block error rate (BLER) constraints. In particular, a Bayesian optimization (BO) driven Twin Delayed Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (TD3) method is proposed, which determines the device served order sequence and the corresponding modulation and coding scheme (MCS) adaptively based on the imperfect CSI. Note that the imperfection of CSI, error sample imbalance in URLLC networks, as well as the parameter sensitivity nature of the TD3 algorithm likely diminish the algorithm's convergence speed and reliability. To address such an issue, we proposed a BO based training mechanism for the convergence speed improvement, which provides a more reliable learning direction and sample selection method to track the imbalance sample problem. Via extensive simulations, we show that the proposed algorithm achieves faster convergence and higher sum-rate performance compared to existing solutions.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2025

UAV-Enabled ISAC: Towards On-Demand Sensing Services and Enhanced Communication

In this paper, we investigate an integrated sensing-and-communication (ISAC) network enabled by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The UAV is supposed to fly along a periodical circular trajectory at a fixed height for ISAC service supply from the sky. We consider on-demand sensing services, where on-demand detection and on-demand localization requests may be activated at any time toward any position within the targeted serving region. While guaranteeing satisfactory accuracy for both on-demand sensing tasks, we aim at maximizing the minimum achievable throughput among all communication users, via joint optimizing the UAV trajectory and communication user scheduling. To address the complicated problem with infinite sensing constraints, we characterize the on-demand detection constraint as a restricted deployment area for UAV and the on-demand localization constraint as Cramer-Rao Bound (CRB) constraints over finite reference target points, based on which the original problem is simplified to more tractable one. Afterwards, particularly aiming to ensure no violations of CRB constraints, we propose a convex approximation for the reformulated problem, where tight approximation is guaranteed at given local solution. The construction strategy for convex problem approximation allows an efficient iterative algorithm with verified convergence to a superior suboptimal solution. At last, with simulations, we verified the applicability of our developed optimization scheme in strictly fulfilling the on-demand sensing constraints and the effectiveness of our proposed solution for simultaneously enhancing the communication throughput in UAV-enabled ISAC.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2025

Efficient Integration of Distributed Learning Services in Next-Generation Wireless Networks

Distributed learning (DL) is considered a cornerstone of intelligence enabler, since it allows for collaborative training without the necessity for local clients to share raw data with other parties, thereby preserving privacy and security. Integrating DL into the 6G networks requires coexistence design with existing services such as high-bandwidth (HB) traffic like eMBB. Current designs in the literature mainly focus on communication round (CR)-wise designs that assume a fixed resource allocation during each CR. However, fixed resource allocation within a CR is a highly inefficient and inaccurate representation of the system's realistic behavior. This is due to the heterogeneous nature of the system, where clients inherently need to access the network at different times. This work zooms into one arbitrary communication round and demonstrates the importance of considering a time-dependent resource-sharing design with HB traffic. We propose a time-dependent optimization problem for minimizing the consumed time and energy by DL within the CR. Due to its intractability, a session-based optimization problem has been proposed assuming a large-scale coherence time. An iterative algorithm has been designed to solve such problems and simulation results confirm the importance of such efficient and accurate integration design.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2025

Physical Layer Deception in OFDM Systems

As a promising technology, physical layer security (PLS) enhances security by leveraging the physical characteristics of communication channels. However, it commonly takes the legitimate user more effort to secure its data, compared to that required by the eavesdropper to intercept the communication. To address this imbalance, we propose a physical layer deception (PLD) framework, which applies random deceptive ciphering combined with orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) to deceive eavesdroppers with falsified information, preventing them from wiretapping. While ensuring the same level of confidentiality as traditional PLS methods, the PLD approach additionally introduces a deception mechanism, which remains effective even when the eavesdropper has the same knowledge about the transmitter as the legitimate receiver. Through detailed theoretical analysis and numerical simulations, we prove the superiority of our method over the conventional PLS approach.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2025

Study of Robust Multiuser Scheduling and Power Allocation in Cell-Free MIMO Networks

This paper introduces a robust resource allocation framework for the downlink of cell-free massive multi-input multi-output (CF-mMIMO) networks to address the effects caused by imperfect channel state information (CSI). In particular, the proposed robust resource allocation framework includes a robust user scheduling algorithm to optimize the network's sum-rate and a robust power allocation technique aimed at minimizing the mean square error (MSE) for a network with a linear precoder. Unlike non-robust resource allocation techniques, the proposed robust strategies effectively counteract the effects of imperfect CSI, enhancing network efficiency and reliability. Simulation results show a significant improvement in network performance obtained by the proposed approaches, highlighting the impact of robust resource allocation in wireless networks.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2025

Physical Layer Deception with Non-Orthogonal Multiplexing

Physical layer security (PLS) is a promising technology to secure wireless communications by exploiting the physical properties of the wireless channel. However, the passive nature of PLS creates a significant imbalance between the effort required by eavesdroppers and legitimate users to secure data. To address this imbalance, in this article, we propose a novel framework of physical layer deception (PLD), which combines PLS with deception technologies to actively counteract wiretapping attempts. Combining a two-stage encoder with randomized ciphering and non-orthogonal multiplexing, the PLD approach enables the wireless communication system to proactively counter eavesdroppers with deceptive messages. Relying solely on the superiority of the legitimate channel over the eavesdropping channel, the PLD framework can effectively protect the confidentiality of the transmitted messages, even against eavesdroppers who possess knowledge equivalent to that of the legitimate receiver. We prove the validity of the PLD framework with in-depth analyses and demonstrate its superiority over conventional PLS approaches with comprehensive numerical benchmarks.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2024

Fairness-aware Age-of-Information Minimization in WPT-Assisted Short-Packet Data Collection for mURLLC

The technological landscape is rapidly evolving toward large-scale systems. Networks supporting massive connectivity through numerous Internet of Things (IoT) devices are at the forefront of this advancement. In this paper, we examine Wireless Power Transfer (WPT)-enabled networks, where a server requires to collect data from these IoT devices to compute a task with massive Ultra-Reliable and Low-Latency Communication (mURLLC) services.} We focus on information freshness, using Age-of-Information (AoI) as the key performance metric. Specifically, we aim to minimize the maximum AoI among IoT devices by optimizing the scheduling policy. Our analytical findings demonstrate the convexity of the problem, enabling efficient solutions. We introduce the concept of AoI-oriented cluster capacity and analyze the relationship between the number of supported devices and network AoI performance. Numerical simulations validate our proposed approach's effectiveness in enhancing AoI performance, highlighting its potential for guiding the design of future IoT systems requiring mURLLC services.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2024

A Semantic Model for Physical Layer Deception

Physical layer deception (PLD) is a novel security mechanism that combines physical layer security (PLS) with deception technologies to actively defend against eavesdroppers. In this paper, we establish a novel semantic model for PLD that evaluates its performance in terms of semantic distortion. By analyzing semantic distortion at varying levels of knowledge on the receiver's part regarding the key, we derive the receiver's optimal decryption strategy, and consequently, the transmitter's optimal deception strategy. The proposed semantic model provides a more generic understanding of the PLD approach independent from coding or multiplexing schemes, and allows for efficient real-time adaptation to fading channels.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2024

Enhancing CTC-Based Visual Speech Recognition

This paper presents LiteVSR2, an enhanced version of our previously introduced efficient approach to Visual Speech Recognition (VSR). Building upon our knowledge distillation framework from a pre-trained Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) model, we introduce two key improvements: a stabilized video preprocessing technique and feature normalization in the distillation process. These improvements yield substantial performance gains on the LRS2 and LRS3 benchmarks, positioning LiteVSR2 as the current best CTC-based VSR model without increasing the volume of training data or computational resources utilized. Furthermore, we explore the scalability of our approach by examining performance metrics across varying model complexities and training data volumes. LiteVSR2 maintains the efficiency of its predecessor while significantly enhancing accuracy, thereby demonstrating the potential for resource-efficient advancements in VSR technology.

cs.CV↗

arXiv2024

Distributed Combinatorial Optimization of Downlink User Assignment in mmWave Cell-free Massive MIMO Using Graph Neural Networks

Millimeter wave (mmWave) cell-free massive MIMO (CF mMIMO) is a promising solution for future wireless communications. However, its optimization is non-trivial due to the challenging channel characteristics. We show that mmWave CF mMIMO optimization is largely an assignment problem between access points (APs) and users due to the high path loss of mmWave channels, the limited output power of the amplifier, and the almost orthogonal channels between users given a large number of AP antennas. The combinatorial nature of the assignment problem, the requirement for scalability, and the distributed implementation of CF mMIMO make this problem difficult. In this work, we propose an unsupervised machine learning (ML) enabled solution. In particular, a graph neural network (GNN) customized for scalability and distributed implementation is introduced. Moreover, the customized GNN architecture is hierarchically permutation-equivariant (HPE), i.e., if the APs or users of an AP are permuted, the output assignment is automatically permuted in the same way. To address the combinatorial problem, we relax it to a continuous problem, and introduce an information entropy-inspired penalty term. The training objective is then formulated using the augmented Lagrangian method (ALM). The test results show that the realized sum-rate outperforms that of the generalized serial dictatorship (GSD) algorithm and is very close to the upper bound in a small network scenario, while the upper bound is impossible to obtain in a large network scenario.

eess.SP↗

arXiv2023

LiteVSR: Efficient Visual Speech Recognition by Learning from Speech Representations of Unlabeled Data

This paper proposes a novel, resource-efficient approach to Visual Speech Recognition (VSR) leveraging speech representations produced by any trained Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) model. Moving away from the resource-intensive trends prevalent in recent literature, our method distills knowledge from a trained Conformer-based ASR model, achieving competitive performance on standard VSR benchmarks with significantly less resource utilization. Using unlabeled audio-visual data only, our baseline model achieves a word error rate (WER) of 47.4% and 54.7% on the LRS2 and LRS3 test benchmarks, respectively. After fine-tuning the model with limited labeled data, the word error rate reduces to 35% (LRS2) and 45.7% (LRS3). Our model can be trained on a single consumer-grade GPU within a few days and is capable of performing real-time end-to-end VSR on dated hardware, suggesting a path towards more accessible and resource-efficient VSR methodologies.

cs.CV↗

arXiv2023

Loss Functions in the Era of Semantic Segmentation: A Survey and Outlook

Semantic image segmentation, the process of classifying each pixel in an image into a particular class, plays an important role in many visual understanding systems. As the predominant criterion for evaluating the performance of statistical models, loss functions are crucial for shaping the development of deep learning-based segmentation algorithms and improving their overall performance. To aid researchers in identifying the optimal loss function for their particular application, this survey provides a comprehensive and unified review of $25$ loss functions utilized in image segmentation. We provide a novel taxonomy and thorough review of how these loss functions are customized and leveraged in image segmentation, with a systematic categorization emphasizing their significant features and applications. Furthermore, to evaluate the efficacy of these methods in real-world scenarios, we propose unbiased evaluations of some distinct and renowned loss functions on established medical and natural image datasets. We conclude this review by identifying current challenges and unveiling future research opportunities. Finally, we have compiled the reviewed studies that have open-source implementations on our GitHub page.

cs.CV↗

arXiv2023

Non-Orthogonal Multiplexing in the FBL Regime Enhances Physical Layer Security with Deception

We propose a new security framework for physical layer security (PLS) in the finite blocklength (FBL) regime that incorporates deception technology, allowing for active countermeasures against potential eavesdroppers. Using a symmetric block cipher and power-domain non-orthogonal multiplexing (NOM), our approach is able to achieve high secured reliability while effectively deceiving the eavesdropper, and can benefit from increased transmission power. This work represents a promising direction for future research in PLS with deception technology.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2023

Trade Reliability for Security: Leakage-Failure Probability Minimization for Machine-Type Communications in URLLC

How to provide information security while fulfilling ultra reliability and low-latency requirements is one of the major concerns for enabling the next generation of ultra-reliable and low-latency communications service (xURLLC), specially in machine-type communications. In this work, we investigate the reliability-security tradeoff via defining the leakage-failure probability, which is a metric that jointly characterizes both reliability and security performances for short-packet transmissions. We discover that the system performance can be enhanced by counter-intuitively allocating fewer resources for the transmission with finite blocklength (FBL) codes. In order to solve the corresponding optimization problem for the joint resource allocation, we propose an optimization framework, that leverages lower-bounded approximations for the decoding error probability in the FBL regime. We characterize the convexity of the reformulated problem and establish an efficient iterative searching method, the convergence of which is guaranteed. To show the extendability of the framework, we further discuss the blocklength allocation schemes with practical requirements of reliable-secure performance, as well as the transmissions with the statistical channel state information (CSI). Numerical results verify the accuracy of the proposed approach and demonstrate the reliability-security tradeoff under various setups.

cs.IT↗