arXiv subjects

Shimin Gong

Publications and source records attributed to Shimin Gong.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Digital Twin Enabled Simultaneous Learning and Modeling for UAV-assisted Secure Communications with Eavesdropping Attacks

This paper focuses on secure communications in UAV-assisted wireless networks, which comprise multiple legitimate UAVs (LE-UAVs) and an intelligent eavesdropping UAV (EA-UAV). The intelligent EA-UAV can observe the LE-UAVs'transmission strategies and adaptively adjust its trajectory to maximize information interception. To counter this threat, we propose a mode-switching scheme that enables LE-UAVs to dynamically switch between the data transmission and jamming modes, thereby balancing data collection efficiency and communication security. However, acquiring full global network state information for LE-UAVs' decision-making incurs significant overhead, as the network state is highly dynamic and time-varying. To address this challenge, we propose a digital twin-enabled simultaneous learning and modeling (DT-SLAM) framework that allows LE-UAVs to learn policies efficiently within the DT, thereby avoiding frequent interactions with the real environment. To capture the competitive relationship between the EA-UAV and the LE-UAVs, we model their interactions as a multi-stage Stackelberg game and jointly optimize the GUs' transmission control, UAVs' trajectory planning, mode selection, and network formation to maximize overall secure throughput. Considering potential model mismatch between the DT and the real environment, we propose a robust proximal policy optimization (RPPO) algorithm that encourages LE-UAVs to explore service regions with higher uncertainty. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed DT-SLAM framework effectively supports the learning process. Meanwhile, the RPPO algorithm converges about 12% faster and the secure throughput can be increased by 8.6% compared to benchmark methods.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2026

Spatio-Temporal Attention Enhanced Multi-Agent DRL for UAV-Assisted Wireless Networks with Limited Communications

In this paper, we employ multiple UAVs to accelerate data transmissions from ground users (GUs) to a remote base station (BS) via the UAVs' relay communications. The UAVs' intermittent information exchanges typically result in delays in acquiring the complete system state and hinder their effective collaboration. To maximize the overall throughput, we first propose a delay-tolerant multi-agent deep reinforcement learning (MADRL) algorithm that integrates a delay-penalized reward to encourage information sharing among UAVs, while jointly optimizing the UAVs' trajectory planning, network formation, and transmission control strategies. Additionally, considering information loss due to unreliable channel conditions, we further propose a spatio-temporal attention based prediction approach to recover the lost information and enhance each UAV's awareness of the network state. These two designs are envisioned to enhance the network capacity in UAV-assisted wireless networks with limited communications. The simulation results reveal that our new approach achieves over 50\% reduction in information delay and 75% throughput gain compared to the conventional MADRL. Interestingly, it is shown that improving the UAVs' information sharing will not sacrifice the network capacity. Instead, it significantly improves the learning performance and throughput simultaneously. It is also effective in reducing the need for UAVs' information exchange and thus fostering practical deployment of MADRL in UAV-assisted wireless networks.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2026

Generative Artificial Intelligence Assisted Multi-modal Semantic Extraction for NOMA-based Image Transmissions

In this paper, we investigate a generative artificial intelligence (GAI)-assisted semantic communication framework for non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA)-based image transmissions. Semantic users (SUs) extract cross-modal semantic features from the raw images, which are then used for image recovery by leveraging a GAI model. The GAI enhances the generalization and recovery of semantic image transmissions, while NOMA efficiently allocates transmission capacities to SUs based on their traffic demands. Thus, the semantic extraction and transmission control jointly affect both semantic recovery performance and transmission overhead. We maximize a weighted performance of transmission latency and semantic recovery accuracy by jointly optimizing the semantic feature selection at the semantic level, as well as the receive beamforming and NOMA decoding order at the transmission level. To reduce potential redundancy in semantic features and improve optimization efficiency, we develop an importance-aware and model-driven proximal policy optimization (IM-PPO) framework. Specifically, we quantify and retain high-importance semantic features to enhance the learning efficiency of PPO, while model-based optimization methods are used to adapt the transmission control variables. Numerical results validate that the joint adjustment of the semantic feature selection and the transmission control significantly improves the semantic recovery accuracy and the transmission latency performance. Moreover, the IM-PPO framework effectively leverages the model information to improve the learning efficiency compared to benchmark methods.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2026

DRL-driven Online Optimization for Joint Traffic Reshaping and Channel Reconfiguration in RIS-assisted Semantic NOMA Communications

This paper explores a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-assisted and semantic-aware wireless network, where multiple semantic users (SUs) transmit semantic information to an access point (AP) using the non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) method. The RIS reconfigures channel conditions, while semantic extraction reshapes traffic demands, providing enhanced control flexibility for NOMA transmissions. To enable efficient long-term resource allocation, we propose a deferrable semantic extraction scheme that can distribute the semantic extraction tasks across multiple time slots. We formulate a long-term energy efficiency maximization problem by jointly optimizing the RIS's passive beamforming, the SUs' semantic extraction, and the NOMA decoding order. Note that this problem involves multiple and coupled control variables, which can incur significant computational overhead in time-varying network environments. To support low-complexity online optimization, a deep reinforcement learning (DRL)-driven online optimization framework is developed. Specifically, the DRL module facilitates the adaptive selection and optimization of the most suitable option from traffic reshaping, channel reconfiguration, or NOMA decoding order assignment based on the dynamic network status. Numerical results demonstrate that the deferrable semantic extraction scheme significantly improves the long-term energy efficiency. Meanwhile, the DRL-driven online optimization framework effectively reduces the running time while maintaining superior learning performance compared to state-of-the-art methods.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2026

Learning to Optimize Joint Source and RIS-assisted Channel Encoding for Multi-User Semantic Communication Systems

In this paper, we explore a joint source and reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-assisted channel encoding (JSRE) framework for multi-user semantic communications, where a deep neural network (DNN) extracts semantic features for all users and the RIS provides channel orthogonality, enabling a unified semantic encoding-decoding design. We aim to maximize the overall energy efficiency of semantic communications across all users by jointly optimizing the user scheduling, the RIS's phase shifts, and the semantic compression ratio. Although this joint optimization problem can be addressed using conventional deep reinforcement learning (DRL) methods, evaluating semantic similarity typically relies on extensive real environment interactions, which can incur heavy computational overhead during training. To address this challenge, we propose a truncated DRL (T-DRL) framework, where a DNN-based semantic similarity estimator is developed to rapidly estimate the similarity score. Moreover, the user scheduling strategy is tightly coupled with the semantic model configuration. To exploit this relationship, we further propose a semantic model caching mechanism that stores and reuses fine-tuned semantic models corresponding to different scheduling decisions. A Transformer-based actor network is employed within the DRL framework to dynamically generate action space conditioned on the current caching state. This avoids redundant retraining and further accelerates the convergence of the learning process. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed JSRE framework significantly improves the system energy efficiency compared with the baseline methods. By training fewer semantic models, the proposed T-DRL framework significantly enhances the learning efficiency.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2026

Phase-Aware Localization in Pinching Antenna Systems: CRLB Analysis and ML Estimation

Pinching antenna systems (PASS) have emerged as a promising architecture for high-frequency wireless communications. In this letter, we investigate user localization in PASS by jointly exploiting the received signal amplitude and phase information. A complex baseband signal model is formulated to capture free-space path loss, waveguide attenuation, and distance-dependent phase rotation between the user and each pinching antenna. Based on this model, we derive the Fisher information matrix and closed-form Cramer-Rao lower bound and position error bound. The derived analysis reveals that the phase-induced Fisher information decays with the fourth power of the user-antenna distance, whereas the amplitude-induced information decays with the sixth power, explaining the fundamental advantage of phase-aware localization in typical PASS deployments. A maximum likelihood estimator is then developed and implemented through a two-stage procedure combining coarse grid search and Levenberg-Marquardt refinement. Numerical results show that the proposed estimator achieves low positioning error and generally outperforms the considered benchmarks under different noise powers, numbers of pinching antennas, and user locations. In the considered scenario, the proposed method achieves sub-meter-level accuracy over the evaluated service area and yields substantially lower positioning error than the amplitude-only benchmark.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2025

Joint Traffic Reshaping and Channel Reconfiguration in RIS-assisted Semantic NOMA Communications

In this paper, we consider a semantic-aware reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-assisted wireless network, where multiple semantic users (SUs) simultaneously transmit semantic information to an access point (AP) by using the non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) method. The SUs can reshape their traffic demands by modifying the semantic extraction factor, while the RIS can reconfigure the channel conditions via the passive beamforming. This provides the AP with greater flexibility to decode the superimposed signals from the SUs. We aim to minimize the system's overall energy consumption, while ensuring that each SU's traffic demand is satisfied. Hence, we formulate a joint optimization problem of the SUs' decoding order and semantic control, as well as the RIS's passive beamforming strategy. This problem is intractable due to the complicated coupling in constraints. To solve this, we decompose the original problem into two subproblems and solve them by using a series of approximate methods. Numerical results show that the joint traffic reshaping and channel reconfiguration scheme significantly improves the energy saving performance of the NOMA transmissions compared to the benchmark methods.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2025

Generative AI-Aided QoE Maximization for RIS-Assisted Digital Twin Interaction

In this paper, we investigate a quality of experience (QoE)-aware resource allocation problem for reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-assisted digital twin (DT) interaction with uncertain evolution. In the considered system, mobile users are expected to interact with a DT model maintained on a DT server that is deployed on a base station, via effective uplink and downlink channels assisted by an RIS. Our goal is to maximize the sum of all mobile users' joint subjective and objective QoE in DT interactions across various DT scenes, by jointly optimizing phase shift matrix, receive/transmit beamforming matrix, rendering resolution configuration and computing resource allocation. While solving this problem is challenging mainly due to the uncertain evolution of the DT model, which leads to multiple scene-specific problems, and require us to constantly re-solve each of them whenever DT model evolves. To this end, leveraging the dynamic optimization capabilities of decision transformers and the generalization strengths of generative artificial intelligence (GAI), we propose a novel GAI-aided approach, called the prompt-guided decision transformer integrated with zero-forcing optimization (PG-ZFO). Simulations are conducted to evaluate the proposed PG-ZFO, demonstrating its effectiveness and superiority over counterparts.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2025

Robust Transmission Design for Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface and Movable Antenna Enabled Symbiotic Radio Communications

This paper explores the application of movable antenna (MA), a cutting-edge technology with the capability of altering antenna positions, in a symbiotic radio (SR) system enabled by reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS). The goal is to fully exploit the capabilities of both MA and RIS, constructing a better transmission environment for the co-existing primary and secondary transmission systems. For both parasitic SR (PSR) and commensal SR (CSR) scenarios with the channel uncertainties experienced by all transmission links, we design a robust transmission scheme with the goal of maximizing the primary rate while ensuring the secondary transmission quality. To address the maximization problem with thorny non-convex characteristics, we propose an alternating optimization framework that utilizes the General S-Procedure, General Sign-Definiteness Principle, successive convex approximation (SCA), and simulated annealing (SA) improved particle swarm optimization (SA-PSO) algorithms. Numerical results validate that the CSR scenario significantly outperforms the PSR scenario in terms of primary rate, and also show that compared to the fixed-position antenna scheme, the proposed MA scheme can increase the primary rate by 1.62 bps/Hz and 2.37 bps/Hz for the PSR and CSR scenarios, respectively.

eess.SP↗

arXiv2025

Learning Joint Source-Channel Encoding in IRS-assisted Multi-User Semantic Communications

In this paper, we investigate a joint source-channel encoding (JSCE) scheme in an intelligent reflecting surface (IRS)-assisted multi-user semantic communication system. Semantic encoding not only compresses redundant information, but also enhances information orthogonality in a semantic feature space. Meanwhile, the IRS can adjust the spatial orthogonality, enabling concurrent multi-user semantic communication in densely deployed wireless networks to improve spectrum efficiency. We aim to maximize the users' semantic throughput by jointly optimizing the users' scheduling, the IRS's passive beamforming, and the semantic encoding strategies. To tackle this non-convex problem, we propose an explainable deep neural network-driven deep reinforcement learning (XD-DRL) framework. Specifically, we employ a deep neural network (DNN) to serve as a joint source-channel semantic encoder, enabling transmitters to extract semantic features from raw images. By leveraging structural similarity, we assign some DNN weight coefficients as the IRS's phase shifts, allowing simultaneous optimization of IRS's passive beamforming and DNN training. Given the IRS's passive beamforming and semantic encoding strategies, user scheduling is optimized using the DRL method. Numerical results validate that our JSCE scheme achieves superior semantic throughput compared to the conventional schemes and efficiently reduces the semantic encoder's mode size in multi-user scenarios.

eess.SP↗

arXiv2025

Can We Enhance the Quality of Mobile Crowdsensing Data Without Ground Truth?

Mobile crowdsensing (MCS) has emerged as a prominent trend across various domains. However, ensuring the quality of the sensing data submitted by mobile users (MUs) remains a complex and challenging problem. To address this challenge, an advanced method is needed to detect low-quality sensing data and identify malicious MUs that may disrupt the normal operations of an MCS system. Therefore, this article proposes a prediction- and reputation-based truth discovery (PRBTD) framework, which can separate low-quality data from high-quality data in sensing tasks. First, we apply a correlation-focused spatio-temporal Transformer network that learns from the historical sensing data and predicts the ground truth of the data submitted by MUs. However, due to the noise in historical data for training and the bursty values within sensing data, the prediction results can be inaccurate. To address this issue, we use the implications among the sensing data, which are learned from the prediction results but are stable and less affected by inaccurate predictions, to evaluate the quality of the data. Finally, we design a reputation-based truth discovery (TD) module for identifying low-quality data with their implications. Given the sensing data submitted by MUs, PRBTD can eliminate the data with heavy noise and identify malicious MUs with high accuracy. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that the PRBTD method outperforms existing methods in terms of identification accuracy and data quality enhancement.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2024

Exploiting NOMA Transmissions in Multi-UAV-assisted Wireless Networks: From Aerial-RIS to Mode-switching UAVs

In this paper, we consider an aerial reconfigurable intelligent surface (ARIS)-assisted wireless network, where multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) collect data from ground users (GUs) by using the non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) method. The ARIS provides enhanced channel controllability to improve the NOMA transmissions and reduce the co-channel interference among UAVs. We also propose a novel dual-mode switching scheme, where each UAV equipped with both an ARIS and a radio frequency (RF) transceiver can adaptively perform passive reflection or active transmission. We aim to maximize the overall network throughput by jointly optimizing the UAVs' trajectory planning and operating modes, the ARIS's passive beamforming, and the GUs' transmission control strategies. We propose an optimization-driven hierarchical deep reinforcement learning (O-HDRL) method to decompose it into a series of subproblems. Specifically, the multi-agent deep deterministic policy gradient (MADDPG) adjusts the UAVs' trajectory planning and mode switching strategies, while the passive beamforming and transmission control strategies are tackled by the optimization methods. Numerical results reveal that the O-HDRL efficiently improves the learning stability and reward performance compared to the benchmark methods. Meanwhile, the dual-mode switching scheme is verified to achieve a higher throughput performance compared to the fixed ARIS scheme.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2024

Lyapunov-guided Deep Reinforcement Learning for Semantic-aware AoI Minimization in UAV-assisted Wireless Networks

This paper investigates an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-assisted semantic network where the ground users (GUs) periodically capture and upload the sensing information to a base station (BS) via UAVs' relaying. Both the GUs and the UAVs can extract semantic information from large-size raw data and transmit it to the BS for recovery. Smaller-size semantic information reduces latency and improves information freshness, while larger-size semantic information enables more accurate data reconstruction at the BS, preserving the value of original information. We introduce a novel semantic-aware age-of-information (SAoI) metric to capture both information freshness and semantic importance, and then formulate a time-averaged SAoI minimization problem by jointly optimizing the UAV-GU association, the semantic extraction, and the UAVs' trajectories. We decouple the original problem into a series of subproblems via the Lyapunov framework and then use hierarchical deep reinforcement learning (DRL) to solve each subproblem. Specifically, the UAV-GU association is determined by DRL, followed by the optimization module updating the semantic extraction strategy and UAVs' deployment. Simulation results show that the hierarchical structure improves learning efficiency. Moreover, it achieves low AoI through semantic extraction while ensuring minimal loss of original information, outperforming the existing baselines.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2024

Matching-Driven Deep Reinforcement Learning for Energy-Efficient Transmission Parameter Allocation in Multi-Gateway LoRa Networks

Long-range (LoRa) communication technology, distinguished by its low power consumption and long communication range, is widely used in the Internet of Things. Nevertheless, the LoRa MAC layer adopts pure ALOHA for medium access control, which may suffer from severe packet collisions as the network scale expands, consequently reducing the system energy efficiency (EE). To address this issue, it is critical to carefully allocate transmission parameters such as the channel (CH), transmission power (TP) and spreading factor (SF) to each end device (ED). Owing to the low duty cycle and sporadic traffic of LoRa networks, evaluating the system EE under various parameter settings proves to be time-consuming. Consequently, we propose an analytical model aimed at calculating the system EE while fully considering the impact of multiple gateways, duty cycling, quasi-orthogonal SFs and capture effects. On this basis, we investigate a joint CH, SF and TP allocation problem, with the objective of optimizing the system EE for uplink transmissions. Due to the NP-hard complexity of the problem, the optimization problem is decomposed into two subproblems: CH assignment and SF/TP assignment. First, a matching-based algorithm is introduced to address the CH assignment subproblem. Then, an attention-based multiagent reinforcement learning technique is employed to address the SF/TP assignment subproblem for EDs allocated to the same CH, which reduces the number of learning agents to achieve fast convergence. The simulation outcomes indicate that the proposed approach converges quickly under various parameter settings and obtains significantly better system EE than baseline algorithms.

cs.MA↗

arXiv2024

Multi-Time Scale Service Caching and Pricing in MEC Systems with Dynamic Program Popularity

In mobile edge computing systems, base stations (BSs) equipped with edge servers can provide computing services to users to reduce their task execution time. However, there is always a conflict of interest between the BS and users. The BS prices the service programs based on user demand to maximize its own profit, while the users determine their offloading strategies based on the prices to minimize their costs. Moreover, service programs need to be pre-cached to meet immediate computing needs. Due to the limited caching capacity and variations in service program popularity, the BS must dynamically select which service programs to cache. Since service caching and pricing have different needs for adjustment time granularities, we propose a two-time scale framework to jointly optimize service caching, pricing and task offloading. For the large time scale, we propose a game-nested deep reinforcement learning algorithm to dynamically adjust service caching according to the estimated popularity information. For the small time scale, by modeling the interaction between the BS and users as a two-stage game, we prove the existence of the equilibrium under incomplete information and then derive the optimal pricing and offloading strategies. Extensive simulations based on a real-world dataset demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed approach.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2024

AoI-aware Sensing Scheduling and Trajectory Optimization for Multi-UAV-assisted Wireless Backscatter Networks

This paper considers multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to assist sensing data transmissions from the ground users (GUs) to a remote base station (BS). Each UAV collects sensing data from the GUs and then forwards the sensing data to the remote BS. The GUs first backscatter their data to the UAVs and then all UAVs forward data to the BS by the nonorthogonal multiple access (NOMA) transmissions. We formulate a multi-stage stochastic optimization problem to minimize the long-term time-averaged age-of-information (AoI) by jointly optimizing the GUs' access control, the UAVs' beamforming, and trajectory planning strategies. To solve this problem, we first model the dynamics of the GUs' AoI statuses by virtual queueing systems, and then propose the AoI-aware sensing scheduling and trajectory optimization (AoI-STO) algorithm. This allows us to transform the multi-stage AoI minimization problem into a series of per-slot control problems by using the Lyapunov optimization framework. In each time slot, the GUs' access control, the UAVs' beamforming, and mobility control strategies are updated by using the block coordinate descent (BCD) method according to the instant GUs' AoI statuses. Simulation results reveal that the proposed AoI-STO algorithm can reduce the overall AoI by more than 50%. The GUs' scheduling fairness is also improved greatly by adapting the GUs' access control compared with typical baseline schemes.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2024

Primary Rate Maximization in Movable Antennas Empowered Symbiotic Radio Communications

In this paper, we propose a movable antenna (MA) empowered scheme for symbiotic radio (SR) communication systems. Specifically, multiple antennas at the primary transmitter (PT) can be flexibly moved to favorable locations to boost the channel conditions of the primary and secondary transmissions. The primary transmission is achieved by the active transmission from the PT to the primary user (PU), while the backscatter device (BD) takes a ride over the incident signal from the PT to passively send the secondary signal to the PU. Under this setup, we consider a primary rate maximization problem by jointly optimizing the transmit beamforming and the positions of MAs at the PT under a practical bit error rate constraint on the secondary transmission. Then, an alternating optimization framework with the utilization of the successive convex approximation, semi-definite processing and simulated annealing (SA) modified particle swarm optimization (SA-PSO) methods is proposed to find the solution of the transmit beamforming and MAs' positions. Finally, numerical results are provided to demonstrate the performance improvement provided by the proposed MA empowered scheme and the proposed algorithm.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2023

Multiagent Reinforcement Learning with an Attention Mechanism for Improving Energy Efficiency in LoRa Networks

Long Range (LoRa) wireless technology, characterized by low power consumption and a long communication range, is regarded as one of the enabling technologies for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). However, as the network scale increases, the energy efficiency (EE) of LoRa networks decreases sharply due to severe packet collisions. To address this issue, it is essential to appropriately assign transmission parameters such as the spreading factor and transmission power for each end device (ED). However, due to the sporadic traffic and low duty cycle of LoRa networks, evaluating the system EE performance under different parameter settings is time-consuming. Therefore, we first formulate an analytical model to calculate the system EE. On this basis, we propose a transmission parameter allocation algorithm based on multiagent reinforcement learning (MALoRa) with the aim of maximizing the system EE of LoRa networks. Notably, MALoRa employs an attention mechanism to guide each ED to better learn how much ''attention'' should be given to the parameter assignments for relevant EDs when seeking to improve the system EE. Simulation results demonstrate that MALoRa significantly improves the system EE compared with baseline algorithms with an acceptable degradation in packet delivery rate (PDR).

cs.AI↗