arXiv subjects

Vincenzo Sciancalepore

Publications and source records attributed to Vincenzo Sciancalepore.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2024

Open Experimental Measurements of Sub-6GHz Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces

In this paper, we present two datasets that we make publicly available for research. The data is collected in a testbed comprised of a custom-made Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface (RIS) prototype and two regular OFDM transceivers within an anechoic chamber. First, we discuss the details of the testbed and equipment used, including insights about the design and implementation of our RIS prototype. We further present the methodology we employ to gather measurement samples, which consists of letting the RIS electronically steer the signal reflections from an OFDM transmitter toward a specific location. To this end, we evaluate a suitably designed configuration codebook and collect measurement samples of the received power with an OFDM receiver. Finally, we present the resulting datasets, their format, and examples of exploiting this data for research purposes.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2024

RIS-aided Localization under Pixel Failures

Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) hold great potential as one of the key technological enablers for beyond-5G wireless networks, improving localization and communication performance under line-of-sight (LoS) blockage conditions. However, hardware imperfections might cause RIS elements to become faulty, a problem referred to as pixel failures, which can constitute a major showstopper especially for localization. In this paper, we investigate the problem of RIS-aided localization of a user equipment (UE) under LoS blockage in the presence of RIS pixel failures, considering the challenging single-input single-output (SISO) scenario. We first explore the impact of such failures on accuracy through misspecified Cramer-Rao bound (MCRB) analysis, which reveals severe performance loss with even a small percentage of pixel failures. To remedy this issue, we develop two strategies for joint localization and failure diagnosis (JLFD) to detect failing pixels while simultaneously locating the UE with high accuracy. The first strategy relies on l_1-regularization through exploitation of failure sparsity. The second strategy detects the failures one-by-one by solving a multiple hypothesis testing problem at each iteration, successively enhancing localization and diagnosis accuracy. Simulation results show significant performance improvements of the proposed JLFD algorithms over the conventional failure-agnostic benchmark, enabling successful recovery of failure-induced performance degradations.

eess.SP↗

arXiv2024

Distributed Intelligent Integrated Sensing and Communications: The 6G-DISAC Approach

This paper introduces the concept of Distributed Intelligent integrated Sensing and Communications (DISAC), which expands the capabilities of Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC) towards distributed architectures. Additionally, the DISAC framework integrates novel waveform design with new semantic and goal-oriented communication paradigms, enabling ISAC technologies to transition from traditional data fusion to the semantic composition of diverse sensed and shared information. This progress facilitates large-scale, energy-efficient support for high-precision spatial-temporal processing, optimizing ISAC resource utilization, and enabling effective multi-modal sensing performance. Addressing key challenges such as efficient data management and connect-compute resource utilization, 6G- DISAC stands to revolutionize applications in diverse sectors including transportation, healthcare, and industrial automation. Our study encapsulates the project vision, methodologies, and potential impact, marking a significant stride towards a more connected and intelligent world.

eess.SP↗

arXiv2024

Goal-Oriented and Semantic Communication in 6G AI-Native Networks: The 6G-GOALS Approach

Recent advances in AI technologies have notably expanded device intelligence, fostering federation and cooperation among distributed AI agents. These advancements impose new requirements on future 6G mobile network architectures. To meet these demands, it is essential to transcend classical boundaries and integrate communication, computation, control, and intelligence. This paper presents the 6G-GOALS approach to goal-oriented and semantic communications for AI-Native 6G Networks. The proposed approach incorporates semantic, pragmatic, and goal-oriented communication into AI-native technologies, aiming to facilitate information exchange between intelligent agents in a more relevant, effective, and timely manner, thereby optimizing bandwidth, latency, energy, and electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation. The focus is on distilling data to its most relevant form and terse representation, aligning with the source's intent or the destination's objectives and context, or serving a specific goal. 6G-GOALS builds on three fundamental pillars: i) AI-enhanced semantic data representation, sensing, compression, and communication, ii) foundational AI reasoning and causal semantic data representation, contextual relevance, and value for goal-oriented effectiveness, and iii) sustainability enabled by more efficient wireless services. Finally, we illustrate two proof-of-concepts implementing semantic, goal-oriented, and pragmatic communication principles in near-future use cases. Our study covers the project's vision, methodologies, and potential impact.

eess.SP↗

arXiv2024

ORANUS: Latency-tailored Orchestration via Stochastic Network Calculus in 6G O-RAN

The Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN)-compliant solutions lack crucial details to perform effective control loops at multiple time scales. In this vein, we propose ORANUS, an O-RAN-compliant mathematical framework to allocate radio resources to multiple ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (uRLLC) services. In the near-RT control loop, ORANUS relies on a novel Stochastic Network Calculus (SNC)-based model to compute the amount of guaranteed radio resources for each uRLLC service. Unlike traditional approaches as queueing theory, the SNC-based model allows ORANUS to ensure the probability the packet transmission delay exceeds a budget, i.e., the violation probability, is below a target tolerance. ORANUS also utilizes a RT control loop to monitor service transmission queues, dynamically adjusting the guaranteed radio resources based on detected traffic anomalies. To the best of our knowledge, ORANUS is the first O-RAN-compliant solution which benefits from SNC to carry out near-RT and RT control loops. Simulation results show that ORANUS significantly improves over reference solutions, with an average violation probability 10x lower.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2023

Empirical Validation of the Impedance-Based RIS Channel Model in an Indoor Scattering Environment

Ensuring the precision of channel modeling plays a pivotal role in the development of wireless communication systems, and this requirement remains a persistent challenge within the realm of networks supported by Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS). Achieving a comprehensive and reliable understanding of channel behavior in RIS-aided networks is an ongoing and complex issue that demands further exploration. In this paper, we empirically validate a recently-proposed impedance-based RIS channel model that accounts for the mutual coupling at the antenna array and precisely models the presence of scattering objects within the environment as a discrete array of loaded dipoles. To this end, we exploit real-life channel measurements collected in an office environment to demonstrate the validity of such a model and its applicability in a practical scenario. Finally, we provide numerical results demonstrating that designing the RIS configuration based upon such model leads to superior performance as compared to reference schemes.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2023

Unlocking Metasurface Practicality for B5G Networks: AI-assisted RIS Planning

The advent of reconfigurable intelligent surfaces(RISs) brings along significant improvements for wireless technology on the verge of beyond-fifth-generation networks (B5G).The proven flexibility in influencing the propagation environment opens up the possibility of programmatically altering the wireless channel to the advantage of network designers, enabling the exploitation of higher-frequency bands for superior throughput overcoming the challenging electromagnetic (EM) propagation properties at these frequency bands. However, RISs are not magic bullets. Their employment comes with significant complexity, requiring ad-hoc deployments and management operations to come to fruition. In this paper, we tackle the open problem of bringing RISs to the field, focusing on areas with little or no coverage. In fact, we present a first-of-its-kind deep reinforcement learning (DRL) solution, dubbed as D-RISA, which trains a DRL agent and, in turn, obtain san optimal RIS deployment. We validate our framework in the indoor scenario of the Rennes railway station in France, assessing the performance of our algorithm against state-of-the-art (SOA) approaches. Our benchmarks showcase better coverage, i.e., 10-dB increase in minimum signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), at lower computational time (up to -25 percent) while improving scalability towards denser network deployments.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2023

Towards Integrated Sensing and Communications for 6G: A Standardization Perspective

The radio communication division of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-R) has recently adopted Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) among the key usage scenarios for IMT-2030/6G. ISAC is envisioned to play a vital role in the upcoming wireless generation standards. In this work, we bring together several paramount and innovative aspects of ISAC technology from a global 6G standardization perspective, including both industrial and academic progress. Specifically, this article provides 6G requirements and ISAC-enabled vision, including various aspects of 6G standardization, benefits of ISAC co-existence, and integration challenges. Moreover, we present key enabling technologies, including intelligent metasurface-aided ISAC, as well as Orthogonal Time Frequency Space (OTFS) waveform design and interference management for ISAC. Finally, future aspects are discussed to open various research opportunities and challenges on the ISAC technology towards 6G wireless communications.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2023

SARIS: Scattering Aware Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface model and Optimization for Complex Propagation Channels

The reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) is an emerging technology that changes how wireless networks are perceived, therefore its potential benefits and applications are currently under intense research and investigation. In this letter, we focus on electromagnetically consistent models for RISs inheriting from a recently proposed model based on mutually coupled loaded wire dipoles. While existing related research focuses on free-space wireless channels thereby ignoring interactions between RIS and scattering objects present in the propagation environment, we introduce an RIS-aided channel model that is applicable to more realistic scenarios, where the scattering objects are modeled as loaded wire dipoles. By adjusting the parameters of the wire dipoles, the properties of general natural and engineered material objects can be modeled. Based on this model, we introduce a provably convergent and efficient iterative algorithm that jointly optimizes the RIS and transmitter configurations to maximize the system sum-rate. Extensive numerical results show the net performance improvement provided by the proposed method compared with existing optimization algorithms.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2023

RIS-Enabled Smart Wireless Environments: Deployment Scenarios, Network Architecture, Bandwidth and Area of Influence

Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs) constitute the key enabler for programmable electromagnetic propagation environments, and are lately being considered as a candidate physical-layer technology for the demanding connectivity, reliability, localization, and sustainability requirements of next generation wireless networks. In this paper, we first present the deployment scenarios for RIS-enabled smart wireless environments that have been recently designed within the ongoing European Union Horizon 2020 RISE-6G project, as well as a network architecture integrating RISs with existing standardized interfaces. We identify various RIS deployment strategies and sketch the core architectural requirements in terms of RIS control and signaling, depending on the RIS hardware architectures and respective capabilities. Furthermore, we introduce and discuss, with the aid of simulations and reflectarray measurements, two novel metrics that emerge in the context of RIS-empowered wireless systems: the RIS bandwidth and area of influence. Their extensive investigation corroborates the need for careful deployment and planning of the RIS technology in future networks.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2023

ARES: Autonomous RIS solution with Energy harvesting and Self-configuration towards 6G

Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs) are expected to play a crucial role in reaching the key performance indicators (KPIs) for future 6G networks. Their competitive edge over conventional technologies lies in their ability to control the wireless environment propagation properties at will, thus revolutionizing the traditional communication paradigm that perceives the communication channel as an uncontrollable black box. As RISs transition from research to market, practical deployment issues arise. Major roadblocks for commercially viable RISs are i) the need for a fast and complex control channel to adapt to the ever-changing wireless channel conditions, and ii) an extensive grid to supply power to each deployed RIS. In this paper, we question the established RIS practices and propose a novel RIS design combining self-configuration and energy self-sufficiency capabilities. We analyze the feasibility of devising fully-autonomous RISs that can be easily and seamlessly installed throughout the environment, following the new Internet-of-Surfaces (IoS) paradigm, requiring modifications neither to the deployed mobile network nor to the power distribution system. In particular, we introduce ARES, an Autonomous RIS with Energy harvesting and Self-configuration solution. ARES achieves outstanding communication performance while demonstrating the feasibility of energy harvesting (EH) for RISs power supply in future deployments.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2023

On the Degrees of Freedom of RIS-Aided Holographic MIMO Systems

In this paper, we study surface-based communication systems based on different levels of channel state information for system optimization. We analyze the system performance in terms of rate and degrees of freedom (DoF). We show that the deployment of a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) results in increasing the number of DoF, by extending the near-field region. Over Rician fading channels, we show that an RIS can be efficiently optimized only based on the positions of the transmitting and receiving surfaces, while providing good performance if the Rician fading factor is not too small.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2022

Passive and Privacy-preserving Human Localization via mmWave Access Points for Social Distancing

The pandemic outbreak has profoundly changed our life, especially our social habits and communication behaviors. While this dramatic shock has heavily impacted human interaction rules, novel localization techniques are emerging to help society in complying with new policies, such as social distancing. Wireless sensing and machine learning are well suited to alleviate viruses propagation in a privacy-preserving manner. However, its wide deployment requires cost-effective installation and operational solutions. In public environments, individual localization information-such as social distancing-needs to be monitored to avoid safety threats when not properly observed. To this end, the high penetration of wireless devices can be exploited to continuously analyze-and-learn the propagation environment, thereby passively detecting breaches and triggering alerts if required. In this paper, we describe a novel passive and privacy-preserving human localization solution that relies on the directive transmission properties of mmWave communications to monitor social distancing and notify people in the area in case of violations. Thus, addressing the social distancing challenge in a privacy-preserving and cost-efficient manner. Our solution provides an overall accuracy of about 99% in the tested scenarios.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2022

LOKO: Localization-aware Roll-out Planning for Future Mobile Networks

The roll-out phase of the next generation of mobile networks (5G) has started and operators are required to devise deployment solutions while pursuing localization accuracy maximization. Enabling location-based services is expected to be a unique selling point for service providers now able to deliver critical mobile services, e.g., autonomous driving, public safety, remote operations. In this paper, we propose a novel roll-out base station placement solution that, given a Throughput-Positioning Ratio (TPR) target, selects the location of new-generation base stations (among available candidate sites) such that the throughput and localization accuracy are jointly maximized. Moving away from the canonical position error bound (PEB) analysis, we develop a realistic framework in which each positioning measurement is affected by errors depending upon the actual wireless channel between the measuring base station and the target device. Our solution, referred to as LOKO, is a fast-converging algorithm that can be readily applied to current 5G (or future) roll-out processes. LOKO is validated by means of an exhaustive simulation campaign considering real existing deployments of a major European network operator as well as synthetic scenarios.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2022

Designing, Building, and Characterizing RF Switch-based Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces

In this paper, we present our experience designing, prototyping, and empirically characterizing RF Switch-based Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS). Our RIS design comprises arrays of patch antennas, delay lines and programmable radio-frequency (RF) switches that enable passive 3D beamforming, i.e., without active RF components. We implement this design using PCB technology and low-cost electronic components, and thoroughly validate our prototype in a controlled environment with high spatial resolution codebooks. Finally, we make available a large dataset with a complete characterization of our RIS and present the costs associated with reproducing our design.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2022

Impatient Queuing for Intelligent Task Offloading in Multi-Access Edge Computing

Multi-access edge computing (MEC) emerges as an essential part of the upcoming Fifth Generation (5G) and future beyond-5G mobile communication systems. It adds computational power towards the edge of cellular networks, much closer to energy-constrained user devices, and therewith allows the users to offload tasks to the edge computing nodes for low-latency applications with very-limited battery consumption. However, due to the high dynamics of user demand and server load, task congestion may occur at the edge nodes resulting in long queuing delay. Such delays can significantly degrade the quality of experience (QoE) of some latency-sensitive applications, raise the risk of service outage, and cannot be efficiently resolved by conventional queue management solutions. In this article, we study a latency-outage critical scenario, where users intend to limit the risk of latency outage. We propose an impatience-based queuing strategy for such users to intelligently choose between MEC offloading and local computation, allowing them to rationally renege from the task queue. The proposed approach is demonstrated by numerical simulations to be efficient for generic service model, when a perfect queue status information is available. For the practical case where the users obtain only imperfect queue status information, we design an optimal online learning strategy to enable its application in Poisson service scenarios.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2022

Taming Aerial Communication with Flight-assisted Smart Surfaces in 6G Era

Aerial communication is gradually taking an assertive role within common societal behaviors by means of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), high-altitude platforms (HAPs), and fixed-wing aircrafts (FWAs). Such devices can assist general operations in a diverse set of heterogeneous applications, such as video-surveillance, remote delivery and connectivity provisioning in crowded events and emergency scenarios. Given their increasingly higher technology penetration rate, telco operators started looking at the sky as a new potential direction to enable a three-dimensional (3D) communication paradigm. However, designing flying mobile stations involves addressing a daunting number of challenges, such as an excessive on-board control overhead, variable battery drain and advanced antenna design. To this end, the newly-born Smart Surfaces technology may come to help: reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) may be flexibly installed on-board to control the terrestrial propagation environment from an elevated viewpoint by involving low-complex and battery-limited solutions. In this paper, we shed light on novel RIS-based use-cases, corresponding requirements, and potential solutions that might be adopted in future aerial communication infrastructures.

cs.IT↗

arXiv2022

Leveraging RIS-Enabled Smart Signal Propagation for Solving Infeasible Localization Problems

Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs) have tremendous potential for both communication and localization. While communication benefits are now well-understood, the breakthrough nature of the technology may well lie in its capability to provide location estimates when conventional approaches fail, (e.g., due to insufficient available infrastructure). A limited number of example scenarios have been identified, but an overview of possible RIS-enabled localization scenarios is still missing from the literature. In this article, we present such an overview and extend localization to include even user orientation or velocity. In particular, we consider localization scenarios with various numbers of RISs, single- or multi-antenna base stations, narrowband or wideband transmissions, and near- and farfield operation. Furthermore, we provide a short description of the general RIS operation together with radio localization fundamentals, experimental validation of a localization scheme with two RISs, as well as key research directions and open challenges specific to RIS-enabled localization and sensing.

eess.SP↗