Integrated Sensing and Communication based Outdoor Multi-Target Detection, Tracking and Localization in Practical 5G Networks

TL;DR

The paper demonstrates an outdoor ISAC system leveraging standard 5G base stations in a bi-static arrangement to detect, track, and localize multiple moving targets without hardware changes. It introduces a practical baseband processing chain—data pre-processing, Doppler estimation, target selection, tracking, and localization—fitting within the 5G frame structure and using the RIM sensing signal. Field trials show near $1\ \mathrm{m}$ positioning accuracy and multi-target tracking with ranges exceeding $1.4\ \mathrm{km}$, validating ISAC viability in real networks. These results indicate substantial potential for deploying sensing-enabled capabilities in current and evolving 5G infrastructures for applications involving pedestrians, vehicles, and UAVs.

Abstract

The 6th generation (6G) wireless networks will likely to support a variety of capabilities beyond communication, such as sensing and localization, through the use of communication networks empowered by advanced technologies. Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) has been recognized as a critical technology as well as an usage scenario for 6G, as widely agreed by leading global standardization bodies. ISAC utilizes communication infrastructure and devices to provide the capability of sensing the environment with high resolution, as well as tracking and localizing moving objects nearby. Meeting both the requirements for communication and sensing simultaneously, ISAC based approaches celebrate the advantages of higher spectral and energy efficiency compared to two separate systems to serve two purposes, and potentially lower costs and easy deployment. A key step towards the standardization and commercialization of ISAC is to carry out comprehensive field trials in practical networks, such as the 5th generation (5G) network, to demonstrate its true capacities in practical scenarios. In this paper, an ISAC based outdoor multi-target detection, tracking and localization approach is proposed and validated in 5G networks. The proposed system comprises of 5G base stations (BSs) which serve nearby mobile users normally, while accomplishing the task of detecting, tracking and localizing drones, vehicles and pedestrians simultaneously. Comprehensive trial results demonstrate the relatively high accuracy of the proposed method in practical outdoor environment when tracking and localizing single targets and multiple targets.

Figures (7)

• Figure 1: Illustration of a cellular network supporting native ISAC capabilities.
• Figure 2: Frame structure of the test signal, where a half-frame is shown.
• Figure 3: The test area.
• Figure 4: Tracking of a walking pedestrian, where the GPS coordinates are depicted in yellow dots, estimated positions are represented by red dots and errors are marked in tags.
• Figure 5: Cumulative distribution function of the errors in tracking the location of a walking pedestrian.