LiDAR-Aided Millimeter-Wave Range Extension using a Passive Mirror Reflector

Abstract

Passive reflectors mitigate millimeter-wave (mmwave) link blockages by extending coverage to non-line-ofsight (NLoS) regions. However, their deployment often leads to irregular reflected beam patterns and coverage gaps. This results in rapid channel fluctuations and potential outages. In this paper, we propose two LiDAR-aided link enhancement techniques to address these challenges. Leveraging user position information, we introduce a location-dependent link control strategy and a user selection technique to improve NLoS link reliability and coverage. Experimental results validate the efficacy of the proposed techniques in reducing outages and enhancing NLoS signal strength.

Figures (9)

• Figure 1: Illustration of the indoor measurement environment with a reflecting surface deployed at the corner of the corridor.
• Figure 2: Left: View of the L-shaped corridor featuring 102 grid points for RSS measurements, the receiver, and the flat foam board. Right: image of the collocated mm-wave transmitter and LiDAR at the end of the corridor.
• Figure 3: LiDAR tracking of a user (1.8 m tall) in an L-shaped corridor using a mirror reflector. Mirror assisted LiDAR enables NLoS localization with centimeter level accuracy.
• Figure 4: Flat passive reflectors of size $0.3 \times 0.9$ m$^2$ mounted on a foam board at an azimuth angle of $45^o$ with respect to the transmitter.
• Figure 5: Total RSS values on 102 grid points obtained when using a silver reflector, a copper reflector, a silver-coated mirror, and a foam board (no reflector attached). All reflectors are flat panels of size $0.3 \times 0.9$ m$^2$.