RIS CUTTING EDGE FOURM

Time-Frequency Synchronization Techniques and Prototype Verifications in 6G ISAC

6G通信感知一体化中的时频同步技术与样机验证

Time-Frequency Synchronization Techniques and Prototype Verifications in 6G ISAC

Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) is a key technology for 6G. Bistatic sensing has become a focal topic in 3GPP ISAC discussions, thanks to its advantages such as the absence of self-interference, full reuse of communication equipment and protocols, and path loss gains in certain scenarios. However, in practical systems, bistatic sensing is hindered by time-frequency asynchrony between the transmitter and receiver, including timing offset, timing drift, carrier frequency offset, and random phase noise. Such asynchrony leads to severe target detection errors and introduces significant measurement inaccuracies, critically constraining the practical deployment of bistatic ISAC. Traditional solutions, which rely on line-of-sight (LOS) paths or reference paths, fail to meet the sensing requirements of 6G ISAC, especially in non-line-of-sight (NLOS), rich multipath, and low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) scenarios. To address this challenge, we propose a comprehensive solution comprising the asynchronous delay-Doppler (ADD) method and the enhanced round-trip measurement (eRTM) method. The proposed scheme is fully compatible with 5G/6G signals and processing architectures, offering advantages such as multiple-scenario adaptability, low computational complexity, and relaxed hardware requirements. Prototype tests demonstrate that it achieves centimeter-level positioning accuracy for passive sensing targets, with performance approaching that of ideal synchronization.

Ding Shengli, Ph.D., Senior Engineer. He is with vivo Communication Research Institute, focusing on standardization research on 6G and ISAC. He specializes in algorithm development on radar and sensing signal processing, with extensive experience in algorithm design and prototype debugging. He has led the development of several ISAC prototypes that successfully passed the ISAC tests organized by IMT-2020 /2030 ISAC promotion groups. He has filed over 130 patents, published more than 20 papers, contributed to several research reports organized by the IMT-2020/2030 ISAC promotion groups, and participated in drafting several ISAC white papers. He was a recipient of “6G Rising Star Young Scientist”, achieved the “Most Influential Paper Award” from the Journal of Electronics & Information Technology, and won the “Best Demo Award” at the 4th ISAC workshop. He also serves as a guest editor for the IEEE Communications Standards Magazine.