EARS: Directional Spectrum Sensing and Communications Utilizing Beam- and Frequency-Agile Parasitic Antenna Arrays

EARS：利用波束和频率捷变寄生天线阵列进行定向频谱传感和通信

• 批准号: 1443942
• 负责人: Azadeh Vosoughi
• 金额: $ 40万
• 依托单位: The University of Central Florida Board of Trustees
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-01-01 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1443942&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: EARS; Directional; Spectrum; Sensing; Communications

Abstract Title: Directional Spectrum Sensing and Communications Utilizing Beam- and Frequency-Agile Parasitic Antenna ArraysThis multidisciplinary research will address some of the major challenges in enabling the next generation of spectrum efficient and energy efficient wireless communication systems for a wide range of applications, including personal communications, emergency-response, and cyber-physical systems (e.g., intelligent transportation systems and the smart-grid), by developing collaboration between two fields of signal processing and communication theory and antenna design.The principal investigators (PIs) will develop a novel beam- and frequency-agile antenna and new signal processing and communication techniques that take full advantage of the antenna capabilities, in order to enable directional spectrum sensing and communications for portable lightweight terminals and provide significant spectral efficiency gains. This research has multifaceted benefits in advancing the field, and in education and diversity (i) It will make a significant impact on the theory and practice of the evolving cognitive radio networks and technologies, for a variety of applications that benefit society. (ii) It will provide a unique opportunity to bond the two research groups supervised by the PIs and enhance research and education through this partnership. The PIs will train graduate and undergraduate students and will actively engage in the stimulation and development of the field. The undergraduate students will gain experience with research in an interesting area. (iii) It will increase the participation of under-represented students in the PIs? research groups. The PIs will use the resources available through the UCF Summer mentoring fellowship program, which provides financial support for the minority students who are interested in conducting research with a faculty mentor. (iv) It will integrate research and education through incorporation of the research results into the Electrical and Computer Engineering graduate curriculum. The research thrusts are: (i) Design of a low-cost beam- and frequency-agile antenna, using an Electrically Steerable Parasitic Array Radiator (ESPAR) approach: These ESPAR antenna arrays require minimum number of phase shifters by parasitically coupling antenna elements. Continuous beam (main lobe and null) as well as frequency scanning can be realized simultaneously within the antenna structure. The ESPAR antenna arrays will be used for both directional spectrum sensing and communications. (ii) Model-based signal processing for directional spectrum sensing utilizing the ESPAR antennas: The PIs will develop a signal model for the ESPAR antennas. Based on this signal model, energy and eigenvalue-based detectors will be developed, which do not require any prior information about the signal of primary users (PUs) to be detected. The energy detector, although simple, requires knowledge of the receiver noise level. On the other hand, the eigenvalue-based detectors do not require this information and hence are insensitive to uncertainties in receiver noise level. Comparing detection performance of eigenvalue-based detectors against that of energy detectors for omnidirectional antennas unveils the improvement in spectrum sensing accuracy provided by the ESPAR antennas. (iii) Directional communications utilizing the ESPAR antennas: For a system where a pair of secondary users (SUs) wishes to communicate in the presence of primary user( PU) activities, and based on the developed signal model, several constrained communication optimization problems will be formulated, which aim to optimize a physical layer performance metric, subject to interference level constraint, in order to find the best steering angles for SU transmitter and receiver. (iv) Testbed: a low-cost yet flexible test platform will be developed to verify the directional spectrum sensing and communication schemes with the ESPAR antennas. This platform is able to adapt to different frequencies, bandwidths, modulation schemes, and antenna structures.

摘要标题:利用波束和频率敏捷寄生天线阵列的定向频谱传感和通信这项多学科研究将解决一些主要挑战，使下一代频谱高效和节能无线通信系统能够广泛应用，包括个人通信，应急响应和网络物理系统（例如，智能交通系统和智能电网）。通过发展信号处理与通信理论和天线设计两个领域的合作。主要研究人员（pi）将开发一种新型波束和频率敏捷天线，以及新的信号处理和通信技术，以充分利用天线的能力，为便携式轻型终端实现定向频谱传感和通信，并提供显著的频谱效率增益。这项研究在推进该领域、教育和多样性方面具有多方面的好处。(i)它将对不断发展的认知无线电网络和技术的理论和实践产生重大影响，以实现造福社会的各种应用。（ii）它将提供一个独特的机会，将两个由私人顾问监督的研究小组联系起来，并通过这种伙伴关系加强研究和教育。pi将培养研究生和本科生，并积极参与该领域的刺激和发展。本科生将在一个有趣的领域获得研究经验。（iii）会否增加弱势学生参与民意测验？研究小组。这些pi将使用UCF暑期指导奖学金项目提供的资源，该项目为有兴趣在教师导师指导下进行研究的少数民族学生提供经济支持。（iv）通过将研究成果纳入电气及计算机工程研究生课程，将研究与教育结合起来。研究的重点是：(1)设计一种低成本的波束和频率敏捷天线，采用电导向寄生阵列散热器（ESPAR）方法：这些ESPAR天线阵列通过寄生耦合天线元件需要最少数量的移相器。在天线结构内可以同时实现连续波束（主瓣和零瓣）和频率扫描。ESPAR天线阵列将用于定向频谱传感和通信。（ii）利用ESPAR天线进行定向频谱传感的基于模型的信号处理：pi将开发ESPAR天线的信号模型。基于该信号模型，将开发基于能量和特征值的检测器，它们不需要检测主用户（pu）信号的任何先验信息。能量探测器虽然简单，但需要知道接收器的噪声水平。另一方面，基于特征值的检测器不需要这些信息，因此对接收器噪声水平的不确定性不敏感。将全向天线中基于特征值的探测器与能量探测器的检测性能进行比较，揭示了ESPAR天线在频谱感知精度方面的改进。（iii）利用ESPAR天线的定向通信：对于一个系统，其中一对辅助用户（SU）希望在主用户（PU）活动存在的情况下进行通信，并基于已开发的信号模型，将制定几个约束通信优化问题，其目的是优化物理层性能指标，受干扰水平约束，以找到SU发射器和接收器的最佳转向角度。试验台：将开发一个低成本但灵活的测试平台，以验证ESPAR天线的定向频谱传感和通信方案。该平台能够适应不同的频率、带宽、调制方案和天线结构。