STTR Phase I: Physics (PHY) Rateless Codec Technology for Proximity Space Links

这个小企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力源于开发基于物理层（PHY）无速率代码的无线通信技术。如果成功演示，这些代码可以提供高数据速率，计算成本低，延迟最小，并提高能源效率，即延长电池寿命。技术创新的最初目标是空间通信市场——包括商业和政府空间计划。空间通信系统是每一项空间任务的关键组成部分。第一阶段项目的重点是解决能力差距的使能技术，可以为数据通信系统提供更便宜、更快的解决方案。拟议技术的商业化有利于美国经济和政府，因为空间部门创新技术的发展有助于新兴空间经济的经济增长。拟议的下一代无线通信技术还可以支持地面无线市场中的各种应用和用例。这些应用领域包括5G超可靠低延迟通信（URLLC）、工业物联网（IoT）用例和无人机（UAV）通信。这个小型企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目的重点是开发一种基于PHY无速率码的新型自适应传输技术，用于在无线发射器和接收器之间可靠地传输信息位。PHY无速率码具有天生的能力，可以根据需要调整代码结构和代码位的数量来传输代码位。物理层中的自适应传输技术与数据链路层（DLL）中的自动重复请求（ARQ）协议相互作用，影响其操作顺序。为传统的固定速率编码而设计的DLL与PHY无速率系统不太匹配。提议的第一阶段项目的一个关键目标是设计一个简单而有效的DLL，用于使用PHY无速率代码优化吞吐量，建立技术可行性。第一阶段项目旨在基于深度学习/自动编码器增强、结构化排列和求解稀疏线性系统的有效算法/技术，为PHY无速率编码器和解码器添加新的设计特性。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project stems from developing a wireless communications technology based on physical (PHY) layer rateless codes. If successfully demonstrated, these codes could provide high data rates with low computational costs, minimum latency, and enhanced energy efficiency, i.e., long battery life. The initial target of the technological innovation is the space communications market - both commercial and government space programs. Space communication systems are a critical and integral part of every space mission. This Phase I project focuses on an enabling technology addressing capability gaps that could provide cheaper and faster solutions for the data communication systems. Commercialization of the proposed technology is beneficial to the US economy and government since the development of innovative technologies for the space sector contributes to economic growth in the emerging space economy. The proposed next-generation wireless communications technology may also support a wide variety of applications and use cases in the terrestrial wireless market. These application areas include 5G Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC), Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) use cases, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communications.This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is focused on developing a PHY rateless codes-based novel adaptive transmission technology for the reliable transmission of information bits between a wireless transmitter and receiver. PHY rateless codes have the innate ability to adapt both the code construction and the number of code bits for an as-needed transmission of code bits. The adaptive transmission technology in the PHY layer interacts with the automatic repeat request (ARQ) protocols in the data link layer (DLL) affecting its sequence of operations. The DLL designed for the traditional fixed-rate coding is a poor match for the PHY rateless system. A key goal of the proposed Phase I project is to design a simple and yet effective DLL for a proximity space link using PHY rateless codes which optimizes the throughput, establishing the technical feasibility. The Phase I project aims to add new design features to the PHY rateless encoder and decoder based on deep learning/auto encoder enhancements, structured permutations, and efficient algorithms/techniques for solving sparse linear systems.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.