Abstract
Abstract of the PRIN2022 INdoor Smart Illuminator for Device Energization and NEXt-generation communicaTions (“INSIDE-NEXT”) (Prot. 2022WHJNE5; CUP J53D23000900006) The INSIDE-NEXT Project aims to realize an advanced Wireless System for the indoor distribution of signals with both communication and energization purposes, through the exploitation of microwave and millimeter-wave (mmWave) mobile signals of the 5th generation and beyond (B5G). In the INSIDE-NEXT consortium’s opinion, the main bottleneck in future scenarios, where a widespread use of a huge number of devices with reduced cost per information transfer (the so called “smart dust”) also needing for energy-autonomy, thus letting the paradigms of Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial IoT feasible in practice, is represented by the availability of smart and real-time reconfigurable transmitting structures able to dynamically decide in which direction the signal must be sent. At base-station level, solutions in this perspective are already theoretically envisaged and some realizations have started appearing, but the possibility to create a simpler and cheaper intelligent node even inside the buildings is still an open issue. The INSIDE-NEXT project aims at bridging this gap through the proposal and realization of a smart indoor illuminator based on the joint TMA-FDA technique and supported by real-time channel estimation and an intelligent beamforming decision strategy. The innovative idea is twofold: it consists of the usage of modern radiating strategies relying on both the capillary and simultaneous distribution of information signal and power, and the support of Ray Tracing (RT) propagation models for the design and deployment of the radiating system in a real environment affected by multipath propagation, as well as for the choice of the optimum beamforming technique. Based on geometric optics (GO) and its extensions like the Uniform Geometrical Theory of Diffraction (UTD), RT models represent an effective tool for determining coverage in complex scenarios, because they are intrinsically suited to consider the effects of the interaction between the signals emitted by the transmitter and any obstacles and objects that populate the propagation environment. With the assistance of RT prediction, the system will allow to illuminate multiple devices and optimize the overall energy efficiency. In particular, especially when power signals are involved, radiating strategies able to focus the energy on precise spots of the indoor scenarios will be adopted. From the beamforming architecture -or “radio-frequency (RF) shower”- point of view, they will be realized by adopting and combining two strategies: the Time Modulated Array (TMA) technique, in which the simultaneous availability of multiple radiation/reception directive patterns, reconfigurable in real-time, will be allowed, thus letting the showers to reach/be-reached-by users present in any location inside the building. Moreover, when power signals for the energization of randomly placed devices/sensors will be needed, the technique of Frequency Diverse Arrays (FDAs) could also play a strategic role, because the different frequency signals sent by the radiating elements of the array can constructively recombine in a defined region of the space, and this region can be dynamically selected through a real-time time-control of the multi-tone excitations, thus optimizing the RF power distribution. FDAs are a promising solution to control the beam steering, at a lower cost with respect to traditional phased arrays. However, their performance is intrinsically affected by the fact that the position of the focusing spot rapidly changes with time, and the focusing capability is also affected by multipath propagation which introduces fading dips in the received power. Such effected can be mitigated by evaluating the field propagation in the selected environment with the aid o
Project details
Unibo Team Leader: Diego Masotti
Unibo involved Department/s:
Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Energia Elettrica e dell'Informazione "Guglielmo Marconi"
Coordinator:
ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - Università di Bologna(Italy)
Total Eu Contribution: Euro (EUR) 166.332,00
Total Unibo Contribution: Euro (EUR) 116.121,00
Project Duration in months: 24
Start Date:
28/09/2023
End Date:
28/02/2026
