Electromagnetic Modelling of Extended Targets in a Distributed Antenna System

Traditional radar and integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) systems often approximate targets as point sources, a simplification that fails to capture the essential scattering characteristics for many applications. This paper presents a novel electromagnetic (EM)-based framework to accurately model the near-field (NF) scattering response of extended targets, which is then applied to three canonical shapes : a flat rectangular plate, a sphere and a cylinder. Mathematical expressions for the received signal are provided in each case. Based on this model, the influence of bandwidth, carrier frequency and target distance on localisation accuracy is analysed, showing how higher bandwidths and carrier frequencies improve resolution. Additionally, the impact of target curvature on localisation performance is studied. Results indicate that detection performance is slightly enhanced when considering curved objects. A comparative analysis between the extended and point target models shows significant similarities when targets are small and curved. However, as the target size increases or becomes flatter, the point target model introduces estimation errors owing to model mismatch. The impact of this model mismatch as a function of system parameters is analysed, and the operational zones where the point abstraction remains valid and where it breaks down are identified. These findings provide theoretical support for experimental results based on point-target models in previous studies.

Positioning and transmission in cell-free networks: ambiguity function, and MRC/MRT array gains

Cell-free network is a new paradigm, originating from distributed MIMO, that has been investigated for a few recent years as an alternative to the celebrated cellular structure. Future networks not only consider classical data transmission but also positioning, along the lines of Integrated Communications and Sensing (ISAC). The goal of this paper is to investigate at the same time the ambiguity function which is an important metric for positioning and the understanding of its associated resolution and ambiguities, and the array gain when maximum ratio transmission (MRT) or MR combining (MRC) is implemented for data communications. In particular, the role and impact of using a waveform with non-zero bandwidth is investigated. The theoretical findings are illustrated by means of computational results.

Performance Bounds for Near-Field Multi-Antenna Range Estimation of Extended Targets

In this paper, performance bounds for the multi-antenna near-field range estimation of extended targets are provided. First, analytic expressions of the ambiguity functions are obtained, emphasising the cooperation between the waveform delay and the near-field phase shift information. The impact of estimating the range of an extended target with a point target model is analysed, showing that a model mismatch leads to severe performance degradation in the near-field region. Secondly, Cramer-Rao bounds are derived. Expressions emphasising the parameters' impact are obtained, the parameters being the carrier frequency, and the central frequency and root-mean-square bandwidth of the waveform. The near-field range information is shown to depend on the root-mean-square value of the propagation delay derivatives, this value scaling with the fourth power of the ratio between the antenna array dimension and the target range.

Near-Field EM-Based Multistatic Radar Range Estimation

Radar targets are traditionally modelled as point target reflectors, even in the near-field region. Yet, for radar systems operating at high carrier frequencies and small distances, traditional radar propagation models do not accurately model the scatterer responses. In this paper, a novel electromagnetic-based model is thus developed for the multistatic radar detection of a rectangular plate reflector in the near-field region. This model is applied to an automotive scenario, in which a linear antenna array is spread out at the front of a vehicle, and performs a radar measurement of the distance to the back of the vehicle ahead. Based on the developed received signal model, the maximum likelihood estimator of the range is designed. By exploiting the near-field target model, this estimator is shown to provide a significant gain with respect to traditional range estimators. The impact of the system and scenario parameters, i.e. the carrier frequency, bandwidth and distance to the target, is furthermore evaluated. This analysis shows that the radar resolution in the near-field regime is improved at high carrier frequencies, while saturating to the traditional bandwidth-dependent resolution in the far-field region.