Artificial Intelligence Empowered Channel Prediction: A New Paradigm for Propagation Channel Modeling

This paper proposes a novel paradigm centered on Artificial Intelligence (AI)-empowered propagation channel prediction to address the limitations of traditional channel modeling. We present a comprehensive framework that deeply integrates heterogeneous environmental data and physical propagation knowledge into AI models for site-specific channel prediction, which referred to as channel inference. By leveraging AI to infer site-specific wireless channel states, the proposed paradigm enables accurate prediction of channel characteristics at both link and area levels, capturing spatio-temporal evolution of radio propagation. Some novel strategies to realize the paradigm are introduced and discussed, including AI-native and AI-hybrid inference approaches. This paper also investigates how to enhance model generalization through transfer learning and improve interpretability via explainable AI techniques. Our approach demonstrates significant practical efficacy, achieving an average path loss prediction root mean square error (RMSE) of $\sim$ 4 dB and reducing training time by 60\%-75\%. This new modeling paradigm provides a foundational pathway toward high-fidelity, generalizable, and physically consistent propagation channel prediction for future communication networks.

Backscatter-Assisted High-Speed Rail Communications in Straight Tunnel Environments: Effects of Tag Number and Phase Control

Backscatter communication is a promising technology to enhance the signal strength received by the receiver in straight tunnel environments. The impact of the number of tags and their phase adjustment on system performance remains a challenging issue though. Therefore, in this paper, we investigate the channel gain of backscatter-assisted communication with multiple tags in straight tunnels. In particular, we derive the probabilities that the backscatter link gain is greater than the direct link under adjustable and random phase assumptions by applying the Gaussian and Gamma approximations to derive tractable expressions. The simulation results show that phaseadjustable tags significantly improve the channel gain of the backscatter links compared to the random phase case. Moreover, the number of tags has an upper threshold for an effective tag deployment pattern. These insights provide valuable guidelines for the efficient design of backscatter communication systems in tunnel environments.

A Geometry Map-Based Site-Specific Propagation Channel Model for Urban Scenarios

With the rapid deployments of 5G and 6G networks, accurate modeling of urban radio propagation has become critical for system design and network planning. However, conventional statistical or empirical models fail to fully capture the influence of detailed geometric features on site-specific channel variances in dense urban environments. In this paper, we propose a geometry map-based propagation channel model that directly extracts key parameters from a 3D geometry map and incorporates the Uniform Theory of Diffraction (UTD) to recursively compute multiple diffraction fields, thereby enabling accurate prediction of site-specific large-scale path loss and time-varying Doppler characteristics in urban scenarios. A well-designed identification algorithm is developed to efficiently detect buildings that significantly affect signal propagation. The proposed model is validated using urban measurement data, showing excellent agreement of path loss in both line-of-sight (LOS) and nonline-of-sight (NLOS) conditions. In particular, for NLOS scenarios with complex diffractions, it outperforms the 3GPP and simplified models, reducing the RMSE by 7.1 dB and 3.18 dB, respectively. Doppler analysis further demonstrates its accuracy in capturing time-varying propagation characteristics, confirming the scalability and generalization of the model in urban environments.

Deep Learning Based Dynamic Environment Reconstruction for Vehicular ISAC Scenarios

Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) technology plays a critical role in future intelligent transportation systems, by enabling vehicles to perceive and reconstruct the surrounding environment through reuse of wireless signals, thereby reducing or even eliminating the need for additional sensors such as LiDAR or radar. However, existing ISAC based reconstruction methods often lack the ability to track dynamic scenes with sufficient accuracy and temporal consistency, limiting the real world applicability. To address this limitation, we propose a deep learning based framework for vehicular environment reconstruction by using ISAC channels. We first establish a joint channel environment dataset based on multi modal measurements from real world urban street scenarios. Then, a multistage deep learning network is developed to reconstruct the environment. Specifically, a scene decoder identifies the environmental context such as buildings, trees and so on; a cluster center decoder predicts coarse spatial layouts by localizing dominant scattering centers; a point cloud decoder recovers fine grained geometry and structure of surrounding environments. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves high-quality dynamic environment reconstruction with a Chamfer Distance of 0.29 and F Score@1% of 0.87. In addition, complexity analysis demonstrates the efficiency and practical applicability of the method in real time scenarios. This work provides a pathway toward low cost environment reconstruction based on ISAC for future intelligent transportation.

Deep Learning-based Human Gesture Channel Modeling for Integrated Sensing and Communication Scenarios

With the development of Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) for Sixth-Generation (6G) wireless systems, contactless human recognition has emerged as one of the key application scenarios. Since human gesture motion induces subtle and random variations in wireless multipath propagation, how to accurately model human gesture channels has become a crucial issue for the design and validation of ISAC systems. To this end, this paper proposes a deep learning-based human gesture channel modeling framework for ISAC scenarios, in which the human body is decomposed into multiple body parts, and the mapping between human gestures and their corresponding multipath characteristics is learned from real-world measurements. Specifically, a Poisson neural network is employed to predict the number of Multi-Path Components (MPCs) for each human body part, while Conditional Variational Auto-Encoders (C-VAEs) are reused to generate the scattering points, which are further used to reconstruct continuous channel impulse responses and micro-Doppler signatures. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves high accuracy and generalization across different gestures and subjects, providing an interpretable approach for data augmentation and the evaluation of gesture-based ISAC systems.

Conformal Robust Beamforming via Generative Channel Models

Traditional approaches to outage-constrained beamforming optimization rely on statistical assumptions about channel distributions and estimation errors. However, the resulting outage probability guarantees are only valid when these assumptions accurately reflect reality. This paper tackles the fundamental challenge of providing outage probability guarantees that remain robust regardless of specific channel or estimation error models. To achieve this, we propose a two-stage framework: (i) construction of a channel uncertainty set using a generative channel model combined with conformal prediction, and (ii) robust beamforming via the solution of a min-max optimization problem. The proposed method separates the modeling and optimization tasks, enabling principled uncertainty quantification and robust decision-making. Simulation results confirm the effectiveness and reliability of the framework in achieving model-agnostic outage guarantees.

Channel Semantic Characterization for Integrated Sensing and Communication Scenarios: From Measurements to Modeling

With the advancement of sixth-generation (6G) wireless communication systems, integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) is crucial for perceiving and interacting with the environment via electromagnetic propagation, termed channel semantics, to support tasks like decision-making. However, channel models focusing on physical characteristics face challenges in representing semantics embedded in the channel, thereby limiting the evaluation of ISAC systems. To tackle this, we present a novel framework for channel modeling from the conceptual event perspective. By leveraging a multi-level semantic structure and characterized knowledge libraries, the framework decomposes complex channel characteristics into extensible semantic characterization, thereby better capturing the relationship between environment and channel, and enabling more flexible adjustments of channel models for different events without requiring a complete reset. Specifically, we define channel semantics on three levels: status semantics, behavior semantics, and event semantics, corresponding to channel multipaths, channel time-varying trajectories, and channel topology, respectively. Taking realistic vehicular ISAC scenarios as an example, we perform semantic clustering, characterizing status semantics via multipath statistical distributions, modeling behavior semantics using Markov chains for time variation, and representing event semantics through a co-occurrence matrix. Results show the model accurately generates channels while capturing rich semantic information. Moreover, its generalization supports customized semantics.

Vision-Aided Channel Prediction Based on Image Segmentation at Street Intersection Scenarios

Intelligent vehicular communication with vehicle road collaboration capability is a key technology enabled by 6G, and the integration of various visual sensors on vehicles and infrastructures plays a crucial role. Moreover, accurate channel prediction is foundational to realizing intelligent vehicular communication. Traditional methods are still limited by the inability to balance accuracy and operability based on substantial spectrum resource consumption and highly refined description of environment. Therefore, leveraging out-of-band information introduced by visual sensors provides a new solution and is increasingly applied across various communication tasks. In this paper, we propose a computer vision (CV)-based prediction model for vehicular communications, realizing accurate channel characterization prediction including path loss, Rice K-factor and delay spread based on image segmentation. First, we conduct extensive vehicle-to-infrastructure measurement campaigns, collecting channel and visual data from various street intersection scenarios. The image-channel dataset is generated after a series of data post-processing steps. Image data consists of individual segmentation of target user using YOLOv8 network. Subsequently, established dataset is used to train and test prediction network ResNet-32, where segmented images serve as input of network, and various channel characteristics are treated as labels or target outputs of network. Finally, self-validation and cross-validation experiments are performed. The results indicate that models trained with segmented images achieve high prediction accuracy and remarkable generalization performance across different streets and target users. The model proposed in this paper offers novel solutions for achieving intelligent channel prediction in vehicular communications.

Refracting Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface Assisted URLLC for Millimeter Wave High-Speed Train Communication Coverage Enhancement

High-speed train (HST) has garnered significant attention from both academia and industry due to the rapid development of railways worldwide. Millimeter wave (mmWave) communication, known for its large bandwidth is an effective way to address performance bottlenecks in cellular network based HST wireless communication systems. However, mmWave signals suffer from significant path loss when traversing carriage, posing substantial challenges to cellular networks. To address this issue, reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) have gained considerable interest for its ability to enhance cell coverage by reflecting signals toward receiver. Ensuring communication reliability, a core performance indicators of ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC) in fifth-generation systems, is crucial for providing steady and reliable data transmissions along railways, particularly for delivering safety and control messages and monitoring HST signaling information. In this paper, we investigate a refracting RIS-assisted multi-user multiple-input single-output URLLC system in mmWave HST communications. We propose a sum rate maximization problem, subject to base station beamforming constraint, as well as refracting RIS discrete phase shifts and reliability constraints. To solve this optimization problem, we design a joint optimization algorithm based on alternating optimization method. This involves decoupling the original optimization problem into active beamforming design and packet error probability optimization subproblem, and discrete phase shift design subproblems. These subproblems are addressed exploiting Lagrangian dual method and the local search method, respectively. Simulation results demonstrate the fast convergence of the proposed algorithm and highlight the benefits of refracting RIS adoption for sum rate improvement in mmWave HST networks.

Optimal Joint Fronthaul Compression and Beamforming Design for Networked ISAC Systems

This study investigates a networked integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) system, where multiple base stations (BSs), connected to a central processor (CP) via capacity-limited fronthaul links, cooperatively serve communication users while simultaneously sensing a target. The primary objective is to minimize the total transmit power while meeting the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) requirements for communication and sensing under fronthaul capacity constraints, resulting in a joint fronthaul compression and beamforming design (J-FCBD) problem. We demonstrate that the optimal fronthaul compression variables can be determined in closed form alongside the beamformers, a novel finding in this field. Leveraging this insight, we show that the remaining beamforming design problem can be solved globally using the semidefinite relaxation (SDR) technique, albeit with considerable complexity. Furthermore, the tightness of its SDR reveals zero duality gap between the considered problem and its Lagrangian dual. Building on this duality result, we exploit the novel UL-DL duality within the ISAC framework to develop an efficient primal-dual (PD)-based algorithm. The algorithm alternates between solving beamforming with a fixed dual variable via fixed-point iteration and updating dual variable via bisection, ensuring global optimality and achieving high efficiency due to the computationally inexpensive iterations. Numerical results confirm the global optimality, effectiveness, and efficiency of the proposed PD-based algorithm.