METHOD OF JOINT COMMUNICATION AND ENVIRONMENT PERCEPTION

1 . A method of processing wireless communication signals for use in joint communication and environment perception in a region of interest comprising N A ≥1 access points and N U ≥1 UEs, each of the N A access points having N R ≥1 antennas, the region of interest represented by voxels arranged in a three-dimensional grid, comprising:

a) receiving, at the N R antennas respectively associated with the N A access points, N T ≥1 transmission instances, the N T transmission instances carrying a plurality of transmit symbols comprising pilot signals and data signals, sent by all of the N U UEs,

b) performing, for each of the N R antennas of each of the N A access points, a soft interference cancellation to received communication signals representing the transmit symbols, for all voxels in the region of interest and for all transmit symbols,

c) determining, for each of the N R antennas of each of the N A access points, soft-replicas and corresponding MSEs for all voxels in the region of interest and for all transmit symbols,

d) updating all soft-replicas and corresponding MSEs,

e) repeating steps b) to d) while a termination criterion is not met,

f) computing, for each voxel in the region of interest, and for each transmit symbol, from the corresponding soft-replicas of each of the N R antennas of each of the N A access points, a respective final soft-estimate,

g) projecting the final soft estimate for each transmit symbol to the symbol constellation X, and

h) outputting the projected transmit symbol as hard estimate.

2 . The methodg of claim 1 , further comprising,

for all as yet unknown transmit symbols, and for each of the N R antennas and each of the N U UEs:

initialize the soft-replicas, and/or the MSEs,

and/or

for all voxels in the region of interest and for each of the N R antennas:

initialize the soft-replicas, and/or the MSEs,

prior to step b).

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein,

initializing the soft-replicas for all as yet unknown transmit symbols corresponding to a pilot block comprises:

initializing the soft-replicas of the transmit signal as pilots, and/or

initializing the corresponding MSEs to 0,

and/or wherein

initializing the soft-replicas for all as yet unknown transmit symbols corresponding to a data block comprises:

initializing the soft-replicas of the transmit signal to respective values in accordance with expectations based on a known prior probability distribution of the symbol constellation, or set, and/or

initializing the corresponding MSEs to the value of the expected error of the previously initialized soft replica,

and/or wherein

initializing the soft-replicas for all voxels in the region of interest comprises:

initializing the environment soft-replicas to respective values in accordance with an expectation of a known prior probability distribution of the voxel coefficients, and/or

initializing the corresponding MSEs to the value of the expected error of the previously initialized environment soft replica.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining, for each of the N R antennas of each of the N A access points, soft-replicas and corresponding MSEs, for all voxels in the region of interest and for all transmit symbols, comprises:

computing the conditional variances

v

k

:

m

,

t

v

⁢

and

⁢

v

n

,

t

:

m

,

t

x

,

computing the extrinsic mean

μ

k

:

m

,

t

v

and variance

ψ

k

:

m

,

t

v

,

computing the extrinsic mean

μ

n

,

t

:

m

,

t

x

 and variance

ψ

n

,

t

:

m

,

t

x

,

computing the new soft-replicas {circumflex over (v)} k:m,t and {circumflex over (x)} n,t:m,t , and

computing the new

M

⁢

S

⁢

E

⁢

s

⁢

ψ

k

:

m

,

t

v

⁢

and

⁢

ψ

m

,

t

:

n

,

t

x

.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein step f) comprises:

computing the consensus PDFs using

μ

˜

k

v

,

μ

˜

n

,

t

x

,

ψ

˜

k

v

⁢

and

⁢

ψ

˜

n

,

t

x

,

 and

computing the conditional variances

v

k

:

m

,

t

v

⁢

and

⁢

v

n

,

t

:

m

,

t

x

.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein a wireless communication signal carrying the transmit symbols uses transmission frames having data symbols and pilot symbols, the pilot symbols being known at the receiver.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the frequency of the wireless communication signal is within a radar frequency range, including a frequency range between 30 GHz and 300 GHz, particularly between 50 and 150 GHz, for instance between 57 GHz and 71 GHz.

8 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium, having stored thereon computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor of or functionally coupled with a receiver, cause the processor and/or the receiver to process wireless communication signals for use in joint communication and environment perception in a region of interest comprising N A ≥1 access points and N U ≥1 UEs, each of the N A access points having N R ≥1 antennas, the region of interest represented by voxels arranged in a three-dimensional grid, by performing operations comprising:

a) receiving, at the NAR antennas respectively associated with the N A access points, N T ≥1 transmission instances, the N T transmission instances carrying a plurality of transmit symbols comprising pilot signals and data signals, sent by all of the N U UEs,

b) performing, for each of the N R antennas of each of the N A access points, a soft interference cancellation to received communication signals representing the transmit symbols, for all voxels in the region of interest and for all transmit symbols,

c) determining, for each of the N R antennas of each of the N A access points, soft-replicas and corresponding MSEs for all voxels in the region of interest and for all transmit symbols,

d) updating all soft-replicas and corresponding MSEs,

e) repeating steps b) to d) while a termination criterion is not met,

f) computing, for each voxel in the region of interest, and for each transmit symbol, from the corresponding soft-replicas of each of the N R antennas of each of the N A access points, a respective final soft-estimate,

g) projecting the final soft estimate for each transmit symbol to the symbol constellation X, and

h) outputting the projected transmit symbol as hard estimate.

9 . (canceled)

10 . A receiver for wireless communication signals comprising at least one antenna, circuitry for processing radio frequency signals, a microprocessor, volatile and non-volatile memory, connected via one or more data and/or signal lines or buses, wherein the non-volatile memory stores computer program instructions which, when executed by the microprocessor, configure components of the receiver to process wireless communication signals for use in joint communication and environment perception in a region of interest comprising N A ≥1 access points and N U ≥1 UEs, each of the N A access points having N R ≥1 antennas, the region of interest represented by voxels arranged in a three-dimensional grid, by performing operations comprising:

a) receiving, at the N R antennas respectively associated with the N A access points, N T ≥1 transmission instances, the N T transmission instances carrying a plurality of transmit symbols comprising pilot signals and data signals, sent by all of the N U UEs,

b) performing, for each of the N R antennas of each of the N A access points, a soft interference cancellation to received communication signals representing the transmit symbols, for all voxels in the region of interest and for all transmit symbols,

c) determining, for each of the N R antennas of each of the N A access points, soft-replicas and corresponding MSEs for all voxels in the region of interest and for all transmit symbols,

d) updating all soft-replicas and corresponding MSEs,

e) repeating steps b) to d) while a termination criterion is not met,

f) computing, for each voxel in the region of interest, and for each transmit symbol, from the corresponding soft-replicas of each of the N R antennas of each of the N A access points, a respective final soft-estimate,

g) protecting the final soft estimate for each transmit symbol to the symbol constellation X, and

h) outputting the projected transmit symbol as hard estimate.

11 . The receiver of claim 10 , wherein the receiver is co-located to a transmitter configured for sending communication signals.

12 . The receiver of claim 10 , wherein the circuitry for processing radio frequency signals comprises a low noise amplifier and/or a mixer configured for providing a representation of a received signal at an intermediate frequency, preferably using a same oscillator signal as a co-located transmitter.

13 . A communication system comprising a receiver and a corresponding transmitter configured for sending a communication signal, the receiver being configured to process wireless communication signals for use in joint communication and environment perception in a region of interest comprising N A ≥1 access points and N U ≥1 UEs, each of the N A access points having N R ≥1 antennas, the region of interest represented by voxels arranged in a three-dimensional grid, by performing operations comprising:

a) receiving, at the NAR antennas respectively associated with the N A access points,

N T ≥1 transmission instances, the N T transmission instances carrying a plurality of transmit symbols comprising pilot signals and data signals, sent by all of the N U UEs,

b) performing, for each of the N R antennas of each of the N A access points, a soft interference cancellation to received communication signals representing the transmit symbols, for all voxels in the region of interest and for all transmit symbols,

c) determining, for each of the N R antennas of each of the N A access points, soft-replicas and corresponding MSEs for all voxels in the region of interest and for all transmit symbols,

d) updating all soft-replicas and corresponding MSEs,

e) repeating steps b) to d) while a termination criterion is not met,

f) computing, for each voxel in the region of interest, and for each transmit symbol, from the corresponding soft-replicas of each of the N R antennas of each of the N A access points, a respective final soft-estimate,

g) protecting the final soft estimate for each transmit symbol to the symbol constellation X, and

h) outputting the projected transmit symbol as hard estimate.

14 . A vehicle comprising a receiver and/or a communication system, the receiver being configured to process wireless communication signals for use in joint communication and environment perception in a region of interest comprising N A ≥1 access points and N U ≥1 UEs, each of the N A access points having N R ≥1 antennas, the region of interest represented by voxels arranged in a three-dimensional grid, by performing operators comprising:

a) receiving, at the N R antennas respectively associated with the N A access points, N T ≥1 transmission instances, the N T transmission instances carrying a plurality of transmit symbols comprising pilot signals and data signals, sent by all of the N U UEs,

b) performing, for each of the N antennas of each of the N A access points, a soft interference cancellation to received communication signals representing the transmit symbols, for all voxels in the region of interest and for all transmit symbols,

c) determining, for each of the N R antennas of each of the N A access points, soft-replicas and corresponding MSEs for all voxels in the region of interest and for all transmit symbols,

d) updating all soft-replicas and corresponding MSEs,

e) repeating steps b) to d) while a termination criterion is not met,

f) computing, for each voxel in the region of interest, and for each transmit symbol, from the corresponding soft-replicas of each of the N R antennas of each of the N A access points, a respective final soft-estimate,

g) projecting the final soft estimate for each transmit symbol to the symbol constellation X, and

h) outputting the projected transmit symbol as hard estimate; and

the communication system comprising the receiver and a corresponding transmitter configured for sending a communication signal.

15 . Use of a receiver and/or a communication system or of a method for both wireless communication and radar sensing the receiver being configured to process wireless communication signals for use in joint communication and environment perception in a region of interest comprising N A ≥1 access points and N U ≥1 UEs, each of the N A access points having N R ≥1 antennas, the region of interest represented by voxels arranged in a three-dimensional grid, by performing operators comprising:

a) receiving, at the N R antennas respectively associated with the N A access points, N T ≥1 transmission instances, the N T transmission instances carrying a plurality of transmit symbols comprising pilot signals and data signals, sent by all of the N U UEs,

b) performing, for each of the N antennas of each of the N A access points, a soft interference cancellation to received communication signals representing the transmit symbols, for all voxels in the region of interest and for all transmit symbols,

c) determining, for each of the N R antennas of each of the N A access points, soft-replicas and corresponding MSEs for all voxels in the region of interest and for all transmit symbols,

d) updating all soft-replicas and corresponding MSEs,

e) repeating steps b) to d) while a termination criterion is not met,

f) computing, for each voxel in the region of interest, and for each transmit symbol, from the corresponding soft-replicas of each of the N R antennas of each of the N A access points, a respective final soft-estimate,

g) projecting the final soft estimate for each transmit symbol to the symbol constellation X, and

h) outputting the projected transmit symbol as hard estimate; and

the communication system comprising the receiver and a corresponding transmitter configured for sending a communication signal;

the communication system comprising the receiver and a corresponding transmitter configured for sending a communication signal; and

wherein the method for both wireless communication and radar sensing comprises: A method of processing wireless communication signals for use in joint communication and environment perception in a region of interest comprising N A ≥1 access points and N U ≥1 UEs, each of the N A access points having N R ≥1 antennas, the region of interest represented by voxels arranged in a three-dimensional grid, comprising:

a′) receiving, at the N R antennas respectively associated with the N A access points, N T ≥1 transmission instances, the N T transmission instances carrying a plurality of transmit symbols comprising pilot signals and data signals, sent by all of the N U UEs,

b′) performing, for each of the N R antennas of each of the N A access points, a soft interference cancellation to received communication signals representing the transmit symbols, for all voxels in the region of interest and for all transmit symbols,

c′) determining, for each of the N R antennas of each of the N A access points, soft-replicas and corresponding MSEs for all voxels in the region of interest and for all transmit symbols,

d′) updating all soft-replicas and corresponding MSEs,

e′) repeating steps b) to d) while a termination criterion is not met,

f′) computing, for each voxel in the region of interest, and for each transmit symbol, from the corresponding soft-replicas of each of the N R antennas of each of the N A access points, a respective final soft-estimate,

g′) projecting the final soft estimate for each transmit symbol to the symbol constellation X, and

h′) outputting the projected transmit symbol as hard estimate.