System-Level Analysis of Joint Sensing and Communication based on 5G New Radio

Abstract: This work investigates a multibeam system for joint sensing and communication (JSC) based on multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) 5G new radio (NR) waveforms. In particular, we consider a base station (BS) acting as a monostatic sensor that estimates the range, speed, and direction of arrival (DoA) of multiple targets via beam scanning using a fraction of the transmitted power. The target position is then obtained via range and DoA estimation. We derive the sensing performance in terms of probability of detection and root mean squared error (RMSE) of position and velocity estimation of a target under line-of-sight (LOS) conditions. Furthermore, we evaluate the system performance when multiple targets are present, using the optimal sub-pattern assignment (OSPA) metric. Finally, we provide an in-depth investigation of the dominant factors that affect performance, including the fraction of power reserved for sensing.