Neyman-Pearson Detector for Ambient Backscatter Zero-Energy-Devices Beacons

Abstract: Recently, a novel ultra-low power indoor wireless positioning system has been proposed. In this system, Zero-Energy-Devices (ZED) beacons are deployed in Indoor environments, and located on a map with unique broadcast identifiers. They harvest ambient energy to power themselves and backscatter ambient waves from cellular networks to send their identifiers. This paper presents a novel detection method for ZEDs in ambient backscatter systems, with an emphasis on performance evaluation through experimental setups and simulations. We introduce a Neyman-Pearson detection framework, which leverages a predefined false alarm probability to determine the optimal detection threshold. This method, applied to the analysis of backscatter signals in a controlled testbed environment, incorporates the use of BC sequences to enhance signal detection accuracy. The experimental setup, conducted on the FIT/CorteXlab testbed, employs a two-node configuration for signal transmission and reception. Key performance metrics, which is the peak-to-lobe ratio, is evaluated, confirming the effectiveness of the proposed detection model. The results demonstrate a detection system that effectively handles varying noise levels and identifies ZEDs with high reliability. The simulation results show the robustness of the model, highlighting its capacity to achieve desired detection performance even with stringent false alarm thresholds. This work paves the way for robust ZED detection in real-world scenarios, contributing to the advancement of wireless communication technologies.