One Target, Many Views: Multi-User Fusion for Collaborative Uplink ISAC

Abstract: We propose a novel pilot-free multi-user uplink framework for integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) in mm-wave networks, where single-antenna users transmit orthogonal frequency division multiplexing signals without dedicated pilots. The base station exploits the spatial and velocity diversities of users to simultaneously decode messages and detect targets, transforming user transmissions into a powerful sensing tool. Each user's signal, structured by a known codebook, propagates through a sparse multi-path channel with shared moving targets and user-specific scatterers. Notably, common targets induce distinct delay-Doppler-angle signatures, while stationary scatterers cluster in parameter space. We formulate the joint multi-path parameter estimation and data decoding as a 3D super-resolution problem, extracting delays, Doppler shifts, and angles-of-arrival via atomic norm minimization, efficiently solved using semidefinite programming. A core innovation is multiuser fusion, where diverse user observations are collaboratively combined to enhance sensing and decoding. This approach improves robustness and integrates multi-user perspectives into a unified estimation framework, enabling high-resolution sensing and reliable communication. Numerical results show that the proposed framework significantly enhances both target estimation and communication performance, highlighting its potential for next-generation ISAC systems.