Perceptive Mobile Networks for Standalone and Cooperative UAV Surveillance

The next-generation wireless network is perceived to integrate with sensing capability and evolve into the perceptive mobile network (PMN), enabling massive sensing-intensive applications. However, the sensing function will affect the communication performance in cellular networks. To study the sensing and communication performance of PMNs and their interactions, this paper investigates a millimeter-wave PMN with dual-functional base stations (BSs) for simultaneous detection of unauthorized unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and user communication via the unified transmit signal and beamforming. We develop a system-level theoretical framework to investigate the sensing and communication performance of PMNs based on stochastic geometry, which captures the mutual interference and resource contention between the two functions and builds a foundation for the optimization of network configurations. In addition, by leveraging the collaboration of multiple BSs in PMNs, we propose a cooperative sensing strategy combining the monostatic and bistatic sensing processes to enhance the reliability of UAV surveillance. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed theoretical framework and demonstrate the benefits of cooperative sensing in UAV detection and communication performance, as compared with the standalone sensing by individual BSs.