SINC: Synergistic Imaging and Communications via Distributed MU-MIMO

Joint imaging and communications can unlock new capabilities in wireless networks by reusing existing infrastructure to sense and reconstruct the surrounding environment. We introduce a synergistic imaging and communications (SINC) framework that harnesses multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) downlink transmissions for integrated wireless communications and distributed imaging. We employ the concept of virtual users—artificial targets placed within the communications coverage area—to enhance scene illumination. By coordinating multiple access points and applying standard MU-MIMO beamforming techniques, the system jointly forms beams toward both real and virtual users. Virtual users are strategically positioned to supplement the spatial distribution of real users, achieving more uniform scene coverage while minimizing interference to active communications links. Numerical experiments demonstrate that coordinating virtual user placement across access points enables effective imaging with minimal degradation to communications performance, especially when real users are concentrated in spatial clusters.