Performance Analysis for Heterogeneous Air-Ground ISAC in Coordinated Multipoint Networks

2026-06-24

AI Summary

Existing integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) research is largely confined to single-cell or link-level scenarios, falling short of meeting the stringent requirements of low-altitude economies for highly reliable and tightly integrated air-ground cooperative capabilities. This work pioneers the integration of Coordinated Multi-Point (CoMP) techniques into heterogeneous air-ground ISAC networks by proposing a two-tier architecture: macro base stations arranged in a hexagonal lattice and pico base stations distributed according to a Poisson point process, combined with a hybrid mono-/bi-static sensing mechanism. Building upon this architecture, we develop a stochastic geometry-based analytical framework to jointly characterize communication and sensing performance, revealing the fundamental trade-off between data rate and sensing accuracy under multi-base-station cooperation. Simulations demonstrate that the proposed architecture substantially enhances spatial diversity and sensing performance, offering theoretical foundations and design guidelines for scalable and efficient ISAC deployment in low-altitude environments.

Abstract

The emergence of the \textit{low-altitude economy} (LAE) calls for highly integrated and reliable wireless systems that can simultaneously support \textit{communication and sensing} (C\&S) functions. Although \textit{integrated sensing and communication} (ISAC) has been widely studied, most existing works focused on link-level or single-cell architectures in terrestrial environments, leaving the potential of network-level cooperative air-ground ISAC largely unexplored. To bridge this gap, a heterogeneous air-ground ISAC network architecture based on \textit{coordinated multipoint} (CoMP) is proposed, which incorporates a cooperative hybrid mono/bi-static sensing scheme to enhance spatial diversity and sensing capability. In the proposed architecture, a two-tier \textit{base station} (BS) deployment is adopted: master BSs are arranged in a hexagonal lattice, while slave BSs follow a Poisson point process distribution. This structure concurrently supports communication for terrestrial users and sensing for aerial targets. A holistic performance analysis framework for both C\&S is further developed, accounting for key channel and network parameters. Simulation results reveal inherent trade-offs between C\&S performance, especially under multi-BS cooperation and varying network density. These findings provide practical guidance for the deployment of scalable and efficient ISAC networks in LAE scenarios.

Problem

• Integrated Sensing and Communication
• Coordinated Multipoint
• Air-Ground ISAC
• Low-Altitude Economy
• Heterogeneous Networks

Innovation

• Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC)
• Coordinated Multipoint (CoMP)
• Air-Ground Heterogeneous Network
• Hybrid Mono/Bi-static Sensing
• Low-Altitude Economy (LAE)