Abstract: 5G and especially 6G are intended to accommodate high-speed mobile user devices and access points such as wireless devices on trains and airplanes, while retaining enhanced mobile broadband eMBB service. Therefore, new resource-efficient, low-complexity procedures are needed for measuring and correcting the Doppler frequency shift. To assist user devices, a base station or access point can periodically broadcast a current geographical location of the base station or access point in a localization message. In some embodiments, the geographical location data can be included in a periodically broadcast system information message, such as unused space of a SSB (synchronization signal block) message or an SIB1 (first system information block) message. User devices can then determine a vector toward the base station or access point relative to the user device location and velocity, and thereby calculate a Doppler correction without a frequency scan or other overhead, according to some embodiments.

Abstract: In traffic, vehicle safety generally depends on the relative separation between two vehicles, and not at all on their absolute geographical positions. Therefore, methods are disclosed for determining the relative separation differentially. Two vehicles simultaneously acquire the same satellite signals, reduce the signals to data, and then transmit the data, preferably with fast 5G or 6G, to one of the vehicles or to a roadside access point. A computer then analyzes the data based on differences between the two sets of signals, thereby determining the separation distance and angle between the two vehicles. Other vehicles within range can do the same. The relative locations of all the participating vehicles can then be broadcast, in the form of a table or a map, to all the vehicles in proximity. Improved position measurements can enable collision avoidance and harm minimization in traffic.

Abstract: Message faulting is the leading cause of poor reception. Currently, most faulting in 5G and 6G requires either transmission of bulky FEC bits, or retransmission of the message, at substantial delay and cost. This paper shows how the receiver can internally (autonomously) correct the message faults by scanning the digitized waveform signals, to detect characteristic fault signatures that clearly identify the likely faulted subcarriers. With that information, and the CRC or other appended code, and optionally an AI assist, the receiver can correct the message in a fraction of the time required for a retransmission. The message is corrected instantly, with zero background generation, zero bandwidth consumption, and zero cost. Autonomous fault mitigation in the receiver is the most efficient way to improve user reception.

Abstract: A subject vehicle in traffic can detect a second vehicle using sensors that measure motions of the second vehicle, and thereby determine one or more future trajectories of the second vehicle, and thereby determine whether a collision between the subject and second vehicles is imminent. The subject vehicle can calculate one or more sequences of actions, each action comprising an acceleration, a deceleration, and/or a steering action of the subject vehicle. The subject vehicle can also calculate whether any of the one or more sequences of actions can avoid the imminent collision, and also calculate an expected harm of the imminent collision according to each of the one or more sequences of actions. The subject vehicle can then autonomously select and implement a particular sequence of actions that is calculated to avoid the imminent collision or to minimize the harm of the imminent collision.

Abstract: Corrupted messages in 5G and 6G are usually discarded, leading to a retransmission with its added costs, delays, and background generation. Therefore, disclosed herein are methods for a wireless receiver to determine which message elements are faulted, and in many cases to correct them, based on parameters of the waveform signal in each message element. Multiple parameters may be combined for better sensitivity to the fault condition. For example, the indicator parameters may be the modulation deviation of each message element, its amplitude or phase noise level, characteristic interference patterns between symbol-times, a polarization anomaly, a frequency offset, or combinations of these. After localizing the likely faulted message elements, the receiver may be able to recover the message by correcting the waveform signal or the demodulation value, thereby saving time and energy at near zero cost.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for a base station of a 5G/6G wireless network to signal a particular user device that it has an incoming message on hold. In a first embodiment, the base station indicates, in an “index” message. which section has at least one message on hold, each section comprising multiple user devices. Then in a second message, the base station indicates the addresses of the particular user devices, in each section mentioned in the index message. Thus the user devices can be informed of their incoming messages compactly, without interfering with other user devices that doe not have messages on hold. Multiple other embodiments are described, enabling networks to efficiently signal each user device individually using a resource-efficient encoding and related procedures.

Abstract: An enhanced modulation scheme for 5G and 6G is disclosed in which amplitude modulation includes a zero-power level, which is readily recognized by the receiver as a special demarcation. This can be used, for example, to unambiguously indicate the start and end of a message, such as a downlink control message, which receivers are generally stressed to detect. The zero-power level can be just one branch of a QAM symbol, or the entire symbol, in various embodiments. Advantageously, the enhanced modulation scheme increases the throughput due to the larger number of encoded states, yet requires no increase in transmission power. In some embodiments, the throughput is increased yet the transmission power is actually reduced, with no loss in SNR. Other aspects are disclosed.

Abstract: When a collision in traffic becomes imminent, fast electronics may be required to combine data or images from two different technologies. Determining a position or speed or acceleration of a second vehicle may require integration of data from different technologies, leading to delays unless the analyzing is performed by high-speed electronics. In addition, calculating and selecting an effective collision mitigation must be performed rapidly, due to the brief time interval typically between discovering the imminent collision and the time of first contact. For these reasons, among many others, the avoidance or harm minimization actions require speed and precision beyond the capabilities of a human driver of ordinary skill, and necessarily require high-speed electronics, such as a digital processor, for success. In many collision scenarios, relying on the human driver to calculate a sequence of actions, select the best one, and implement it before the impact, while also driving, is unrealistic.

Abstract: Many wireless receivers in 5G and 6G are expected to use DRX (discontinuous reception) to save power. What is lacking is an efficient procedure to inform the DRX users that they have an incoming message on hold at the base station. Therefore, a procedure is disclosed for the base station to assign each user device to a section and a position within that section. Then the base station can periodically broadcast a polling message including only those sections that have at least one waiting with a message on hold. In addition, each user device is assigned a single bit at a calculated position in the polling message, so that each DRX user can determine when it has a message on hold. In addition, the base station can assign an equally compact and efficient reply region for each ready user to request its message, thereby saving time and resources.

Abstract: For improved reception of PDCCH (physical downlink control channel) messages in 5G and 6G, each message can be preceded by a special demarcation, and optionally followed by another (preferably different) demarcation. For even better reception, the two demarcations may be configured as short-form demodulation references that exhibit two predetermined modulation levels of the modulation scheme, such as the maximum and minimum amplitude or phase levels. For optimal reception, one or both demarcations may be surrounded by gaps, consisting of a single resource element with no transmission. Downlink messages with such multi-functional demarcations may greatly simplify the task of user devices in receiving their control messages from the base station.

Abstract: A wireless 5G/6G message can be demodulated by converting the as-received I-branch and Q-branch signals to the corresponding waveform amplitude and phase, using simple algorithms. Then, fault diagnosis and fault correction can be performed efficiently based on the waveform parameters.

Abstract: The communication links for IoT and other reduced-capability devices are easy targets for cyber attacks in 5G and 6G networks. However, most such end devices are basic, low-cost sensors and actuators with very minimal communication requirements. Therefore, a class of restricted links is disclosed, configured to carry commands from a manager node or “hub device” to its end devices, and data back to the hub device, using pre-configured formats. The restricted links provide the communications that the end device needs, and no more. Restricted links leave little or no attack surface for intrusion, and thus prevent the spread of an attack from a compromised end device upward into the hub device. With restricted links acting as firewalls, even the most basic end devices can protect the larger network without the cost and burden of 3GPP cybersecurity software. Many other aspects are disclosed.

Abstract: Message faults are a major contributor to latency in 5G and expected to be even more so in 6G due to pathloss, crowding, and the rapid cadence of high-volume traffic. Efficient means for correcting message faults are needed. Therefore, disclosed herein are methods for a receiver to compare two versions of a message, both faulted according to their embedded error-detection codes, and reconstruct the correct message-without a time-consuming grid search of possible modulation substitutions. In addition, the receiver can pass the message data, including modulation quality and signal quality, directly to an artificial intelligence model, which can (a) indicate which resource elements of the message (and/or the error-detection code) are faulted, and (b) reconstruct the most likely corrected version of the message, all in a small fraction of a retransmission time.

Abstract: A resource-efficient method for the base station to assist reduced-capability user devices in aligning their transmission and reception beams toward the base station. At a prescribed time, on a prescribed subcarrier, the base station transmits a series of beam scan signals, each beam scan signal comprising a single resource element, and each beam scan signal transmitted in a different direction. Each user device determines which of the beam scan signals is best received, and thereby determines its direction relative to the base station. Each user device then transmits a single-resource-element reply signal during a reply window, in which the reply signal is transmitted on a subcarrier assigned to that user device, and the timing of the reply signal indicates which beam scan signal provided the best reception. The base station can then receive all the reply signals, and by time-frequency analysis, determine the alignment direction of each user device.

Abstract: Vehicles in traffic can avoid collisions when the driver (or autonomous controller) knows where the other vehicles are located around it, that is, a real-time traffic map. A planning entity (one of the vehicles, or a roadside access point), can request that all the vehicles measure the angles of all the other vehicles in view, and at least one distance, and to forward that data along with its wireless address, to the planning entity. There, the various data sets are map-merged based on maximum likelihood, possibly with AI assistance, and thereby producing a map of traffic. Each vehicle can also be annotated with its wireless address, if supplied. This traffic map is then broadcast by the planning entity, enabling all the vehicles to recognize insipient hazards.

Abstract: A subject vehicle in traffic can detect a second vehicle using sensors that measure motions of the second vehicle, and thereby determine one or more future trajectories of the second vehicle, and thereby determine whether a collision between the subject and second vehicles is imminent. The subject vehicle can calculate one or more sequences of actions, each action comprising an acceleration, a deceleration, and/or a steering action of the subject vehicle. The subject vehicle can also calculate whether any of the one or more sequences of actions can avoid the imminent collision, and also calculate an expected harm of the imminent collision according to each of the one or more sequences of actions. The subject vehicle can then autonomously select and implement a particular sequence of actions that is calculated to avoid the imminent collision or to minimize the harm of the imminent collision.

Abstract: Message faulting is expected to be a major challenge in 5G—Advanced and especially 6G, due to increased pathloss and phase noise at FR2 frequencies, and exponential crowding of networks. Legacy methods for forward-correction or automatic retransmissions are unsuitable to the fast-paced demands of next-generation users. Therefore, disclosed herein is an AI-based receiver that interprets a corrupted message to determine the most likely meaning or intent, and thereby provides one or more candidate corrected messages along with a likelihood that each of the candidate corrected messages is indeed correct. The AI model may also be provided with data on the context or current activity of the receiver, data on the waveform of each message element, and other data available to the receiver, so that the AI model can further refine the likelihood values. By recovering corrupted messages in the receiver, a costly retransmission may be avoided, saving time and resource usage.

Abstract: A system and method to avoid collisions on highways, and to minimize the fatalities, injury, and damage when a collision is unavoidable. The system includes sensor means to detect other vehicles, and computing means to evaluate when a collision is imminent and to determine whether the collision is avoidable. If the collision is avoidable by a sequence of controlled accelerations and decelerations and steering, the system implements that sequence of actions automatically. If the collision is unavoidable, a different sequence is implemented to minimize the overall harm of the unavoidable collision. The system further includes indirect mitigation steps such as flashing the brake lights automatically. An optional post-collision strategy is implemented to prevent secondary collisions, particularly if the driver is incapacitated. Adjustment means enable the driver to set the type and timing of automatic interventions.

Abstract: A base station can cause a multitude of user devices in a network to be synchronized with the base station's clock using an ultra-lean low-complexity procedure in 5G or 6G. On a predetermined interval, the base station can transmit a timing signal in the guard-space of a predetermined resource element. The timing signal is a 180-degree phase reversal of the cyclic prefix centered in the guard-space. Each user device can receive the timing signal, determine how far the received timestamp point is from the middle of the guard-space (as viewed by the user device), and thereby determine a timing error between the user device clock and the base station clock, and correct the user device clock accordingly. In addition, the user device can average the timing adjustments over a number of instances, thereby determining a frequency offset if the average differs significantly from zero, and thereby adjust the clock frequency.

Abstract: Currently, if a wireless device transmits a message but it is not received properly, the device is required to wait a variable time before retransmitting the message, and that waiting time is increased after each unsuccessful attempt. This is to reduce network congestion at high traffic rates, but it also puts certain users at an unfair disadvantage. For example, a user that has tried repeatedly to communicate is forced to wait longer and longer intervals, while another user is permitted to communicate without delay on the same channel. Clearly, this is an unfair situation. Therefore, disclosed herein is an alternate protocol in which users are given increasing priority after each failed attempt, specifically by reducing the fixed waiting time and/or a random backoff delay, before the next attempt. Simulations show that this change substantially eliminates the unfairness.