Improved Range and Velocity Estimation in JCAS Using Apodization-Enhanced Optimization

Abstract

This letter introduces a novel approach to enhance range and velocity estimation in joint communication and sensing (JCAS) systems using apodization-enhanced optimization techniques. The method tackles challenges posed by nonuniform and sparse resource distribution in 5G sounding reference signal (SRS) configurations, which often cause undesired diagonally located spectral replicas in range-velocity maps, especially in multitarget scenarios. The proposed nonlinear apodization method achieves significant improvements in detection probability, with relative increases of up to 50% in some configurations. However, certain configurations do not benefit. These results indicate that while apodization substantially enhances performance in some scenarios, limitations persist in others.