IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials最新文献

{"title":"Generalized Pinching-Antenna Systems: A Tutorial on Principles, Design Strategies, and Future Directions","authors":"Yanqing Xu;Jingjing Cui;Yongxu Zhu;Zhiguo Ding;Tsung-Hui Chang;Robert Schober;Vincent W. S. Wong;Octavia A. Dobre;George K. Karagiannidis;H. Vincent Poor;Xiaohu You","doi":"10.1109/COMST.2026.3674222","DOIUrl":"10.1109/COMST.2026.3674222","url":null,"abstract":"Pinching-antenna systems have emerged as a novel and transformative flexible-antenna architecture for next-generation wireless networks. They offer unprecedented flexibility and spatial reconfigurability by enabling dynamic positioning and activation of radiating elements along a signal-guiding medium (e.g., dielectric waveguide), which is not possible with conventional fixed antenna systems. In this paper, we introduce the concept of generalized pinching antenna systems, which retain the core principle of creating localized radiation points on demand, but can be physically realized with a variety of technologies. These include implementations based on dielectric waveguides, leaky coaxial cables, surface-wave guiding structures, and other types of media, employing different feeding methods and activation mechanisms (e.g., mechanical, electronic, or hybrid). Despite differences in their physical realizations, they all share the same inherent ability to form, reposition, or deactivate radiation sites as needed, enabling user-centric and dynamic coverage. We first describe the underlying physical mechanisms of representative generalized pinching-antenna realizations and their associated wireless channel models, highlighting their unique propagation and reconfigurability characteristics compared with conventional antennas. Then, using dielectric waveguide-based pinching antennas as primary examples, we review several representative pinching-antenna system architectures, ranging from single- to multiple-waveguide configurations, and discuss advanced design strategies tailored to these flexible deployments. Furthermore, we examine their integration with emerging wireless technologies to enable synergistic, user-centric solutions. Finally, we identify key open research challenges and outline future directions, charting a pathway toward the deployment of generalized pinching antennas in next-generation wireless networks.","PeriodicalId":55029,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials","volume":"28 ","pages":"5872-5908"},"PeriodicalIF":34.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=11434944","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147471240","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reconfigurable Antennas for Next-Generation Mobile Communication Networks: A Comprehensive Survey and Tutorial","authors":"Yizhe Zhao;Long Zhang;Halvin Yang;Kun Yang;Rui Zhang;Lingyang Song;Yuanwei Liu","doi":"10.1109/COMST.2026.3673688","DOIUrl":"10.1109/COMST.2026.3673688","url":null,"abstract":"The transition to next-generation mobile communication networks, particularly 6G, demands advanced technologies to meet the requirements for ultra-reliable, low-latency communication, massive connectivity, and intelligent applications. Reconfigurable antennas (RAs) play a crucial role in achieving these objectives by enabling dynamic adjustments to the radio frequency (RF) characteristics of antennas, such as gain, radiation pattern, impedance, and polarization. Unlike traditional fixed-position antennas, RAs can alter both their radiation patterns and positions, offering flexibility in response to varying communication environments. This paper presents a comprehensive survey and tutorial on RAs, with a focus on fluid antennas (FAs), movable antennas (MAs), pinching antennas (PAs), and reconfigurable holographic antennas (RHAs), examining their potential in next-generation mobile networks. We explore the channel modelling and estimation, performance analysis, resource allocation strategies, and their synergy with other emerging wireless technologies for each type of RA. Finally, we provide a comparative analysis of different RAs and discuss the open challenges and future research directions, offering insights and guidance for future investigations in the exciting research area.","PeriodicalId":55029,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials","volume":"28 ","pages":"5267-5306"},"PeriodicalIF":34.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147454469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nano-Bio Systems for Intra-Body Sensing, Actuation, and Communication in the Terahertz Band and Beyond","authors":"Krzysztof Skos;Hadeel Elayan;Samar Elmaadawy;Pawel Kulakowski;Josep Miquel Jornet","doi":"10.1109/COMST.2026.3694302","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/COMST.2026.3694302","url":null,"abstract":"The terahertz (THz) band and the optical frequency window are emerging as powerful enablers of next generation biomedical technologies, supporting high resolution sensing of biological processes, targeted intra-body actuation, and intra-body communication for coordinated functional operation. Although each modality has demonstrated significant promise individually, research efforts have largely progressed in isolation, limiting the exploration of their potential for integrated deployment. This comprehensive survey bridges these domains by presenting a unified analysis of THz and optical modalities for intra-body sensing, actuation, and communication. Building on this foundation, we articulate a vision for intra-body systems in which multiple functions are seamlessly coordinated at cellular and subcellular scales. Applications such as continuous health monitoring and closed loop therapeutic interventions illustrate the transformative potential of these integrated approaches. We outline a three-stage roadmap covering foundational modeling, in-vitro integration, and in-vivo translation, identifying critical open challenges including compact source generation, power delivery, biosensing miniaturization, and biocompatibility.","PeriodicalId":55029,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials","volume":"28 ","pages":"6354-6383"},"PeriodicalIF":34.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=11523475","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148003588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Codes for Identification via Channels: Tutorial for Communications Generalists","authors":"Caspar von Lengerke;Juan A. Cabrera;Martin Reisslein;Frank H. P. Fitzek","doi":"10.1109/COMST.2025.3579815","DOIUrl":"10.1109/COMST.2025.3579815","url":null,"abstract":"Identification (ID) via channels is a communication problem in which a receiver tries to discern whether a received message matches a previously selected message. With identification, the receiver tries to answer the yes-no question “Is this my message?”; whereas, with message transmission, the receiver tries to answer the question “What message is this?”, which has many possible answers. Information and coding theory show that for identification, specialized codes can achieve efficiency gains of an exponential order compared to full transmission of messages. This tutorial gives an introduction to identification via channels and to codes for identification via channels, for communication generalists with an interest in this traction-gaining topic. Specifically, a receiver can identify a message reliably from a received noisy-ID codeword. A noisy-ID codeword can be constructed by concatenating a linear block code that mitigates channel distortion with a noiseless-ID codeword that encodes a message efficiently for reliable identification. Noiseless-ID codes can be implemented as tagging codes or constant-weight codes that both guarantee low collision probabilities due to the distance properties of their underlying linear codes, such as Reed-Solomon codes, Reed-Muller codes, or random linear codes. We revisit and explain the close relationship between noiseless-ID codes and universal hash functions. ID is a ubiquitous communication problem and is relevant to all scenarios where two parties aim to determine whether two pieces of data are exactly identical. Specific non-cryptographic use cases include determining data integrity and state consistency in digital twins. While existing comprehensive tutorial treatments of ID are targeted at an information theory readership, we provide the first comprehensive ID tutorial targeted at a generalist readership without an information theory background by explaining the abstract ID concepts from basic principles with extensive illustrations and examples.","PeriodicalId":55029,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials","volume":"28 ","pages":"181-223"},"PeriodicalIF":50.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144304775","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Full-Duplex-Based Integrated Sensing and Communication Survey: Principles, Key Techniques, and Receiver Design","authors":"Changhao Du;Hongru Zhang;Xueting Zhang;Zizheng Zhao;Jie Yang;Xinyuan Zhang;Zhifang Xing;Zhipeng Feng;Shiyu Zuo;Canni Xu;Yongqing Leng;Zhongshan Zhang","doi":"10.1109/COMST.2025.3582948","DOIUrl":"10.1109/COMST.2025.3582948","url":null,"abstract":"Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC), recognized as a cornerstone technology for sixth-generation (6G) cellular networks, achieves hardware complexity reduction and power efficiency through unified waveform and spectral resource multiplexing. By integrating Full-Duplex (FD) technology into ISAC systems, FD-ISAC surpasses conventional Time Division Duplex (TDD)-ISAC architectures by enhancing communication capacity, eliminating sensing coverage gaps, and enabling seamless communication-sensing coordination. This survey systematically explores the technological framework of FD-ISAC. Specifically, fundamental theories for downlink ISAC are established initially, emphasizing communication-centric waveform designs and channel modeling techniques. Subsequently, a comprehensive FD-ISAC system model is developed, incorporating critical analyses of enabling technologies such as self-interference cancellation (SIC) mechanisms and radar sensing frameworks. State-of-the-art hardware implementations are then presented, featuring FD-SIC-optimized communication modules integrated with FD sensing subsystems. To address scalability constraints, miniaturization challenges are rigorously examined through the proposal of on-chip integration strategies specifically engineered for micro-platform deployments. Concluding the analysis, pressing technical bottlenecks are systematically identified, with future research trajectories formulated to advance FD-ISAC deployment.","PeriodicalId":55029,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials","volume":"28 ","pages":"1285-1317"},"PeriodicalIF":50.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144488509","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Edge-Enhanced Intelligence: A Comprehensive Survey of Large Language Models and Edge-Cloud Computing Synergy","authors":"Xiuhua Li;Hui Li;Chuan Sun;Qilin Fan;Zhu Han;Victor C. M. Leung","doi":"10.1109/COMST.2025.3587225","DOIUrl":"10.1109/COMST.2025.3587225","url":null,"abstract":"Large language models (LLMs) (e.g., ChatGPT, GPT-4 and Sora) have fundamentally transformed our daily lives, catalyzing breakthroughs in natural language processing, computer vision and revolutionizing human-computer interactions. However, their transformative potential is hindered by immense computational resources required. To address this challenge, the integration of LLMs with edge-cloud computing has become a focal point in advancing the capabilities of artificial intelligence. This survey comprehensively exploits the landscape of edge-enhanced intelligence, specifically focusing on the synergy between LLMs and edge-cloud computing. We delve into the evolution of LLMs, architectural intricacies, and the computational challenges associated with deploying them in edge environments from the aspects of data, computing power, model training and inference. Furthermore, we exploit the bidirectional symbiotic relationship between edge-cloud computing and LLMs from two key aspects: edge-cloud computing empowered LLMs (Edge4LLMs) and LLMs driven edge-cloud computing (LLMs4Edge). After that, we examine the dynamic collaboration between edge-cloud computing and LLMs, highlighting the complementary roles in optimizing the efficiency, real-time, and scalability of intelligent applications. Through an extensive review of existing research and practical implementations, this survey offers insights into the current state of edge-enhanced intelligence, identifies key challenges, and proposes potential avenues for future research and development. This survey aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the emerging paradigm of edge-enhanced intelligence for LLMs, thereby fostering informed discussions and inspiring advancements in this field.","PeriodicalId":55029,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials","volume":"28 ","pages":"1248-1284"},"PeriodicalIF":50.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144603625","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stochastic Geometry for Modeling and Analysis of Sensing and Communications: A Survey","authors":"Harris K. Armeniakos;Petros S. Bithas;Sotiris A. Tegos;Athanasios G. Kanatas;George K. Karagiannidis","doi":"10.1109/COMST.2025.3594560","DOIUrl":"10.1109/COMST.2025.3594560","url":null,"abstract":"Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) is a promising technology for next-generation wireless networks, enabling applications that require enhanced communication and precise sensing capabilities. Notable examples include smart environments, augmented and virtual reality, and the Internet of Things, where the functionalities of intelligent sensing and broadband communications are paramount. Consequently, ISAC has attracted significant research interest from academia and industry, resulting in numerous investigations conducted over the past decade. The literature encompasses a diverse range of articles, including system models, performance evaluations, and optimization studies of various ISAC designs. Stochastic geometry (SG) is the study of random spatial patterns. As such, SG tools have been used to evaluate the performance of wireless networks with different types of nodes. In this paper, we present a comprehensive survey of current research on the performance evaluation of ISAC systems that employ SG tools. The survey covers terrestrial, aerial, and vehicular networks, addressing the random spatial location of network elements, propagation scatterers, and blockages through various point processes. The paper begins with an overview of ISAC technology, SG tools, and performance evaluation metrics for communication and sensing. Next, we elaborate on the technical components of the system models employed in the surveyed literature. Then, we present pertinent literature findings across diverse network types using three levels of integration: sensing-assisted communication, communication-assisted sensing, and collaborative sensing and communication. Lastly, we discuss the challenges and potential directions of forthcoming research.","PeriodicalId":55029,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials","volume":"28 ","pages":"2691-2724"},"PeriodicalIF":50.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=11105411","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144755847","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Toward Digital Twin-as-a-Service (DTaaS) Platforms: A Survey on Architecture, Design Requirements, and Performance Metrics","authors":"Kubra Duran;Lal Verda Cakir;Yagmur Yigit;Khayal Huseynov;Sushmitha Ram Kusu;Mehmet Ali Ertürk;Berk Canberk","doi":"10.1109/COMST.2025.3635582","DOIUrl":"10.1109/COMST.2025.3635582","url":null,"abstract":"Digital Twin-as-a-Service (DTaaS) has emerged as a transformative paradigm to deliver modular, scalable, and intelligent digital twin (DT) functionalities. Regarding this, several studies have investigated DT platforms and their enabling technologies. However, their focus mostly remains domain-specific, thereby limiting the potential for generalisation across diverse contexts. Furthermore, these studies lack a systematic framework to address both architectural elements and their performance evaluation required for an end-to-end DTaaS platform. To bridge this gap, in this survey, we present a comprehensive component-based taxonomy for DTaaS platforms, categorised into core and supportive components. As the core components, we review Data, Model, Service, and Communication, whereas the supportive components include Infrastructure, Orchestration, and Security elements. For each component, we analyse the state-of-the-art methods, enabling technologies, and associated design trade-offs. We further introduce a metric-driven perspective to design measurable and context-aware DTaaS platforms. In this regard, we present several DT performance metrics, including twinning rate, twin fidelity, and age-of-twin and map them to DTaaS components. To demonstrate the applicability of our framework, we present a case study based on our own DTaaS platform. We perform two metric-driven implementations, (i) Radio Access Network (RAN) management and (ii) Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack detection by exemplifying how DT-metrics can be integrated with the DTaaS components. Also, we outline key open issues for context-aware, interoperable, and secure DTaaS platforms. By jointly addressing an end-to-end architectural design and performance metrics, this survey demonstrates a foundational reference for the structured development, evaluation, and operation of DTaaS platforms.","PeriodicalId":55029,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials","volume":"28 ","pages":"1845-1878"},"PeriodicalIF":50.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145559608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Federated Learning in IoT Environments: Examining the Three-Way See-Saw for Privacy, Model-Performance, and Network-Efficiency","authors":"Roufaida Laidi;Nassima Merabtine;Djamel Djenouri;Shahid Latif;Hemin Ali Qadir;Youcef Djenouri;Ilangko Balasingham","doi":"10.1109/COMST.2025.3557475","DOIUrl":"10.1109/COMST.2025.3557475","url":null,"abstract":"This survey paper provides an in-depth exploration of Federated Learning (FL) in Internet of Things (IoT) environments, focusing on privacy-preserving techniques and their influence on model performance and network efficiency. It highlights key challenges and opportunities at the intersection of these technologies by offering a comprehensive review of FL applications in IoT. First, a customized taxonomy is introduced to evaluate the privacy levels, quality of service (QoS) and network efficiency of various Privacy-Preserving FL (PPFL) solutions in IoT configurations. Furthermore, the survey investigates strategies to improve FL accuracy while addressing resource and network constraints, both independently and together with privacy preservation techniques. Our findings underscore the complexity of optimizing resource utilization, learning performance, and privacy resilience, revealing that no single PPFL solution universally applies. The paper further identifies future research directions, including the integration of advanced technologies beyond 5G networks, and discusses standards, protocols, real-world PPFL projects from world-renowned industries for potential IoT applications.","PeriodicalId":55029,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials","volume":"28 ","pages":"1025-1058"},"PeriodicalIF":50.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143775449","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Survey on LoRaWAN MAC Schemes: From Conventional Solutions to AI-Driven Protocols","authors":"Hanan Alahmadi;Fatma Bouabdallah;Ahmed Al-Dubai;Baraq Ghaleb;Amir Hussain;Vinay Chamola;Ammar Hawbani;Liang Zhao;F. Richard Yu","doi":"10.1109/COMST.2025.3585091","DOIUrl":"10.1109/COMST.2025.3585091","url":null,"abstract":"Long Range (LoRa) networks have emerged as a vital solution catering to applications requiring coverage over relatively long distances in the world of Internet of Things (IoT), where connectivity and efficient data transmission are paramount. LoRa’s utilization of the unlicensed Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band not only underscores its cost-effectiveness but also positions it favorably against licensed technologies in terms of deployment cost. Consequently, LoRa has been used as the underlying communication technology for applications across various industrial IoT scenarios. Despite its immense promise in reshaping IoT connectivity, LoRa does have some shortcomings and challenges that the research community has yet to address to unleash its full potential. These limitations have triggered substantial attention from diverse entities, including research institutions, organizations, and industry stakeholders. This paper reviews the literature aimed at improving the capacity and scalability of LoRa networks specifically at the Medium Access Control (MAC) and data link layers. Unlike other surveys, this study focuses on these layers because they play a pivotal role in managing collision rates, which significantly impact network scalability. The paper suggests a comprehensive review of the literature, organizing it based on key limitations that could hinder the network’s ability to meet its performance objectives, including scalability, Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR), and energy efficiency. In addition, the paper provides a summary of these research efforts and offers insight into potential directions for future research in this area.","PeriodicalId":55029,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials","volume":"28 ","pages":"2650-2690"},"PeriodicalIF":50.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144547088","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}