Predictive tracking implementation for mobile communication using programmable metasurface

The programmable metasurface (PM) is an antenna array architecture that realizes flexible beam steering. This functionality is achieved by controlling the unit cells designed with micro components such as positive-intrinsic-negative (PIN) diodes, which offers potential cost reductions in the next generation wireless communication systems. Although PM has been a popular topic in antenna design, its implementations in real-time systems accompanied by signal processing algorithms are challenging. In this paper, novel predictive tracking algorithms for mobile communication scenarios using a PM are created and implemented in a real-time system operating at 28 GHz. An angular speed prediction (ASP) algorithm is proposed to compute the position of user equipment (UE) based on the previously recorded beam directions. As another solution, an angle correction (AC) algorithm is proposed to further improve the prediction and tracking accuracy. As a benchmark, the comparisons to a previous PM tracking algorithm without prediction are presented. Both simulation and measurement results show that the prediction algorithms successfully improve the tracking performance, which also prove the feasibilities of PM-based systems to solve complex real-time signal processing problems.