K. Sato

Bio: K. Sato is an academic researcher from La Trobe University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Multipath propagation & Polarization (waves). The author has an hindex of 8, co-authored 8 publications receiving 523 citations.

Polarization dependence of multipath propagation and high-speed transmission characteristics of indoor millimeter-wave channel at 60 GHz

Abstract: Measurements of polarization dependence of multipath-propagation characteristics were conducted at 60 GHz in a room within a modern office building. Delay profiles were measured using a swept frequency method with a high time-delay resolution of 2 ns. Directions of arrival of the multipath components reflected from walls were analyzed by rotating a narrow-beam receiving antenna with an angular resolution of 5 degrees. Results of this experiment showed that multipath delayed waves due to wall reflection can be effectively suppressed by employing circular polarization instead of linear polarization. Based on this experimental result, a computer simulation was made to clarify the polarization dependence of the high-speed transmission characteristics of an indoor communications system operating at 60 GHz. >

Measurements of reflection and transmission characteristics of interior structures of office building in the 60-GHz band

Abstract: We have measured (at 57.5 GHz) the reflection and transmission coefficients of typical walls, floor, ceiling, window, and partitions and have compared the measured reflection characteristics with the reflection characteristics estimated by multilayer dielectric models. Although the positional inhomogeneity of structures gives rise to some variation from one measured position to another, these positional variabilities are not large. The overall trend of reflection coefficients calculated by multilayer dielectric models thus agrees fairly well with the trend of the measurements. We have shown that the use of circular polarization can reduce the reflection even if the interior parts of the structure have complicated structures. In addition, the shadowing effects of several types of partitions were measured. The transmission coefficients of partitions depend on the materials. The transmission losses of plywood-made partitions are found to be fairly low.

Measurements of reflection characteristics and refractive indices of interior construction materials in millimeter-wave bands

Abstract: The reflection characteristics and refractive indices of construction materials in the millimeter wave bands are needed for development of millimeter-wave application systems such as indoor communication systems and short-range sensing systems. Because so little experimental data of construction materials at millimeter-wave bands has been available, the authors have measured the reflection and transmission coefficients of a concrete plate, plasterboard, rock wool, a floorboard, a carpet tile, at 57.5, 78.5, and 95.9 GHz. The refractive indices of the materials that can be modeled as a homogeneous dielectric plate with a smooth surface were estimated by the combined use of reflection and transmission data. The refractive indices of a concrete plate, plasterboard, a floorboard, and rock wool at 57.5 GHz were found to be 2.55-j0.084, 1.50-j0.01, 1.98-j0.083, and 1.26-j0.005, respectively. These indices showed little frequency dependence in the measured frequency range, except for that of the floorboard, which varied about 10%. The authors also measured the reflection characteristics of materials with inhomogeneous structures or rough surfaces, and found that the specular reflection from a concrete plate and a floorboard can be reduced significantly by covering them with carpet tiles with rough surfaces.

Measurement of the complex refractive index of concrete at 57.5 GHz

Abstract: The complex refractive index of concrete is measured at 57.5 GHz by the combined use of free-space reflection and transmission methods. The measured refractive index of the concrete 14 months after concreting was 2.55-j0.084. This index, in particular the imaginary part, is sensitive to the curing time after concreting and the water content. The transmission coefficient of a concrete plate, mainly determined from the imaginary part of the complex refractive index, is less than -20 dB/cm when the concrete is fresh and moist and reaches -9 dB/cm after aging for fourteen months. In contrast, the reflection coefficient of a concrete plate is less dependent on water content.

Measurements of reflection and transmission characteristics of interior structures of office building in the 60 GHz band

Abstract: We have measured, at 57.5 GHz, the reflection and transmission coefficients of typical walls, floor, ceiling, window, and partitions and have compared the measured reflection characteristics with the reflection characteristics estimated by multi-layer dielectric models. Although the positional inhomogeneity of structure types gives rise to some variation from one measured position to another, these positional variabilities are not large, The overall trend of reflection coefficients calculated by multi-layer dielectric models thus mainly agrees well with the trend of the measurements. We have shown that the use of circular polarization can reduce the reflection even if the interior parts of the structure have complicated structures. In addition, the shadowing effects of several types of partitions were measured. The transmission coefficients of partitions depend on the materials. The losses due to plywood partitions are very low, but a metallic partition shields millimeter waves.

A survey of millimeter wave communications (mmWave) for 5G: opportunities and challenges

Abstract: With the explosive growth of mobile data demand, the fifth generation (5G) mobile network would exploit the enormous amount of spectrum in the millimeter wave (mmWave) bands to greatly increase communication capacity. There are fundamental differences between mmWave communications and existing other communication systems, in terms of high propagation loss, directivity, and sensitivity to blockage. These characteristics of mmWave communications pose several challenges to fully exploit the potential of mmWave communications, including integrated circuits and system design, interference management, spatial reuse, anti-blockage, and dynamics control. To address these challenges, we carry out a survey of existing solutions and standards, and propose design guidelines in architectures and protocols for mmWave communications. We also discuss the potential applications of mmWave communications in the 5G network, including the small cell access, the cellular access, and the wireless backhaul. Finally, we discuss relevant open research issues including the new physical layer technology, software-defined network architecture, measurements of network state information, efficient control mechanisms, and heterogeneous networking, which should be further investigated to facilitate the deployment of mmWave communication systems in the future 5G networks.

State of the Art in 60-GHz Integrated Circuits and Systems for Wireless Communications

Abstract: This tutorial presents an overview of the technological advances in millimeter-wave (mm-wave) circuit components, antennas, and propagation that will soon allow 60-GHz transceivers to provide multigigabit per second (multi-Gb/s) wireless communication data transfers in the consumer marketplace. Our goal is to help engineers understand the convergence of communications, circuits, and antennas, as the emerging world of subterahertz and terahertz wireless communications will require understanding at the intersections of these areas. This paper covers trends and recent accomplishments in a wide range of circuits and systems topics that must be understood to create massively broadband wireless communication systems of the future. In this paper, we present some evolving applications of massively broadband wireless communications, and use tables and graphs to show research progress from the literature on various radio system components, including on-chip and in-package antennas, radio-frequency (RF) power amplifiers (PAs), low-noise amplifiers (LNAs), voltage-controlled oscillators (VCOs), mixers, and analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). We focus primarily on silicon-based technologies, as these provide the best means of implementing very low-cost, highly integrated 60-GHz mm-wave circuits. In addition, the paper illuminates characterization techniques that are required to competently design and fabricate mm-wave devices in silicon, and illustrates effects of the 60-GHz RF propagation channel for both in-building and outdoor use. The paper concludes with an overview of the standardization and commercialization efforts for 60-GHz multi-Gb/s devices, and presents a novel way to compare the data rate versus power efficiency for future broadband devices.

Modeling and Analyzing Millimeter Wave Cellular Systems

Abstract: We provide a comprehensive overview of mathematical models and analytical techniques for millimeter wave (mmWave) cellular systems. The two fundamental physical differences from conventional sub-6-GHz cellular systems are: 1) vulnerability to blocking and 2) the need for significant directionality at the transmitter and/or receiver, which is achieved through the use of large antenna arrays of small individual elements. We overview and compare models for both of these factors, and present a baseline analytical approach based on stochastic geometry that allows the computation of the statistical distributions of the downlink signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) and also the per link data rate, which depends on the SINR as well as the average load. There are many implications of the models and analysis: 1) mmWave systems are significantly more noise-limited than at sub-6 GHz for most parameter configurations; 2) initial access is much more difficult in mmWave; 3) self-backhauling is more viable than in sub-6-GHz systems, which makes ultra-dense deployments more viable, but this leads to increasingly interference-limited behavior; and 4) in sharp contrast to sub-6-GHz systems cellular operators can mutually benefit by sharing their spectrum licenses despite the uncontrolled interference that results from doing so. We conclude by outlining several important extensions of the baseline model, many of which are promising avenues for future research.

Spatial and temporal characteristics of 60-GHz indoor channels

Abstract: This article presents measurement results and models for 60-GHz channels. Multipath components were resolved in time by using a sliding correlator with 10-ns resolution and in space by sweeping a directional antenna with 7/spl deg/ half power beamwidth in the azimuthal direction. Power delay profiles (PDPs) and power angle profiles (PAPs) were measured in various indoor and short-range outdoor environments. Detailed multipath structure was retrieved from PDPs and PAPs and was related to site-specific environments. Results show an excellent correlation between the propagation environments and the multipath channel structures. The measurement results confirm that the majority of the multipath components can be determined from image based ray tracing techniques for line-of-sight (LOS) applications. For non-LOS (NLOS) propagation through walls, the metallic structure of composite walls must be considered. From the recorded PDPs and PAPs, received signal power and statistical parameters of angle-of-arrival and time-of-arrival were also calculated. These parameters accurately describe the spatial and temporal properties of millimeter-wave channels and can be used as empirical values for broadband wireless system design for 60-GHz short-range channels.

60 GHz wireless communications: emerging requirements and design recommendations

Abstract: Multiple GHz of internationally available, unlicensed spectrum surrounding the 60 GHz carrier frequency has the ability to accommodate high-throughput wireless communications. While the size and availability of this free spectrum make it very attractive for wireless applications, 60 GHz implementations must overcome many challenges. For example, the high attenuation and directional nature of the 60 GHz wireless channel as well as limited gain amplifiers and excessive phase noise in 60 GHz transceivers are explicit implementation difficulties. The challenges associated with this channel motivate commercial deployment of short-range wireless local area networks, wireless personal area networks, and vehicular networks. In this paper we detail design tradeoffs for algorithms in the 60 GHz physical layer including modulation, equalization, and space-time processing. The discussion is enhanced by considering the limitations in circuit design, characteristics of the effective wireless channel (including antennas), and performance requirements to support current and next generation 60 GHz wireless communication applications.