Grant-free random access (GF-RA) is a promising access technique for massive machine-type communications (mMTC) in future wireless networks, particularly in the context of 5G and beyond (6G) systems. Within the context of GF-RA, this study investigates the efficiency of employing supervised machine learning techniques to tackle the challenges on the device activity detection (AD). GF-RA addresses scalability by employing non-orthogonal pilot sequences, which provides an efficient alternative comparing to conventional grant-based random access (GB-RA) technique that are constrained by the scarcity of orthogonal preamble resources. In this paper, we propose a novel lightweight data-driven algorithmic framework specifically designed for activity detection in GF-RA for mMTC in cell-free massive multiple-input multiple-output (CF-mMIMO) networks. We propose two distinct framework deployment strategies, centralized and decentralized, both tailored to streamline the proposed approach implementation across network infrastructures. Moreover, we introduce optimized post-detection methodologies complemented by a clustering stage to enhance overall detection performances. Our 3GPP-compliant simulations have validated that the proposed algorithm achieves state-of-the-art model-based activity detection accuracy while significantly reducing complexity. Achieving 99% accuracy, it demonstrates real-world viability and effectiveness.

Efficient Random Access (RA) is critical for enabling reliable communication in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) networks. Herein, we propose a deep reinforcement learning based distributed RA scheme, entitled Neural Network-Based Bandit (NNBB), for the IIoT alarm scenario. In such a scenario, the devices may detect a common critical event, and the goal is to ensure the alarm information is delivered successfully from at least one device. The proposed NNBB scheme is implemented at each device, where it trains itself online and establishes implicit inter-device coordination to achieve the common goal. Devices can transmit simultaneously on multiple orthogonal channels and each possible transmission pattern constitutes a possible action for the NNBB, which uses a deep neural network to determine the action. Our simulation results show that as the number of devices in the network increases, so does the performance gain of the NNBB compared to the Multi-Armed Bandit (MAB) RA benchmark. For instance, NNBB experiences a 7% success rate drop when there are four channels and the number of devices increases from 10 to 60, while MAB faces a 25% drop.

The lack of an efficient preamble detection algorithm remains a challenge for solving preamble collision problems in intelligent massive random access (RA) in practical communication scenarios. To solve this problem, we present a novel early preamble detection scheme based on a maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) model at the first step of the grant-based RA procedure. A novel blind normalized Stein variational gradient descent (SVGD)-based detector is proposed to obtain an approximate solution to the MLE model. First, by exploring the relationship between the Hadamard transform and wavelet transform, a new modified Hadamard transform (MHT) is developed to separate high-frequencies from important components using the second-order derivative filter. Next, to eliminate noise and mitigate the vanishing gradients problem in the SVGD-based detectors, the block MHT layer is designed based on the MHT, scaling layer, soft-thresholding layer, inverse MHT and sparsity penalty. Then, the blind normalized SVGD algorithm is derived to perform preamble detection without prior knowledge of noise power and the number of active devices. The experimental results show the proposed block MHT layer outperforms other transform-based methods in terms of computation costs and denoising performance. Furthermore, with the assistance of the block MHT layer, the proposed blind normalized SVGD algorithm achieves a higher preamble detection accuracy and throughput than other state-of-the-art detection methods.

When implementing hierarchical federated learning over wireless networks, scalability assurance and the ability to handle both interference and device data heterogeneity are crucial. This work introduces a new two-level learning method designed to address these challenges, along with a scalable over-the-air aggregation scheme for the uplink and a bandwidth-limited broadcast scheme for the downlink that efficiently use a single wireless resource. To provide resistance against data heterogeneity, we employ gradient aggregations. Meanwhile, the impact of uplink and downlink interference is minimized through optimized receiver normalizing factors. We present a comprehensive mathematical approach to derive the convergence bound for the proposed algorithm, applicable to a multi-cluster wireless network encompassing any count of collaborating clusters, and provide special cases and design remarks. As a key step to enable a tractable analysis, we develop a spatial model for the setup by modeling devices as a Poisson cluster process over the edge servers and rigorously quantify uplink and downlink error terms due to the interference. Finally, we show that despite the interference and data heterogeneity, the proposed algorithm not only achieves high learning accuracy for a variety of parameters but also significantly outperforms the conventional hierarchical learning algorithm.

In this paper, we consider a wireless federated inference scenario in which devices and a server share a pre-trained machine learning model. The devices communicate statistical information about their local data to the server over a common wireless channel, aiming to enhance the quality of the inference decision at the server. Recent work has introduced federated conformal prediction (CP), which leverages devices-to-server communication to improve the reliability of the server's decision. With federated CP, devices communicate to the server information about the loss accrued by the shared pre-trained model on the local data, and the server leverages this information to calibrate a decision interval, or set, so that it is guaranteed to contain the correct answer with a pre-defined target reliability level. Previous work assumed noise-free communication, whereby devices can communicate a single real number to the server. In this paper, we study for the first time federated CP in a wireless setting. We introduce a novel protocol, termed wireless federated conformal prediction (WFCP), which builds on type-based multiple access (TBMA) and on a novel quantile correction strategy. WFCP is proved to provide formal reliability guarantees in terms of coverage of the predicted set produced by the server. Using numerical results, we demonstrate the significant advantages of WFCP against digital implementations of existing federated CP schemes, especially in regimes with limited communication resources and/or large number of devices.

Non-intrusive load monitoring (NILM) is the process of obtaining appliance-level data from a single metering point, measuring total electricity consumption of a household or a business. Appliance-level data can be directly used for demand response applications and energy management systems as well as for awareness raising and motivation for improvements in energy efficiency and reduction in the carbon footprint. Recently, classical machine learning and deep learning (DL) techniques became very popular and proved as highly effective for NILM classification, but with the growing complexity these methods are faced with significant computational and energy demands during both their training and operation. In this paper, we introduce a novel DL model aimed at enhanced multi-label classification of NILM with improved computation and energy efficiency. We also propose a testing methodology for comparison of different models using data synthesized from the measurement datasets so as to better represent real-world scenarios. Compared to the state-of-the-art, the proposed model has its carbon footprint reduced by more than 23% while providing on average approximately 8 percentage points in performance improvement when testing on data derived from REFIT and UK-DALE datasets.

We consider the multi-user detection (MUD) problem in uplink grant-free non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), where the access point has to identify the total number and correct identity of the active Internet of Things (IoT) devices and decode their transmitted data. We assume that IoT devices use complex spreading sequences and transmit information in a random-access manner following the burst-sparsity model, where some IoT devices transmit their data in multiple adjacent time slots with a high probability, while others transmit only once during a frame. Exploiting the temporal correlation, we propose an attention-based bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) network to solve the MUD problem. The BiLSTM network creates a pattern of the device activation history using forward and reverse pass LSTMs, whereas the attention mechanism provides essential context to the device activation points. By doing so, a hierarchical pathway is followed for detecting active devices in a grant-free scenario. Then, by utilising the complex spreading sequences, blind data detection for the estimated active devices is performed. The proposed framework does not require prior knowledge of device sparsity levels and channels for performing MUD. The results show that the proposed network achieves better performance compared to existing benchmark schemes.

Recently, grant-free transmission paradigm has been introduced for massive Internet of Things (IoT) networks to save both time and bandwidth and transmit the message with low latency. In order to accurately decode the message of each device at the base station (BS), first, the active devices at each transmission frame must be identified. In this work, first we investigate the problem of activity detection as a threshold comparing problem. We show the convexity of the activity detection method through analyzing its probability of error which makes it possible to find the optimal threshold for minimizing the activity detection error. Consequently, to achieve an optimum solution, we propose a deep learning (DL)-based method called convolutional neural network (CNN)-activity detection (AD). In order to make it more practical, we consider unknown and time-varying activity rate for the IoT devices. Our simulations verify that our proposed CNN-AD method can achieve higher performance compared to the existing non-Bayesian greedy-based methods. This is while existing methods need to know the activity rate of IoT devices, while our method works for unknown and even time-varying activity rates

Grant-free random access and uplink non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) have been introduced to reduce transmission latency and signaling overhead in massive machine-type communication (mMTC). In this paper, we propose two novel group-based deep neural network active user detection (AUD) schemes for the grant-free sparse code multiple access (SCMA) system in mMTC uplink framework. The proposed AUD schemes learn the nonlinear mapping, i.e., multi-dimensional codebook structure and the channel characteristic. This is accomplished through the received signal which incorporates the sparse structure of device activity with the training dataset. Moreover, the offline pre-trained model is able to detect the active devices without any channel state information and prior knowledge of the device sparsity level. Simulation results show that with several active devices, the proposed schemes obtain more than twice the probability of detection compared to the conventional AUD schemes over the signal to noise ratio range of interest.

Globally, the native digital assistant installed base is set to exceed 7.5 billion active devices by 2021, which is more than the world population according to the US Census Bureau on May 1, 2017. But fear not – Skynet, from the popular Terminator movies, does not feature among the leading digital assistants. Instead, Google Assistant will dominate the voice AI–capable device market with 23.3% market share, followed by Samsung's Bixby (14.5%), Ovum's Digital Assistant and Voice AI–Capable Device Forecast: 2016–21 found that smartphones and tablets clearly lead the voice AI–capable device market, with 3.5 billion active devices in 2016, most of which use Google Now and Apple Siri. However, the use of AI in conjunction with other devices greatly increases consumer engagement and is set to unlock new opportunities, particularly in the home. Ovum expects an exponential uptake of voice AI capabilities among new devices, including wearable, smart home, and TV devices, with a combined installed base of 1.63 billion active devices in 2021, a tenfold increase on 2016.