Optimal Pilot and Data Power Allocation for Joint Communication-Radar Air-to-Ground Networks

Integration of communication and radar functions with a single waveform has been actively investigated in various wireless communication applications, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This means that communication frames consisting of a pilot part and subsequent data part can be utilized to transmit information and detect the surrounding objects simultaneously. Because a predetermined waveform is required for the radar function, the pilot part in the communication frame can be utilized for radar purposes. Specifically, the pilot is used for both channel estimation, which is required for data decoding, and a radar waveform. Assuming that the length of the pilot and data parts is given and the transmit energy for each frame is limited, the optimal transmit power for the pilot and data parts can be analytically obtained by considering both radar and communication performance metrics. The optimality of the proposed analytical solution was verified through numerical simulations.