The forthcoming generation of wireless technology, 6G, aims to usher in an era of ubiquitous intelligent services, where everything is interconnected and intelligent. This vision requires the seamless integration of three fundamental modules: Sensing for information acquisition, communication for information sharing, and computation for information processing and decision-making. These modules are intricately linked, especially in complex tasks such as edge learning and inference. However, the performance of these modules is interdependent, creating a resource competition for time, energy, and bandwidth. Existing techniques like integrated communication and computation (ICC), integrated sensing and computation (ISC), and integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) have made partial strides in addressing this challenge, but they fall short of meeting the extreme performance requirements. To overcome these limitations, it is essential to develop new techniques that comprehensively integrate sensing, communication, and computation. This integrated approach, known as Integrated Sensing, Communication, and Computation (ISCC), offers a systematic perspective for enhancing task performance. This paper begins with a comprehensive survey of historic and related techniques such as ICC, ISC, and ISAC, highlighting their strengths and limitations. It then discusses the benefits, functions, and challenges of ISCC. Subsequently, the state-of-the-art signal designs for ISCC, along with network resource management strategies specifically tailored for ISCC are explored. Furthermore, this paper discusses the exciting research opportunities that lie ahead for implementing ISCC in future advanced networks, and the unresolved issues requiring further investigation. ISCC is expected to unlock the full potential of intelligent connectivity, paving the way for groundbreaking applications and services.
翻译:下一代无线技术(6G)旨在开启泛在智能服务的新纪元,实现万物智联。这一愿景要求三个基础模块的无缝集成:用于信息获取的感知、用于信息共享的通信,以及用于信息处理与决策的计算。这些模块紧密关联,在边缘学习与推理等复杂任务中尤为显著。然而,各模块性能相互制约,在时间、能量与带宽资源上形成竞争关系。现有技术如集成通信与计算(ICC)、集成感知与计算(ISC)以及集成感知与通信(ISAC)已在此挑战上取得部分进展,但仍难以满足极致的性能需求。为突破这些限制,亟需发展能够全面整合感知、通信与计算的新技术。这种集成化路径——即集成感知、通信与计算(ISCC)——为提升任务性能提供了系统化视角。本文首先系统综述了ICC、ISC、ISAC等历史及相关技术,阐明其优势与局限;继而探讨ISCC的收益、功能与挑战;随后深入剖析面向ISCC的先进信号设计,以及专为ISCC定制的网络资源管理策略。此外,本文还展望了在未来先进网络中实现ISCC所蕴含的研究机遇,以及亟待深入探索的未解难题。ISCC有望充分释放智能连接的潜能,为突破性应用与服务开辟道路。