Max-Min Fairness-Oriented Beamforming Design in HAPS-Enabled ISAC for 6G Networks

Abstract: This paper presents a high-altitude platform station (HAPS)-enabled integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) system designed for sixth-generation (6G) networks. Positioned in the stratosphere, HAPS serves as a super-macro base station, leveraging advanced beamforming techniques to enable communication and sensing simultaneously. This research addresses the need for equitable service distribution in 6G networks by focusing on fairness within the HAPS-ISAC system. It tackles a non-convex optimization problem that balances sensing beampattern gain and signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) requirements among communication users (CUs) using a max-min fairness approach while adhering to power constraints. The proposed HAPS-ISAC framework ensures efficient resource allocation, reliable coverage, and improved sensing accuracy. Simulation results validate the potential of HAPS-ISAC as a pivotal enabler for 6G networks and integrated communication-sensing systems.