PET-SQL: A Prompt-enhanced Two-stage Text-to-SQL Framework with Cross-consistency

Recent advancements in Text-to-SQL (Text2SQL) emphasize stimulating the large language models (LLM) on in-context learning, achieving significant results. Nevertheless, they face challenges when dealing with verbose database information and complex user intentions. This paper presents a two-stage framework to enhance the performance of current LLM-based natural language to SQL systems. We first introduce a novel prompt representation, called reference-enhanced representation, which includes schema information and randomly sampled cell values from tables to instruct LLMs in generating SQL queries. Then, in the first stage, question-SQL pairs are retrieved as few-shot demonstrations, prompting the LLM to generate a preliminary SQL (PreSQL). After that, the mentioned entities in PreSQL are parsed to conduct schema linking, which can significantly compact the useful information. In the second stage, with the linked schema, we simplify the prompt's schema information and instruct the LLM to produce the final SQL. Finally, as the post-refinement module, we propose using cross-consistency across different LLMs rather than self-consistency within a particular LLM. Our methods achieve new SOTA results on the Spider benchmark, with an execution accuracy of 87.6%.

AI Empowered Channel Semantic Acquisition for 6G Integrated Sensing and Communication Networks

Motivated by the need for increased spectral efficiency and the proliferation of intelligent applications, the sixth-generation (6G) mobile network is anticipated to integrate the dual-functions of communication and sensing (C&S). Although the millimeter wave (mmWave) communication and mmWave radar share similar multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) architecture for integration, the full potential of dual-function synergy remains to be exploited. In this paper, we commence by overviewing state-of-the-art schemes from the aspects of waveform design and signal processing. Nevertheless, these approaches face the dilemma of mutual compromise between C&S performance. To this end, we reveal and exploit the synergy between C&S. In the proposed framework, we introduce a two-stage frame structure and resort artificial intelligence (AI) to achieve the synergistic gain by designing a joint C&S channel semantic extraction and reconstruction network (JCASCasterNet). With just a cost-effective and energy-efficient single sensing antenna, the proposed scheme achieves enhanced overall performance while requiring only limited pilot and feedback signaling overhead. In the end, we outline the challenges that lie ahead in the future development of integrated sensing and communication networks, along with promising directions for further research.

Near-Space Communications: The Last Piece of 6G Space-Air-Ground-Sea Integrated Network Puzzle

This article presents a comprehensive study on the emerging near-space communications (NS-COM) within the context of space-air-ground-sea integrated network (SAGSIN). Specifically, we firstly explore the recent technical developments of NS-COM, followed by the discussions about motivations behind integrating NS-COM into SAGSIN. To further demonstrate the necessity of NS-COM, a comparative analysis between the NS-COM network and other counterparts in SAGSIN is conducted, covering aspects of deployment, coverage and channel characteristics. Afterwards, the technical aspects of NS-COM, including channel modeling, random access, channel estimation, array-based beam management and joint network optimization, are examined in detail. Furthermore, we explore the potential applications of NS-COM, such as structural expansion in SAGSIN communications, remote and urgent communications, weather monitoring and carbon neutrality. Finally, some promising research avenues are identified, including near-space-ground direct links, reconfigurable multiple input multiple output (MIMO) array, federated learning assisted NS-COM, maritime communication and free space optical (FSO) communication. Overall, this paper highlights that the NS-COM plays an indispensable role in the SAGSIN puzzle, providing substantial performance and coverage enhancement to the traditional SAGSIN architecture.

LiDAR-CS Dataset: LiDAR Point Cloud Dataset with Cross-Sensors for 3D Object Detection

LiDAR devices are widely used in autonomous driving scenarios and researches on 3D point cloud achieve remarkable progress over the past years. However, deep learning-based methods heavily rely on the annotation data and often face the domain generalization problem. Unlike 2D images whose domains are usually related to the texture information, the feature extracted from the 3D point cloud is affected by the distribution of the points. Due to the lack of a 3D domain adaptation benchmark, the common practice is to train the model on one benchmark (e.g, Waymo) and evaluate it on another dataset (e.g. KITTI). However, in this setting, there are two types of domain gaps, the scenarios domain, and sensors domain, making the evaluation and analysis complicated and difficult. To handle this situation, we propose LiDAR Dataset with Cross-Sensors (LiDAR-CS Dataset), which contains large-scale annotated LiDAR point cloud under 6 groups of different sensors but with same corresponding scenarios, captured from hybrid realistic LiDAR simulator. As far as we know, LiDAR-CS Dataset is the first dataset focused on the sensor (e.g., the points distribution) domain gaps for 3D object detection in real traffic. Furthermore, we evaluate and analyze the performance with several baseline detectors on the LiDAR-CS benchmark and show its applications.

Multiple-Antenna Aided Aeronautical Communications in Air-Ground Integrated Networks: Channel Estimation, Reliable Transmission, and Multiple Access

To provide seamless coverage during all flight phases, aeronautical communications systems (ACS) have to integrate space-based, air-based, as well as ground-based platforms to formulate aviation-oriented space-air-ground integrated networks (SAGINs). In continental areas, L-band aeronautical broadband communications (ABC) are gaining popularity for supporting air traffic management (ATM) modernization. However, L-band ABC faces the challenges of spectrum congestion and severe interference due to the legacy systems. To circumvent these, we propose a novel multiple-antenna aided L-band ABC paradigm to tackle the key issues of reliable and high-rate air-to-ground (A2G) transmissions. Specifically, we first introduce the development roadmap of the ABC. Furthermore, we discuss the peculiarities of the L-band ABC propagation environment and the distinctive challenges of the associated multiple-antenna techniques. To overcome these challenges, we propose an advanced multiple-antenna assisted L-band ABC paradigm from the perspective of channel estimation, reliable transmission, and multiple access. Finally, we shed light on the compelling research directions of the aviation component of SAGINs.

Grant-Free NOMA-OTFS Paradigm: Enabling Efficient Ubiquitous Access for LEO Satellite Internet-of-Things

With the blooming of Internet-of-Things (IoT), we are witnessing an explosion in the number of IoT terminals, triggering an unprecedented demand for ubiquitous wireless access globally. In this context, the emerging low-Earth-orbit satellites (LEO-SATs) have been regarded as a promising enabler to complement terrestrial wireless networks in providing ubiquitous connectivity and bridging the ever-growing digital divide in the expected next-generation wireless communications. Nevertheless, the stringent requirements posed by LEO-SATs have imposed significant challenges to the current multiple access schemes and led to an emerging paradigm shift in system design. In this article, we first provide a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art multiple access schemes and investigate their limitations in the context of LEO-SATs. To this end, we propose the amalgamation of the grant-free non-orthogonal multiple access (GF-NOMA) paradigm and the orthogonal time frequency space (OTFS) waveform, for simplifying the connection procedure with reduced access latency and enhanced Doppler-robustness. Critical open challenging issues and future directions are finally presented for further technical development.

UAV Deployment, Device Scheduling and Resource Allocation for Energy-Efficient UAV-Aided IoT Networks with NOMA

This article investigates the energy efficiency issue in non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA)-enhanced Internet-of-Things (IoT) networks, where a mobile unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is exploited as a flying base station to collect data from ground devices via the NOMA protocol. With the aim of maximizing network energy efficiency, we formulate a joint problem of UAV deployment, device scheduling and resource allocation. First, we formulate the joint device scheduling and spectrum allocation problem as a three-sided matching problem, and propose a novel low-complexity near-optimal algorithm. We also introduce the novel concept of `exploration' into the matching game for further performance improvement. By algorithm analysis, we prove the convergence and stability of the final matching state. Second, in an effort to allocate proper transmit power to IoT devices, we adopt the Dinkelbach's algorithm to obtain the optimal power allocation solution. Furthermore, we provide a simple but effective approach based on disk covering problem to determine the optimal number and locations of UAV's stop points to ensure that all IoT devices can be fully covered by the UAV via line-of-sight (LoS) links for the sake of better channel condition. Numerical results unveil that: i) the proposed joint UAV deployment, device scheduling and resource allocation scheme achieves much higher EE compared to predefined stationary UAV deployment case and fixed power allocation scheme, with acceptable complexity; and ii) the UAV-aided IoT networks with NOMA greatly outperforms the OMA case in terms of number of accessed devices.