Utilization of Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces with Context Information : Use Cases

Utilization of reconfigurable intelligent surfaces is a topic that is very interesting in the context of complex radio environments, especially those used in dense urban areas. By relying on simple solutions to control the angle of reflection of the signal from the surface, different effects may be achieved in radio communication systems. Maximization or minimization of the received power at specific locations near the reflecting surface is the most important effect. This phenomenon allows to: receive a signal at a location at which it could not be received previously, detect spectrum occupancy at a place where the sensor could not perform a correct detection, or minimize interference affecting a specific receiver. In this paper, all three concepts are presented and a simple ray tracing simulation is used to show the potential profits attainable in each of the scenarios. Additionally, a scenario was analyzed in which several of the aforementioned situations are combined.