Detection-Aware Rate--CRB Characterization for Resource Allocation in ISAC Systems

Abstract

Integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) performance analysis commonly employs the Cramér--Rao bound (CRB) as the sensing metric. The CRB lower-bounds estimation-error variance under a target-present model but does not characterize the reliability of the energy detection that receivers often use to validate returns against noise and clutter. Considering the range CRB in a single-user, single-target joint power--bandwidth allocation problem, we establish the conditions under which a rate-optimal allocation at a given CRB requirement fails to achieve a given detection probability. We then develop detection-constrained rate--CRB characterizations at two levels: 1) a detection-aware (DA) formulation that treats the CRB and detection probability as parallel requirements, and 2) a detect--then--estimate (DTE) formulation using a \textit{detection-gated CRB} defined on frames that cross an energy threshold. We analyze the resulting changes in the optimal rate and feasible power--bandwidth allocations, and for DTE further show how detection probability and conditional estimation accuracy jointly determine downstream tracking performance. Multi-user, multi-target resource allocation is then formulated under CRB-only, DA, and DTE characterizations. The results show that CRB-only allocation can conceal inadequate detection reliability, and that accounting for detection and receiver architecture materially changes the power--bandwidth allocation and the communication--sensing tradeoff.