Multifrequency configuration and management for new radio-based smart repeaters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12256309-B2
Application number	US-202217661272-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2022
Priority date	Apr 28, 2022
Publication date	Mar 18, 2025
Grant date	Mar 18, 2025

Abstract

The described technology is generally directed to over-the-air configuration and management of new radio multifrequency smart repeaters. To facilitate data forwarding, a smart repeater is configured via a first frequency to generate a forwarding layer that is logically above a physical layer of a mobile termination function (corresponding to a repeater link) and a physical layer of distributed unit function of the repeater equipment (corresponding to an access link, configured to use a second frequency). Via the forwarding layer, when traffic is received from a parent node, the traffic is forwarded via the access link to user equipment, and when traffic is received from a user equipment, the traffic is forwarded via the access link to a parent node. As one example, control plane signaling can be performed via the sub-six gigahertz band, and data plane signal forwarding can be performed via the millimeter wave band.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
facilitating, by network equipment comprising a processor, configuring repeater equipment to generate a forwarding layer that is logically above a physical layer of a mobile termination function of the repeater equipment and a distributed unit function of the repeater equipment, the configuring comprising:
sending, by the network equipment, a configuration to the repeater equipment, using a first frequency band that configures the repeater equipment to communicate, via the forwarding layer using a second frequency band different than the first frequency band, at least one of: data plane signals or control plane signals; and

indicating, by the network equipment via a main cell group communicatively coupled to the mobile termination function of the repeater equipment, control plane resources for a repeater equipment link frequency of the repeater equipment on a primary cell, and indicating data plane resources for an access link communicatively coupled to a secondary cell.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the network equipment from the repeater equipment, capability information representative of a capability to support communications using the first frequency band and the second frequency band, wherein the facilitating occurs based on the receiving.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the configuration comprises sending the configuration via a main cell group communicatively coupled to the mobile termination function of the repeater equipment using a signaling radio bearer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the configuration comprises sending the configuration via physical layer signaling on a primary cell communicatively coupled to the mobile termination function of the repeater equipment.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the configuration comprises sending the configuration via radio resource control signaling on a primary cell communicatively coupled to the mobile termination function of the repeater equipment.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising indicating, by the network equipment via a primary cell communicatively coupled to the mobile termination function of the repeater equipment, second control plane resources for a second repeater equipment link frequency of the repeater equipment on the primary cell, and indicating second data plane resources for a second access link communicatively coupled to the secondary cell.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising indicating, by the network equipment via the main cell group communicatively coupled to the mobile termination function of the repeater equipment, downlink data plane resources for the access link, and indicating uplink data plane resources for the access link.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising indicating, by the network equipment via a primary cell communicatively coupled to the mobile termination function of the repeater equipment, downlink data plane resources for the access link, and indicating uplink data plane resources for the access link.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising indicating, by the network equipment via the main cell group, uplink data plane resources for an access link frequency of the repeater equipment, and indicating downlink data plane resources for the access link frequency.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising indicating, by the network equipment via a primary cell communicatively coupled to the mobile termination function of the repeater equipment, uplink data plane resources for an access link frequency of the repeater equipment, and indicating downlink data plane resources for the access link.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising multiplexing, by the network equipment, communications on the repeater equipment link frequency and the access link.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending configures the repeater equipment to communicate the control plane signals.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the control plane signals use a sub-six gigahertz frequency range.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending of the configuration occurs periodically in accordance with a schedule.

15. A repeater device, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor of the repeater device, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
receiving, by a mobile termination function of the repeater device, configuration data from a parent node via a first frequency band;
in response to the receiving, configuring a forwarding layer logically above a first physical layer of the mobile termination function and a second physical layer of a distributed unit function of the repeater device to forward data plane signals received at the first physical layer via the second physical layer to user equipment via a second frequency band that is different from the first frequency band; and
multiplexing, by the repeater device based on the configuration data, repeater link data communicated via the first physical layer and access link data communicated via the second physical layer.

16. The repeater device of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise sending, by the repeater device, repeater capability data to the parent node, wherein receiving the configuration data occurs in response to the sending.

17. The repeater device of claim 15 , wherein receiving the configuration data comprises at least one of: receiving the configuration data from the parent node based on a schedule, receiving the configuration data from the parent node based on modified parameter data, or receiving the configuration data from the parent node based on a request from the repeater device.

18. The repeater device of claim 15 , wherein the first frequency band is in the sub-six gigahertz frequency range and the second frequency band is in the millimeter wave frequency range.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
receiving, first control plane signals from a parent node via a first frequency band that is being used for communicating second control plane signals with a user equipment;
receiving, at a repeater link corresponding to a first physical layer of a mobile termination function of repeater equipment, data plane traffic from the parent node via a second frequency band that is different from the first frequency band, wherein the data plane traffic comprises first data plane traffic;
forwarding, via a forwarding layer configured logically above the first physical layer and logically above a second physical layer of a distributed unit function of the repeater equipment, the data plane traffic to an access link corresponding to the second physical layer;
communicating the data plane traffic, via the access link and via the second frequency band, to the user equipment,
receiving, via the access link, second data plane traffic from the user equipment; and
forwarding, via the forwarding layer, the second data plane traffic to the first physical layer for communication of the second data plane traffic to the parent node via the repeater link.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise multiplexing communications of the repeater link and communications of the access link.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Novlan Thomas

Classifications

• H04W72/23

  in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal · CPC title

• H04W28/0289

  Congestion control (load shedding arrangements in network planning H04W16/08; performing reselection for handling the traffic H04W36/22; wireless traffic scheduling H04W72/12) · CPC title

• H04W28/0215

  based on user or device properties, e.g. MTC-capable devices (services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC] H04W4/70; wireless resource selection or allocation plan definition based on terminal or device properties H04W72/51) · CPC title

• H04W28/0273 Primary

  adapting protocols for flow control or congestion control to wireless environment, e.g. adapting transmission control protocol [TCP] (wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation, e.g. wireless application protocol H04W80/00) · CPC title

• H04W84/047

  using dedicated repeater stations · CPC title