Power control techniques for communication systems including repeaters

Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to systems, devices, apparatuses, products, and methods for wireless communications. For example, a communications system may include a repeater that relays communications between communications devices. The repeater determines one or more power configuration parameters associated with the repeater and transmits the one or more power configuration parameters to a control node, such as a base station or other entity. The repeater receives gain configuration information from the control node that is determined based on the one or more power configuration parameters. The repeater may receive a communication, determine a gain value based on the gain configuration information, and apply the gain value to the received communication to create a gain-adjusted communication for transmission to another device.

Description

[0001] Priority claim

[0002] This patent application claims priority to U.S. non-provisional application No. 17 / 213,639, filed on March 26, 2021, entitled “POWER CONTROL TECHNIQUES FORA COMMUNICATION SYSTEM THAT INCLUDES A REPEATER,” and U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 63 / 002,832, filed on March 31, 2020, entitled “POWER CONTROL TECHNIQUES FOR A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM THAT INCLUDES A REPEATER,” both of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to wireless communications, and more particularly to power control in repeater communication systems.

[0004] Related technical description

[0005] Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content, such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and other types of content. These systems can support communication with multiple users by sharing available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of such multiple access systems include fourth generation (4G) systems (such as long term evolution (LTE) systems, advanced LTE (LTE-A) systems, or LTE-A Pro systems), and fifth generation (5G) systems, which may be referred to as new radio (NR) systems. These systems may employ various technologies, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), or discrete Fourier transform spread orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-S-OFDM). A wireless multiple access communication system may include several base stations or network access nodes that can simultaneously support communication for multiple communication devices (e.g., user equipment (UE)).

[0006] Some wireless signals transmitted in wireless communication systems may be limited by path loss through the air, physical obstructions, or other constraints. To address this issue, wireless communication systems may use wireless repeaters to repeat and extend signals sent between various system nodes. The signals received at the repeater may be signals transmitted by a base station intended for a UE, signals transmitted by a UE intended for a base station, signals transmitted by one UE intended for another UE, or signals transmitted by one base station intended for another base station. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The system can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and descriptions. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, but emphasis is placed on illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. In addition, in the drawings, like reference numerals represent corresponding parts in different views.

[0009] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication system supporting one or more relays according to aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated.

[0010] Figure 2 An example block diagram of a repeater is illustrated.

[0011] Figure 3 An example block diagram of a base station is illustrated.

[0012] Figure 4 An example of a communication system using one or more repeaters is illustrated.

[0013] Figure 5 An example of a downlink communication path through a repeater is illustrated.

[0014] Figure 6 An example of an uplink communication path through a repeater is illustrated.

[0015] Figure 7 is a flow chart illustrating one example of a technique for a repeater to create gain-adjusted communications.

[0016] Figure 8 is a flow chart illustrating one example of a technique for a base station to communicate with another device through a repeater.

[0017] Figure 9 is a flow chart illustrating one example of a technique for a base station to configure one or more gain values ​​and / or output power levels at one or more devices.

[0018] Detailed description

[0019] The detailed description set forth below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts described herein may be practiced. This detailed description includes specific details to provide a thorough understanding of the various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be practiced without these specific details.

[0020] The systems and techniques described in this detailed description provide various mechanisms for controlling gain and / or transmit power within a repeater communication system. A repeater in a repeater communication system is used to relay communications between a first device (e.g., a base station, user equipment (UE), or another repeater) and a second device (e.g., a base station, a UE, or another repeater). In one example, the repeater receives and forwards downlink signals sent from a base station and intended for the UE. In another example, the repeater receives and forwards uplink signals sent from a UE and intended for the base station.

[0021] One issue that may arise in a repeater communication system is how to control the transmit power level at each node in the system. In one implementation, to implement power control in the system, each system node may exchange control messages that provide information related to power control to a control node. The control node may use this information as part of a closed-loop power control scheme to select appropriate transmit power levels and / or gain setting levels for one or more nodes in the system to achieve desired system performance characteristics. As will be discussed in the examples below, the control node for the power control scheme described herein may be a base station, a UE, a repeater, a network node / function, a cloud-based management entity, or any other control entity. While the description herein discusses certain implementations in which a base station performs actions related to configuring a gain value at a repeater, other example implementations may use other types of control nodes to configure the repeater in the same or similar manner.

[0022] In an example system where a base station and a UE communicate via a repeater, the UE and / or the repeater can provide information related to power control to the base station (or other control entity). The base station can then use this information to coordinate an end-to-end power-controlled communication path. For downlink signals, in one implementation, the base station can dynamically set its own transmit power level to a desired level, dynamically set the gain level at the repeater to a desired level, or both, to achieve a target received power at the UE. For uplink signals, in another implementation, the base station can dynamically set the UE's transmit power level to a desired level, dynamically set the gain level at the repeater to a desired level, or both, to achieve a target received power at the base station. The transmit power level selection and / or gain level selection performed by the base station can be based at least in part on information provided to the base station from the repeater and / or the UE (or other system node). In some implementations, the closed-loop power control technique provides multiple possible adjustment points along the communication path for the base station to customize the coordination approach for power control. This coordinated approach can potentially balance competing objectives throughout the system, such as saving power at certain devices (e.g., battery-powered devices), managing interference, or meeting a desired link budget. Further details of the disclosed power control techniques are discussed below (see, e.g., Figure 5-9 ).

[0023] Figure 1 An example of a wireless communication system 100 including one or more relays 140 according to aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. The wireless communication system 100 includes one or more relays 140, one or more base stations 105, one or more UEs 115, and one or more core networks 130. In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 can be a long term evolution (LTE) network, an advanced LTE (LTE-A) network, an LTE-A Pro network, a fifth generation (5G) new radio (NR) network, or another type of network. In some cases, the wireless communication system 100 can support enhanced broadband communication, ultra-reliable (e.g., mission-critical) communication, low latency communication, or communication with low-cost and low-complexity devices.

[0024] The base station 105 may communicate wirelessly with the UE 115 via one or more base station antennas. The base station 105 described herein may include or may be referred to by those skilled in the art as a base transceiver station, a radio base station, an access point, a radio transceiver, a Node B, an evolved Node B (eNB), a next-generation Node B, or a gigabit Node B (any of which may be referred to as a gNB), a Home Node B, a Home eNode B, or some other suitable terminology. The wireless communication system 100 may include different types of base stations 105 (e.g., macro cell base stations or small cell base stations). The UE 115 described herein may be capable of communicating with various types of base stations 105 and network equipment (including macro eNBs, small cell eNBs, gNBs, relay base stations, etc.).

[0025] Each base station 105 may be associated with a particular geographic coverage area 110 in which it supports communications with various UEs 115. Each base station 105 may provide communication coverage for the corresponding geographic coverage area 110 via a communication link 125, and the communication link 125 between the base station 105 and the UE 115 may utilize one or more carriers. The communication link 125 shown in the wireless communication system 100 may include an uplink transmission from the UE 115 to the base station 105, or a downlink transmission from the base station 105 to the UE 115. Downlink transmissions may also be referred to as forward link transmissions, while uplink transmissions may also be referred to as reverse link transmissions.

[0026] The geographic coverage area 110 of a base station 105 can be divided into sectors that constitute a portion of the geographic coverage area 110, and each sector can be associated with a cell. For example, each base station 105 can provide communication coverage for a macrocell, a small cell, a hotspot, or other types of cells, or various combinations thereof. In some examples, the base stations 105 can be mobile and, therefore, provide communication coverage for mobile geographic coverage areas 110. In some examples, different geographic coverage areas 110 associated with different technologies can overlap, and the overlapping geographic coverage areas 110 associated with different technologies can be supported by the same base station 105 or different base stations 105. The wireless communication system 100 can include, for example, a heterogeneous LTE / LTE-A / LTE-A Pro or NR network, in which different types of base stations 105 provide coverage for various geographic coverage areas 110.

[0027] UE 115 can be dispersed throughout the wireless communication system 100, and each UE 115 can be stationary or mobile. UE 115 can also be referred to as a wireless communication device, a communication device, a mobile device, a wireless device, a remote device, a handheld device, or a subscriber device, or some other suitable term, where "device" can also be referred to as a unit, a station, a terminal, or a client. UE 115 can also be a personal electronic device, such as a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, or a personal computer. In some examples, UE 115 can also refer to a wireless local loop (WLL) station, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, an Internet of Everything (IoE) device, or an MTC device, etc., which can be implemented in various items (such as appliances, vehicles, meters, etc.).

[0028] In some cases, a UE 115 may also be able to communicate directly with other UEs 115 (e.g., using a peer-to-peer (P2P) or device-to-device (D2D) protocol). One or more UEs in a group of UEs 115 utilizing D2D communication may be within the geographic coverage area 110 of the base station 105. Other UEs 115 in the group may be outside the geographic coverage area 110 of the base station 105 or otherwise unable to receive transmissions from the base station 105. In some cases, each group of UEs 115 communicating via D2D communication may utilize a one-to-many (1:M) system, in which each UE 115 transmits to each other UE 115 in the group. In some cases, the base station 105 facilitates the scheduling of resources for D2D communication. In other cases, D2D communication is performed between the UEs 115 without involving the base station 105.

[0029] The base stations 105 can communicate with the core network 130 and with each other. For example, the base stations 105 can interface with the core network 130 via a backhaul link 132 (e.g., via an S1, N2, N3, or other interface). The base stations 105 can communicate with each other over a backhaul link 134 (e.g., via an X2, Xn, or other interface) directly (e.g., directly between the base stations 105) or indirectly (e.g., via the core network 130 or via a relay 140).

[0030] The core network 130 may provide user authentication, access authorization, tracking, Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity, and other access, routing, or mobility functions. The core network 130 may be an evolved packet core (EPC) or a 5G core (5GC). The EPC or 5GC may include at least one control plane entity (e.g., a mobility management entity (MME), an access and mobility management function (AMF)) that manages access and mobility, and at least one user plane entity (e.g., a serving gateway (S-GW), a packet data network (PDN) gateway (P-GW), or a user plane function (UPF)) that routes packets or interconnects to external networks. The control plane entities may manage non-access stratum (NAS) functions, such as mobility, authentication, and bearer management for UEs 115 served by base stations 105 associated with the core network 130. User IP packets may be delivered via user plane entities, which may provide IP address allocation and other functions. The user plane entities may connect to network operator IP services. Operator IP services may include access to the Internet, an intranet, an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS), or packet-switched streaming services.

[0031] At least some network devices (such as base stations 105) may include subcomponents, such as access network entities, which may be examples of access node controllers (ANCs). Each access network entity may communicate with various UEs 115 through a number of other access network transport entities, which may be referred to as radio heads, smart radio heads, or transmit / receive points (TRPs). In some configurations, the various functions of each access network entity or base station 105 may be distributed across various network devices (e.g., radio heads and access network controllers) or consolidated into a single network device (e.g., base station 105).

[0032] The wireless communication system 100 can operate using one or more frequency bands, typically in the range of 300 megahertz (MHz) to 300 gigahertz (GHz). Generally speaking, the 300 MHz to 3 GHz region is referred to as the ultra-high frequency (UHF) region or decimeter band because the wavelengths range from approximately 1 decimeter to 1 meter long. UHF waves can be blocked or redirected by buildings and environmental features. However, these waves can penetrate various structures sufficiently for macrocells to provide service to UEs 115 located indoors. Transmissions using UHF waves can be associated with smaller antennas and a shorter range (e.g., less than 100 km) compared to transmissions using the lower frequencies and longer wavelengths in the high frequency (HF) or very high frequency (VHF) portions of the spectrum below 300 MHz.

[0033] The wireless communication system 100 may also operate in the Super High Frequency (SHF) region using frequency bands from 3 GHz to 30 GHz (also known as centimeter bands). The SHF region includes frequency bands that may be opportunistically used by devices that may be able to tolerate interference from other users, such as the 5 GHz Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band.

[0034] The wireless communication system 100 may also operate in the extremely high frequency (EHF) region of the spectrum (e.g., from 30 GHz to 300 GHz), which is also known as the millimeter band. In some systems, millimeter wave (mmW) communications may occur in a frequency range (also known as "FR2") present above 24 GHz (which may include portions of the total frequency range within and near the millimeter band). In some examples, the wireless communication system 100 may support millimeter wave (mmW) communications between the UE 115 and the base station 105, and the EHF antennas of the respective devices may be even smaller and more closely spaced than the UHF antennas. In some cases, this may facilitate the use of antenna arrays within the UE 115. However, the propagation of EHF transmissions may be subject to even greater atmospheric attenuation and a shorter range than SHF or UHF transmissions. The technology disclosed herein may be employed across transmissions using one or more different frequency regions, and the use of frequency bands specified across these frequency regions may differ by country or regulatory agency.

[0035] In some cases, the wireless communication system 100 may utilize both licensed and unlicensed radio frequency spectrum bands. For example, the wireless communication system 100 may employ license assisted access (LAA), LTE unlicensed (LTE-U) radio access technology, or NR technology in an unlicensed frequency band (such as the 5 GHz ISM band). When operating in an unlicensed radio frequency spectrum band, wireless devices (such as base stations 105 and UEs 115) may employ a listen-before-talk (LBT) procedure to ensure that the frequency channel is clear before transmitting data. In some cases, operations in the unlicensed band may be based on a carrier aggregation configuration (e.g., LAA) in conjunction with component carriers operating in the licensed band. Operations in the unlicensed spectrum may include downlink transmissions, uplink transmissions, peer-to-peer transmissions, or a combination of these. Duplexing in the unlicensed spectrum may be based on frequency division duplexing (FDD), time division duplexing (TDD), or a combination of the two.

[0036] In some examples, base station 105, UE 115, or relay 140 may be equipped with multiple antennas, which can be used to employ techniques such as transmit diversity, receive diversity, multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) communication, or beamforming. For example, wireless communication system 100 may employ a transmission scheme between a transmitting device (e.g., base station 105) and a receiving device (e.g., relay 140), where the transmitting device is equipped with multiple antennas and the receiving device is equipped with one or more antennas. MIMO communication may utilize multipath signal propagation to increase spectral efficiency by transmitting or receiving multiple signals via different spatial layers, which may be referred to as spatial multiplexing. For example, a transmitting device may transmit multiple signals via different antennas or different antenna combinations. Similarly, a receiving device may receive multiple signals via different antennas or different antenna combinations. Each of these multiple signals may be referred to as a separate spatial stream and may carry bits associated with the same data stream (e.g., the same codeword) or different data streams. Different spatial layers may be associated with different antenna ports for channel measurement and reporting. MIMO technology includes single-user MIMO (SU-MIMO), in which multiple spatial layers are transmitted to the same receiving device, and multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO), in which multiple spatial layers are transmitted to multiple devices.

[0037] Beamforming (which may also be referred to as spatial filtering, directional transmission, or directional reception) is a signal processing technique that can be used at a transmitting device or a receiving device (e.g., a base station 105, a UE 115, or a relay 140) to shape or steer an antenna beam (e.g., a transmit beam or a receive beam) along a spatial path between the transmitting device and the receiving device. Beamforming can be achieved by combining signals communicated via antenna elements of an antenna array so that signals propagating at a particular orientation relative to the antenna array experience constructive interference, while other signals experience destructive interference. Adjustments to the signals communicated via the antenna elements can include the transmitting device or the receiving device applying a specific amplitude and phase shift to the signals carried via each antenna element associated with that device. The adjustments associated with each antenna element can be defined by a set of beamforming weights associated with a particular orientation (e.g., relative to the antenna array of the transmitting device or the receiving device, or relative to some other orientation).

[0038] In one example, the base station 105 can use multiple antennas or antenna arrays to perform beamforming operations for directional communication with a UE 115, another base station 105, or a repeater 140. For example, some signals (e.g., synchronization signals, reference signals, beam selection signals, or other control signals) can be transmitted multiple times by the base station 105 in different directions, which can include a signal being transmitted according to different sets of beamforming weights associated with different transmission directions. The transmissions in different beam directions can be used (e.g., by the base station 105 or a receiving device, such as a UE 115 or a repeater 140) to identify a beam direction for subsequent transmission and / or reception by the base station 105. Additionally, the UE 115 or the repeater 140 can perform similar beamforming operations (as described herein for the base station 105) for directional communication with other devices (e.g., a base station, a UE, or another repeater).

[0039] Some signals, such as data signals associated with a particular recipient device, may be transmitted by base station 105 in a single beam direction (e.g., a direction associated with a recipient device, such as repeater 140). In some examples, the beam direction associated with transmissions along the single beam direction may be determined based at least in part on signals transmitted in different beam directions. For example, repeater 140 may receive one or more signals transmitted by base station 105 in different directions, and repeater 140 may report to base station 105 an indication of the signal it received with the highest signal quality or other acceptable signal quality. Although these techniques are described with reference to signals transmitted by base station 105 in one or more directions, UE 115 or repeater 140 may use similar techniques for transmitting signals multiple times in different directions (e.g., for identifying a beam direction for subsequent transmission or reception by UE 115) or for transmitting signals in a single direction (e.g., for transmitting data to a recipient device).

[0040] A receiving device (e.g., UE 115 or relay 140, which may be examples of mmW receiving devices) may attempt multiple receive beams when receiving various signals (such as synchronization signals, reference signals, beam selection signals, or other control signals) from base station 105. For example, the receiving device may attempt multiple receive directions by receiving via different antenna subarrays, processing received signals according to different antenna subarrays, receiving according to different receive beamforming weight sets applied to signals received at multiple antenna elements of an antenna array, or processing received signals according to different receive beamforming weight sets applied to signals received at multiple antenna elements of an antenna array, any of which may be referred to as "listening" according to different receive beams or receive directions. In some examples, the receiving device may use a single receive beam to receive along a single beam direction (e.g., when receiving a data signal). A single receive beam may be aligned on a beam direction determined based at least in part on listening according to different receive beam directions (e.g., a beam direction determined to have the highest signal strength, highest signal-to-noise ratio, or other acceptable signal quality based at least in part on listening according to multiple beam directions).

[0041] In some cases, the antennas of a base station 105 or a UE 115 may be located within one or more antenna arrays that can support MIMO operations or transmit or receive beamforming. For example, one or more base station antennas or antenna arrays may be co-located at an antenna assembly, such as an antenna tower. In some cases, the antennas or antenna arrays associated with a base station 105 may be located at different geographic locations. The base station 105 may have an antenna array with several rows and columns of antenna ports that the base station 105 may use to support beamforming for communications with the UE 115. Similarly, the UE 115 or the repeater 140 may have one or more antenna arrays that can support various MIMO or beamforming operations.

[0042] A single node (e.g., a base station, a UE, or a repeater) within the wireless communication system 100 may include multiple different communication interfaces, each configured for a different type of communication protocol. As an example, the base station 105, the UE 115, or the repeater 140 may include both a wide area network interface (e.g., 4G or 5G cellular) and a local area network interface (e.g., IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi or Bluetooth). As another example, the base station 105, the UE 115, or the repeater 140 may include a high-frequency network interface (e.g., millimeter wave) and a low-frequency network interface (e.g., LTE, sub-6 GHz NR, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.) that uses a lower frequency band than the millimeter wave interface.

[0043] The wireless communication system 100 may include one or more wireless repeaters 140 (also referred to as relay or hybrid nodes). The repeater 140 may include functionality for the base station 105 and / or the UE 115 to repeat, forward, relay, extend, and / or redirect wireless signals. In some cases, the repeater 140 may be used in line-of-sight (LOS) or non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenarios. In LOS scenarios, transmissions such as mmW transmissions may be limited by path loss through the air, which can be overcome using beamforming techniques at the wireless repeater 140. In NLOS scenarios (such as in urban areas or indoors), mmW transmissions may be limited by signal blocking or signal interfering physical objects.

[0044] The relay 140 may provide an uplink path from a UE to a base station, a downlink path from a base station to a UE, a P2P or D2D path from one UE to another UE, and / or a wireless backhaul path between a base station and core network equipment (e.g., via one or more other base stations). In a first example, the mmW beamforming relay 140 may be used to receive a signal from the base station 105 and transmit the signal to the UE 115, such as by receiving the signal on a wireless link 150 and then transmitting the signal on a wireless link 152. In a second example, the mmW beamforming relay 140 may be used to receive a signal from the UE 115 and transmit the signal to the base station 105, such as by receiving the signal on a wireless link 152 and then transmitting the signal on a wireless link 150. In a third example, the mmW beamforming repeater 140 may be used to receive a signal from a base station 105 and transmit the signal to a different base station 105 (e.g., in a wireless backhaul configuration), such as by receiving the signal on wireless link 150 and then transmitting the signal on wireless link 154. In a fourth example, the mmW beamforming repeater 140 may be used to receive a signal from a UE 115 and transmit the signal to a different UE 115 (e.g., in a P2P or D2D protocol configuration), such as by receiving the signal on wireless link 152 and then transmitting the signal on wireless link 156. In each of these examples, the transmitted signal may be a processed version of the received signal (e.g., an amplified version of the received signal, with or without further processing, such as signal phase shifting, splitting, and / or combining). Beamforming and gain control techniques may be used to improve signal quality between base station 105, repeater 140, and UE 115 by isolating the signals (e.g., via beamforming) and improving or maintaining stability within the repeater's signal processing chain (e.g., via gain control).

[0045] Repeater 140 may include a receive antenna array and a transmit antenna array. In some cases, the receive antenna array and the transmit antenna array include the same set of dipole antennas, where the dipole antennas function as receive antenna arrays in a first polarization and function as transmit antenna arrays in a second polarization. In some cases, the antennas include metamaterial antennas or antenna arrays. Repeater 140 may further include a beam control system, which may include a processor or system on a chip (SoC) for controlling the transmit and / or receive beams to reduce signal interference caused by retransmissions.

[0046] In some cases, the repeater 140 is an analog RF repeater and may include a signal processing chain connected (e.g., coupled, linked, attached) between the receive antenna array and the transmit antenna array. The signal processing chain may be implemented as a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) that may include RF / microwave components such as one or more phase shifters, (low noise amplifier) ​​LNAs, (power amplifier) ​​PAs, PA drivers, gain controllers, power detectors, or other circuitry. The phase shifters may be controlled by one or more beam controllers to perform beamforming to reduce signal interference. The signal processing chain may include a feedback path for monitoring the output of one or more PAs and adjusting the gain of one or more PA drivers to the PAs and the gain of one or more LNAs based on the output. Gain adjustment may be used to stabilize signal reception and transmission and improve signal quality between devices (e.g., base station 105 and UE 115). Accordingly, through beamforming and gain control, signal quality (e.g., mmW signals) in LOS and NLOS scenarios may be improved.

[0047] As described, the repeater 140 may include components in the analog / RF domain (e.g., antenna arrays and signal processing chain circuitry). Accordingly, in some implementations, the repeater may not include any digital components for the various features described herein. For example, in some implementations, the repeater may not include any digital signal processing functionality that would allow the repeater to decode and interpret the content of a received mmW signal. As another example, in some implementations, the repeater may not include any digital signal processing functionality that would allow the repeater to generate new content for a millimeter wave signal to be sent to another device. In some cases, the repeater may include one or more side channel components that allow the repeater to decode and interpret other types of messages (e.g., non-mmW signals). For example, the repeater may include a side channel communication interface for sending or receiving control messages. Incoming control messages may include power control messages from the base station 105 or another device, such as instructions on the gain to be applied at the repeater or the output power to be used by the repeater. Outgoing control messages may include gain configuration information for the repeater to be sent to the base station. An example side channel communication interface may be implemented using one or more of Bluetooth, ultra-wideband, wireless LAN (e.g., IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi), LTE, or sub-6 GHz NR protocols (or other wireless communication protocols). As such, the repeater may include circuitry and / or a processor for transmitting, receiving, and / or processing signals via those protocols and controlling a gain level or output power level on the side channel communication interface based on those signals.

[0048] Figure 2 An example block diagram 200 illustrating a repeater 205 is shown. In some examples, Figure 2 The devices may implement aspects of the wireless communication system 100, and the repeater 205 may be Figure 1 1. Repeater 205 includes a receive antenna array 220 comprising a set of antennas and a transmit antenna array 225 comprising a set of antennas. In some cases, receive antenna array 220 and transmit antenna array 225 are the same antenna array, comprising the same set of dipole antennas to function as a receive antenna array and a transmit antenna array in a first polarization and a second polarization. In other cases, receive antenna array 220 and transmit antenna array 225 are physically separate arrays. In some cases, receive antenna array 220 and / or transmit antenna array 225 include metamaterial antennas.

[0049] The repeater 205 may further include one or more processors 210, a memory 215, and one or more transceivers 230. The processor 210 is coupled to the memory 215, wherein the processor 210 executes instructions stored on the memory 215 to implement the various functions performed by the repeater 205 described herein. The one or more transceivers 230 may include multiple transceivers to support multiple communication interfaces. In one example, one transceiver may support a first communication technology (e.g., a millimeter wave interface), while another transceiver may support a second communication technology (e.g., a non-millimeter wave interface, such as an interface associated with LTE, sub-6 GHz NR, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.). The frequency range used by the non-millimeter wave interface may be lower than the frequency range associated with the millimeter wave interface. In another example, one transceiver may support a first radio access technology (RAT), while another transceiver may support a second RAT that is different from the first RAT.

[0050] In some implementations, the repeater 205 uses the first transceiver to send and / or receive control messages (e.g., to exchange control messages with a base station), and uses the second transceiver to send and / or receive other signals when the repeater 205 acts as an amplifying intermediary or relay between two other devices. As an example of using the second interface to relay signals, the repeater 205 can receive a signal from the base station 105 via the second transceiver (associated with the second communication interface of the repeater 205) according to a beamforming configuration, and retransmit the signal to the UE 115 via the second transceiver (associated with the second communication interface) according to the beamforming configuration. The repeater 205 can further receive a signal from the UE 115 via the second transceiver (associated with the second communication interface) according to the beamforming configuration, and retransmit the signal to the base station 105 via the second transceiver (associated with the second communication interface) according to the beamforming configuration. In this way, the repeater 205 can be used to implement uplink and downlink communications. The repeater 205 may also receive a signal from the base station 105 via the second transceiver (associated with the second communication interface) according to the beamforming configuration, and retransmit the signal to a different base station 105 via the second transceiver (associated with the second communication interface) according to the beamforming configuration (e.g., for wireless backhaul). The repeater 205 may also receive a signal from one UE 115 via the second transceiver (associated with the second communication interface) according to the beamforming configuration, and retransmit the signal to a different UE 115 via the second transceiver (associated with the second communication interface) according to the beamforming configuration (e.g., D2D or P2P). Additionally, the repeater 205 may also receive a signal from another relay 140 via the second transceiver (associated with the second communication interface) according to the receive and / or transmit beamforming configuration, or send a signal to another relay 140 via the second transceiver (associated with the second communication interface) (e.g., in a multi-hop relay path).

[0051] Figure 3 An example of a block diagram 300 of a base station 305 is illustrated in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In some examples, Figure 3 The devices may implement aspects of the wireless communication system 100, and the base station 305 may be Figure 1 1. An example of a base station 105 is shown. The base station 305 includes a receive antenna array 320 comprising a set of antennas and a transmit antenna array 325 comprising a set of antennas. The antenna arrays 320 and 325 can receive signals from various other communication devices (including UE 115, relay 140, and / or other base stations 105) and transmit signals to various other communication devices.

[0052] The base station 305 may further include one or more processors 310, a memory 315, and one or more transceivers 330. The processor 310 is coupled to the memory 315, wherein the processor 310 executes instructions stored on the memory 315 to implement the various functions performed by the base station 305 described herein. The one or more transceivers 330 may include multiple transceivers to support multiple communication interfaces. In one example, one transceiver may support a first communication technology (e.g., a millimeter wave interface), while another transceiver may support a second communication technology (e.g., a non-millimeter wave interface, such as an interface associated with LTE, sub-6 GHz NR, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.). The frequency range used by the non-millimeter wave interface may be lower than the frequency range associated with the millimeter wave interface. In another example, one transceiver may support a first radio access technology (RAT), while another transceiver may support a second RAT that is different from the first RAT.

[0053] Figure 4 An example of a communication system 400 using one or more repeaters in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. Figure 4Repeaters are described in the context of millimeter wave transmissions, although repeaters can also be used for other types of communications. Because millimeter wave communications have higher frequencies and shorter wavelengths than other types of radio waves used for communication (e.g., sub-6 GHz communications), millimeter wave communications may have shorter propagation distances and may be more easily blocked by obstacles than other types of radio waves. For example, wireless communications using sub-6 GHz radio waves may be able to penetrate the walls of a house or building to provide coverage from a base station 105 that communicates using sub-6 GHz radio waves to an area on the opposite side of the wall. However, millimeter waves may not be able to penetrate the same wall (e.g., depending on the thickness of the wall, the material from which the wall is constructed, etc.). Some techniques and devices described herein use millimeter wave repeaters 140 to increase the coverage area of ​​a base station 105, extend coverage to UEs 115 that do not have a line of sight to the base station 105 (e.g., due to obstacles), extend coverage from one base station 105 to another base station 105 (e.g., due to obstacles or due to other forms of path loss), and the like. Additionally, the millimeter wave repeater 140 described herein may be a layer 1 or analog millimeter wave repeater, which is associated with lower cost, less processing, and lower latency than layer 2 or layer 3 repeaters.

[0054] like Figure 4 As shown in , the millimeter wave repeater 140 can perform directional communication by using beamforming to communicate with the base station 105 via a first beam (e.g., a backhaul beam on a backhaul link with the base station 105) and to communicate with the UE 115 via a second beam (e.g., an access beam on an access link with the UE 115). Alternatively, the millimeter wave repeater 140 can communicate between two base stations 105 (e.g., in a wireless backhaul link) or between two UEs 115 (e.g., in a D2D or P2P link). To achieve a long propagation distance and / or meet a required link budget, the millimeter wave repeater can use a narrow beam (e.g., having a beamwidth less than a threshold) for such communication.

[0055] However, compared to wider beams, using narrower beams requires using more resources of the mmWave repeater 140 (e.g., processing resources, memory resources, power, battery power, etc.) and more network resources (e.g., time resources, frequency resources, space resources, etc.) to perform beam training (e.g., to determine a suitable beam), beam maintenance (e.g., to find a suitable beam when conditions change due to mobility, etc.), beam management, etc. This may use more resources of the mmWave repeater 140 and / or network resources than using wider beams and may result in increased production costs for the mmWave repeater 140, which may be widely deployed in a radio access network.

[0056] For example, the mmWave repeater 140 may be deployed in a fixed location with limited or no mobility, similar to the base station 105. Figure 4 As shown, the millimeter wave repeater 140 can use narrower beams to communicate with the base station 105 without consuming network resources and / or resources of the millimeter wave repeater 140 because the need for beam training, beam maintenance and / or beam management may be limited due to the limited or no mobility of the base station 105 and the millimeter wave repeater 140 (and / or due to the line-of-sight communication path between the base station 105 and the millimeter wave repeater 140).

[0057] like Figure 4 As further shown in FIG, the millimeter wave repeater 140 can use a wider beam (e.g., a pseudo-omnidirectional beam, etc.) to communicate with one or more UEs 115. The wider beam can provide wider coverage for the access link, thereby providing coverage to the mobile UE 115 without the need for frequent beam training, beam maintenance, and / or beam management. In this way, network resources and / or resources of the millimeter wave repeater 140 can be saved. In addition, if the millimeter wave repeater 140 does not include digital signal processing capabilities on the millimeter wave communication interface, resources of the base station 105 (e.g., processing resources, memory resources, etc.) that would otherwise be used to perform such signal processing for the millimeter wave repeater 140 can be saved, and network resources that would otherwise be used to communicate inputs or outputs of such processing between the base station 105 and the millimeter wave repeater 140 can be saved. In this way, the millimeter wave repeater 140 can increase the coverage area, provide access around obstacles (as shown in the figure), etc., while saving resources of the base station 105, resources of the millimeter wave repeater 140, network resources, etc.

[0058] Figure 5 An example of a downlink communication path from base station 502 to UE 504 through relay 506 is illustrated. Figure 5 In the downlink communication path example, the base station 502 uses a power level P TX,B The power level represents the transmit (TX) power (P) at the base station (B). When transmitting from the base station 502 to the repeater 506, the transmitted signal experiences a certain amount of path loss (PL1). The path loss causes the transmitted signal to be received at the repeater 506 with a power of P. RX,R(DL) Received, received power P RX,R(DL) represents the received (RX) power (P) of the downlink (DL) transmission at the relay (R). The relay 506 converts the gain (G DL ) is applied to the signal received from the base station 502. The gain applied to the received signal at the repeater 506 causes the repeater 506 to transmit the received signal at a power level P TX,R(DL)The signal is transmitted to the UE 504. When transmitting from the relay 506 to the UE 504, the transmitted signal experiences a certain amount of path loss (PL2). The path loss causes the transmitted signal to be received at the UE 504 with a power of P. RX,U Received, received power P RX,U represents the receive (RX) power (P) of the downlink (DL) transmission at the UE (U). The path loss values ​​(PL1 and PL2) represent any air loss experienced in the communication channel, which is compensated by any transmit array gain or receive array gain (such as beamforming gain) applied to the signal.

[0059] The power level P used at base station 502 TX,B The power level P used at the repeater 506 TX,R(DL) The difference between Figure 5 denoted as an increment (Δ) in . The increment value may be customized by base station 502 to be zero (e.g., the same transmit power level at both devices), or to another value that meets the performance objectives of the system. Base station 502 may customize, adjust, or dynamically set the increment by selecting a transmit power used by base station 502, selecting a gain value to be applied at repeater 506, selecting a transmit power used by repeater 506 (which may be used by repeater 506 to derive a gain value to be applied to received downlink signals), or any combination thereof. Although Figure 5 A single relay between the base station 502 and the UE 504 is illustrated, but other implementations may include additional relays creating a multi-hop relay network between the base station 502 and the UE 504 .

[0060] The gain value (G DL ) can be adjusted by the base station 502 or the repeater itself. The available gain value may be subject to one or more constraints, such as a maximum gain or maximum output power at the repeater 506. The maximum gain may be established as a function of loop gain, input power, or other factors. In some implementations, the base station 502 jointly sets (or adjusts) its own transmit power and the relay power gain (or transmit power). Having multiple power or gain adjustment points can allow the base station 502 to achieve a desired target receive power at the UE 504, achieve interference management goals, achieve power savings at the base station or repeater, or any combination thereof.

[0061] As one example, the base station 502 can conserve power at the repeater 506 by setting the gain value at the repeater 506 to a relatively low value within the range of available gain values, thereby resulting in a relatively low transmit power level at the repeater 506 that would use less power than if a higher repeater transmit power were used. As another example, the base station 502 can reduce interference in a signal received at the UE 504 by transmitting from the base station 502 at a relatively high value within the range of available transmit power levels, thereby avoiding the need for a relatively high gain value at the repeater 506 that might otherwise boost any interference received with the signal entering the repeater 506. As yet another example, the base station 502 can achieve a target received power for the signal at the UE 504 by setting the gain value at the repeater 506 to a relatively high value within the range of available gain values, thereby resulting in a higher received power at the UE 504 than if a lower gain value were applied at the repeater 506.

[0062] Decisions by the base station 502 regarding which power level to use at the base station 502 and which gain value to use at the repeater 506 may be made based on information (e.g., one or more power configuration parameters) received from the repeater 506, the UE 504, or both. These power configuration parameters received from other devices allow the base station 502 to determine channel conditions for the downlink communication path and, based on the determined channel conditions and the power control settings and / or limitations of the devices in the communication path, set transmit power or gain values ​​to achieve the communication goals of the system.

[0063] The power configuration parameters sent from the relay 506 to the base station 502 may include any one or more of the following: a power headroom parameter associated with the relay 506, a current transmit power parameter associated with the relay 506, a current gain setting associated with the relay 506, a maximum gain setting associated with the relay 506, a maximum output power value associated with the relay 506, or any other information that the base station 502 may seek from the relay 506 for managing the power control process of the end-to-end system. The UE 504 may also send information (e.g., power configuration parameters) to the base station 502 to assist the base station 502 in determining channel conditions. For example, the UE 504 may send a received power report to the base station 502 indicating the power level of received communications. The base station 502 may use information from the relay 506, information from the UE 504, information determined by the base station itself, or any combination thereof to determine the desired transmit power level and / or gain value for the relay 506 or the base station 502.

[0064] Figure 6 An example of an uplink communication path from UE 604 to base station 602 through relay 606 is illustrated. Figure 6In the uplink communication path example, UE 604 transmits data at a power level P TX,U The power level represents the transmit (TX) power (P) at the UE (U). When transmitting from the UE 604 to the relay 606, the transmitted signal experiences a certain amount of path loss (PL2). The path loss causes the transmitted signal to be received at the relay 606 with a power of P. RX,R(UL) Received, received power P RX,R(UL) represents the receive (RX) power (P) of the uplink (UL) transmission at the relay (R). The relay 606 increases the gain (G UL ) is applied to the signal received from UE 604. The gain applied to the received signal at repeater 606 causes repeater 606 to transmit the received signal at power level P TX,R(UL) The signal is transmitted to the base station 602. When being transmitted from the repeater 606 to the base station 602, the transmitted signal experiences a certain amount of path loss (PL1). The path loss causes the transmitted signal to be received at the base station 602 with a power P RX,B Received, received power P RX，B represents the receive (RX) power (P) at the base station (B). The path loss values ​​(PL1 and PL2) represent any air loss experienced in the communication channel, which is compensated by any transmit array gain or receive array gain (such as beamforming gain) applied to the signal.

[0065] The base station 602 may control the transmit power level at the UE 604, the relay 606, or both. For example, the base station 602 may control the power level P used at the UE 604. TX,U The power level P used at the repeater 606 TX,R(UL) The delta value between these two transmit levels may be customized by the base station 602 to be zero (e.g., the same transmit power level at both devices), or to another value that meets the performance objectives of the system. The base station 602 may customize, adjust, or dynamically set the delta by selecting the transmit power used by the UE 604, selecting the gain value to be applied at the repeater 606, selecting the transmit power used by the repeater 606 (which may be used by the repeater 606 to derive the gain value to be applied to the received uplink signal), or any combination thereof. Although Figure 6 A single relay between the base station 602 and the UE 604 is illustrated, but other implementations may include additional relays creating a multi-hop relay network between the base station 602 and the UE 604.

[0066] The gain value (G UL) can be adjusted by the base station 602 or the repeater itself. The available gain value may be subject to one or more constraints, such as a maximum gain or maximum output power at the repeater 606. The maximum gain may be established as a function of loop gain, input power, or other factors. In some implementations, the base station 602 jointly sets (or adjusts) the transmit power of the UE and the power gain (or transmit power) of the repeater. Having multiple power or gain adjustment points may allow the base station 602 to achieve a desired target receive power at the base station 602, achieve interference management goals, achieve power savings at the UE or repeater, or any combination thereof.

[0067] As one example, base station 602 can conserve power at repeater 606 by setting the gain value at repeater 606 to a relatively low value within a range of available gain values, thereby resulting in a relatively low transmit power level at repeater 606 that uses less power than would be the case if a higher repeater transmit power were used. As another example, base station 602 can conserve power at UE 604 by setting the transmit power level at UE 604 to a relatively low value within a range of available gain values, thereby using less power than would be the case if a higher UE transmit power were used. As yet another example, base station 602 can reduce interference in signals received at base station 602 by instructing UE 604 to transmit at a relatively high value within a range of available transmit power levels, thereby avoiding the need for a relatively high gain value at repeater 606 that might otherwise boost any interference received with signals entering repeater 606. As yet another example, the base station 602 may achieve a target received power for a signal at the base station 602 by setting a gain value at the repeater 606 to a relatively high value within a range of available gain values, thereby resulting in a higher received power at the base station 602 than if a lower gain value were applied at the repeater 606.

[0068] Decisions by the base station 602 regarding which power level to use at the UE 604 and which gain value to use at the repeater 606 may be made based on information received from the repeater 606, the UE 604, or both (e.g., one or more power configuration parameters). These power configuration parameters received from other devices allow the base station 602 to determine channel conditions for the uplink communication path and set transmit power or gain values ​​based on the determined channel conditions and the power control settings and / or limitations of the devices in the communication path to achieve the communication goals of the system. The base station may use some or all of the power configuration parameters for uplink power control processing, as described above in conjunction with Figure 5The base station 602 may also receive additional information specific to the uplink communication path that will assist in setting power control settings for uplink communications, such as the transmit power used by the UE 604 (or the base station 602 may determine this information based on information already available to the base station).

[0069] Figure 7 7 is a flow chart illustrating one example of a process 700 for a repeater to create gain-adjusted communications as part of a wireless communication system, wherein the repeater amplifies and relays communications between a first communication device (e.g., a UE, a base station, or another repeater) and a second communication device (e.g., a UE, a base station, or another repeater). The operations of process 700 may be implemented by a repeater, such as repeater 140 ( Figure 1 and 4 )、Repeater 205( Figure 2 ), repeater 506 ( Figure 5 ), Repeater 606 ( Figure 6 ) or one or more subcomponents of a repeater. For example, refer to Figure 2 and 7 , the operations of process 700 may be performed by one or more transceivers 230 (e.g., the transmitting and / or receiving actions of process 700), one or more processors 210, and / or instructions stored in memory 215, which are executed by processor 210 to enable the repeater to perform the actions (e.g., the processing actions of process 700).

[0070] At block 702, a repeater determines one or more power configuration parameters associated with the repeater. Some power configuration parameters may be static pre-configured values, such as a maximum gain or a maximum transmit power level. Other power configuration parameters may be dynamic and may change based on current operating conditions, such as a currently used gain or a currently used transmit power level.

[0071] The power configuration parameters may include any one or more of the following: a power headroom parameter associated with the repeater, a current transmit power parameter associated with the repeater, a current gain setting associated with the repeater, a maximum gain setting associated with the repeater, a maximum output power value associated with the repeater, or any other information that a control node (e.g., a base station or other entity) may seek from the repeater for use in managing power control for the end-to-end communication system. The power headroom parameter may indicate the difference between the maximum output power level and the output power level currently being used. The current transmit power parameter may indicate the power level used for the last transmission from the repeater, or the power level to be used for upcoming transmissions from the repeater if the power level has not been adjusted (e.g., by control signaling from a control node (e.g., a base station). The current gain setting may indicate the gain value used for the last amplification performed at the repeater, or the gain value to be used for amplifying upcoming transmissions received at the repeater if the gain value has not been adjusted (e.g., by control signaling from a control node (e.g., a base station). The maximum gain setting value may indicate the highest gain value that the repeater can apply to amplify incoming signals. The maximum output power value may indicate the highest transmit power level that the repeater can use for outgoing signals.

[0072] The power configuration parameters determined by the repeater may be interface-specific, beam-specific, or both. Interface-specific power configuration parameters may be determined by the repeater for a particular interface, such as an access interface between a UE and the repeater, a backhaul interface between a base station and the repeater, or a relay interface between two repeaters. A power configuration parameter may be different depending on which interface is associated with the parameter. For example, the current gain value of the repeater may be different for uplink traffic (on the backhaul interface with the base station) than for downlink traffic (on the access interface with the UE). To account for different power configuration parameters based on the associated interfaces, the repeater may determine a first set of power configuration parameters that is specific to a first interface with the base station, and determine a second set of power configuration parameters that is specific to a second interface with a communication device (e.g., a UE). The second set of power configuration parameters may differ from the first set of power configuration parameters by having different values ​​for a particular parameter based on the differences in the interfaces.

[0073] Beam-specific power configuration parameters may be determined by a repeater for a particular communication beam. A power configuration parameter may differ depending on which communication beam is associated with the parameter. For example, a repeater's current gain value for a first beam may differ from its current gain value for a second beam that is different from the first beam. To account for different power configuration parameters based on associated beams, the repeater may determine a first set of power configuration parameters specific to the first beam and a second set of power configuration parameters specific to the second beam. The second set of power configuration parameters may differ from the first set of power configuration parameters by having different values ​​for a particular parameter based on differences in the associated beams.

[0074] In block 704, the relay transmits one or more power configuration parameters from the relay to a control node, such as a base station or other entity. In some systems, the control node may be the same base station with which the relay exchanges data traffic. In other systems, the control node may be a different entity, such as a UE, a second relay, a second base station different from the base station that sends downlink traffic for amplification at the relay, a cloud-based management entity, another network entity or function, or another type of control node. The relay may transmit a single set of one or more configuration parameters to the control node (e.g., a base station), or may transmit multiple different sets of one or more configuration parameters to the control node (e.g., a base station). For example, multiple different sets of parameters may enable the relay to distinguish between parameters associated with different communication interfaces (access vs. backhaul) or parameters associated with different communication beams (beam 1 vs. beam 2). In the event that the relay has multiple different sets of parameters, the relay may transmit a first set of power configuration parameters and a second set of power configuration parameters to the control node (e.g., a base station). The relay may also transmit additional information to the base station. For example, the repeater may measure the power level of a signal received at the repeater and report the received power level measurement to the base station. The received power level report may be included in a common message with the power configuration parameter report (e.g., where the received power measurement is part of the power configuration parameters). Alternatively, the received power level report may be transmitted separately from a report conveying one or more power configuration parameters.

[0075] The power configuration parameter reporting at block 704 may be done periodically, aperiodically, or based on an event trigger. In an implementation using periodic reporting, the relay may be configured with a periodic reporting schedule based on a predefined configuration or based on negotiation with a control node (e.g., a base station). In an implementation using aperiodic or event-based triggering, the relay may transmit a power configuration parameter report based on detecting an event trigger and transmit the report to the control node (e.g., a base station) in response to the event trigger.

[0076] The event triggering may be based on one or more of detecting a request from a base station for updated power configuration parameters, detecting satisfying an output power threshold condition, detecting satisfying a gain setting threshold condition, detecting satisfying a received power threshold condition, or any other configured reporting triggering condition. When the event triggering is based on a request from a base station, the relay may receive a request for updated power configuration parameters from the relay, and the relay may transmit one or more power configuration parameters in response to the request. When the event triggering is based on a threshold triggering, the relay may be configured with a threshold (e.g., a gain threshold or a power threshold) based on a predefined configuration or based on negotiation with the base station. For example, the base station may configure the relay with an output power threshold or a gain setting threshold. When the relay detects that the current output power level satisfies the output power threshold or the current gain level satisfies the gain setting threshold, the relay may then report the one or more power configuration parameters to the base station in response to satisfying the output power threshold or the gain setting threshold. In other implementations, the event triggering may be based on an alternative metric. For example, the event triggering may be based on a comparison between a received power level and a received power threshold, wherein the UE triggers parameter reporting when the received power level satisfies the threshold.

[0077] In block 706, the repeater receives gain configuration information from a control node (e.g., a base station or other entity). The gain configuration information provides information about one or more gain settings or power level settings determined by the base station based at least in part on one or more power configuration parameters provided from the repeater to the base station. The gain of the repeater may be adjusted by the base station subject to one or more constraints, such as the maximum gain of the repeater or the maximum output power of the repeater. The maximum gain of the repeater may be a function of the loop gain and, optionally, also a function of the input power (to control self-interference or clutter echoes). In some cases, the gain configuration information may include instructions for the repeater to apply the maximum available gain to the received communication. In other cases, the gain configuration information may include instructions for the repeater to apply the minimum available gain to the received communication. In still other cases, the gain configuration information may include instructions for the repeater to apply a gain level at a dynamically selected point between the minimum available gain and the maximum available gain.

[0078] The gain configuration information may explicitly provide a gain value to be applied at the repeater, may explicitly provide an output power level to be used at the repeater, or may provide information that can be used by the repeater to derive a gain value and / or output power level. The gain configuration information may provide instructions for setting a single gain setting value or a single output power level, or may provide instructions for setting multiple different gain settings or multiple different output power levels. As an example, the gain configuration information may indicate a first gain setting value or output power level for a first transmission direction or a first communication interface, and a second gain setting value or output power level (different from the first gain setting value or output power level) for a second transmission direction or a second communication interface. In a specific example, the gain configuration information may provide the repeater with a gain to be applied for uplink communications that is different from a gain to be applied for downlink communications.

[0079] At block 708, the repeater receives a communication. The received communication is a transmission, message, or other information intended to be received by the repeater and forwarded to another device. Some repeaters within a wireless communication system may be designed as layer 1 millimeter wave repeaters (L1mmW repeaters). These repeaters may include a low-frequency interface (e.g., LTE, sub-6 GHz NR, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or other communication protocols) and a high-frequency interface (e.g., a millimeter wave interface). The L1mmW repeater may be able to receive and forward millimeter wave signals (through some internal signal processing, such as applying gain to the received signal and then forwarding the amplified signal), but may not be able to further interpret the content of the signal received on its mmW interface or generate new content for the mmW signal to be transmitted on the mmW interface. As an example, in some implementations, the L1mmW repeater may lack at least some of the physical layer, medium access control, and radio resource control (PHY / MAC / RLC) (or higher layer) protocol stacks on the mmW interface that would be present in a layer 2 or layer 3 repeater to interpret the content of the received mmW signal or generate new content for the mmW signal. For example, in some implementations, an L1 mmW repeater may lack a MAC scheduler on the mmW interface. Other repeaters within the wireless communication system may be higher-function repeaters (e.g., layer 2 repeaters or layer 3 repeaters) that have additional processing functionality to interpret the content of signals received on their mmW interfaces or generate new content for mmW signals to be transmitted on the mmW interfaces. The communication received at block 708 may be an analog millimeter wave signal received by the repeater via one or more receive antennas and based on receive beamforming.

[0080] At block 710, the repeater determines a gain value to be applied to incoming communications based on gain configuration information received from a control node (e.g., a base station or other entity). The repeater may determine the gain value to be applied based solely on the gain configuration information received from the base station, or may determine the gain value to be applied based on the gain configuration information received from the base station and also based on one or more gain control factors determined locally at the repeater. As one example, the gain configuration information received at the repeater from the base station explicitly specifies the gain value to be used by the repeater. As another example, the gain configuration information received at the repeater from the base station provides information that the repeater can use to determine the gain value to be used by the repeater.

[0081] In some implementations, the repeater applies the same gain value to both uplink and downlink communications (e.g., the repeater gain is symmetric for communications in both directions). In some implementations, the gain value is more dynamic, and the repeater may apply different amounts of gain to uplink and downlink communications depending on the direction of the communication (up versus down) (e.g., the repeater gain is asymmetric for communications in the two directions). For example, in these implementations, to determine the gain value to apply to a given incoming communication, the repeater may determine whether the received communication is an uplink communication or a downlink communication, and then select the gain value to apply based on gain configuration information received from the base station and the repeater's determination of whether the received communication is an uplink communication or a downlink communication.

[0082] In block 712, the repeater applies the determined gain value to the received communication to create a gain-adjusted communication. To achieve the gain, the repeater may include a power amplifier and a variable gain amplifier, which is set based on gain configuration information received from a control node (e.g., a base station or other entity). The variable gain amplifier may provide a variable range of gain value possibilities depending on the gain value determined in block 710. As discussed above, the repeater may be configured to receive an analog millimeter wave signal. The repeater may then apply the gain value by amplifying the received analog millimeter wave signal to be transmitted via one or more transmit antennas and based on transmit beamforming (in some implementations, without performing analog-to-digital conversion of the analog millimeter wave signal). In block 714, the repeater transmits the gain-adjusted communication to another device, such as a base station, a UE, or another communication device.

[0083] In process 700, the repeater may send and receive various communications, including receiving communications (block 708), transmitting forwarded communications (block 714), transmitting control information (e.g., power configuration parameters sent to a control node such as a base station) (block 704), and receiving control information (e.g., gain configuration information (block 706)). These communications may all be over a single radio access technology (RAT) or may be split across multiple RATs. In some implementations, the repeater may use a sidelink or out-of-band (OOB) communication path for control information. In this option, the repeater transmits one or more power configuration parameters (block 704) and receives gain configuration information (block 706) using a first RAT, and the repeater receives communications (block 708) and transmits gain-adjusted communications (block 714) using a second RAT different from the first RAT. The first RAT may be a non-millimeter wave interface, such as an interface associated with LTE, sub-6 GHz NR, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc., and the second RAT may be a millimeter wave NR interface. In other implementations, the repeater may transmit one or more power configuration parameters (block 704) and receive gain configuration information (block 706) using a first frequency range within a single RAT, and the repeater may receive communications (block 708) and transmit gain-adjusted communications (block 714) using a second frequency range within the single RAT that is different from the first frequency range. In still other implementations, the repeater may use different bandwidth parts (BWPs) for different types of communications. In this option, the repeater transmits one or more power configuration parameters (block 704) and receives gain configuration information (block 706) using a first BWP within a single frequency range of the single RAT, and the repeater may receive communications (block 708) and transmit gain-adjusted communications (block 714) using a second BWP within the single frequency range of the single RAT that is different from the first BWP.

[0084] Figure 8 8 is a flow chart illustrating one example of a process 800 for a control node, such as a base station, to communicate with a relay. In some systems, the operations of process 800 may be implemented by a base station, such as base station 105 ( Figure 1 and 4 )、Base Station 305( Figure 3 ), base station 502 ( Figure 5 ), base station 602 ( Figure 6 ) or one or more subcomponents of a base station. For example, referring to Figure 3 and 8The operations of process 800 may be performed by one or more transceivers 330 (e.g., the transmitting and / or receiving actions of process 800), one or more processors 210, and / or instructions stored in memory 215, which are executed by processor 210 to enable the relay to perform the actions (e.g., the processing actions of process 800). Although discussed below in conjunction with a system in which a base station is a control node for a relay, Figure 8 , but other types of control nodes (e.g., a UE, a second repeater, a second base station different from the base station that sends downlink traffic for amplification at the repeater, a cloud-based management entity, another network entity or function, etc.) may perform the operations of process 800 in an alternative system.

[0085] At block 802, the base station receives one or more power configuration parameters associated with the relay. Additional details regarding the content and use of the power configuration parameters received by the base station are provided in conjunction with Figure 7 , wherein the repeater determines a power configuration parameter and transmits the power configuration parameter to the base station. At block 804, the base station determines gain configuration information for the repeater based on one or more power configuration parameters received from the repeater. At block 806, the base station transmits the gain configuration information from the base station to the repeater. Additional details regarding the content and use of the gain configuration information transmitted by the base station to the repeater are provided in conjunction with Figure 7 , wherein the repeater receives gain configuration information and determines a gain value based on the gain configuration information received from the base station. At block 808, the base station communicates with the communication device through the repeater based on applying the gain configuration information at the repeater. For example, communicating with another device through the repeater may include receiving a communication from the communication device via the repeater that has been gain adjusted at the repeater based on the gain configuration information, or transmitting the communication to the repeater to have the gain adjusted at the repeater based on the gain configuration information and then relayed from the repeater to the communication device. Further details of these uplink and downlink communications through the gain amplified repeater are described in Figure 7 808 . In some implementations, the actions in block 808 may not be performed by a control node. In some systems, the control node that configures the one or more gain values ​​at the repeater may be the same base station that exchanges data traffic with the repeater. In this example, the base station may perform block 808. In other systems, the control node may be a different entity than the base station that exchanges data traffic with the repeater, and thus the control node may not perform the actions of block 808.

[0086] Figure 99 is a flow chart illustrating one example of a process 900 for a control node, such as a base station, to configure one or more gain values ​​and / or output power levels at one or more devices (e.g., at a UE, at a relay, and / or at the base station itself). In some systems, the operations of process 900 may be implemented by a base station, such as base station 105 ( Figure 1 and 4 )、Base Station 305( Figure 3 ), base station 502 ( Figure 5 ), base station 602 ( Figure 6 ) or one or more subcomponents of a base station. For example, referring to Figure 3 and 8 The operations of process 800 may be performed by one or more transceivers 330 (e.g., the transmitting and / or receiving actions of process 900), one or more processors 210, and / or instructions stored in memory 215, which are executed by processor 210 to enable the relay to perform the actions (e.g., the processing actions of process 900). Although discussed below in conjunction with a system in which a base station is a control node for a relay (and other devices), Figure 9 , but other types of control nodes (e.g., a UE, a second repeater, a second base station different from the base station that sends downlink traffic for amplification at the repeater, a cloud-based management entity, another network entity or function, etc.) may perform the operations of process 900 in an alternative system.

[0087] In block 902, the base station determines one or more received power metrics. For uplink communications, the base station may determine the received power metric based on measurements of one or more uplink communications. The base station may also receive one or more received power reports from a repeater regarding received power measurements of uplink communications transmitted from a device (e.g., a UE or another repeater) to the repeater that reports the received power metric. For downlink communications, the base station may determine the received power metric from one or more received power reports from other devices. For example, a repeater and / or a UE may receive a communication from a base station, measure the received power level, and then report one or more received power measurements to the base station. For a given communication or set of communications, the base station may receive one or more received power reports from a repeater and one or more received power reports from a UE.

[0088] At block 904, the base station determines one or more path losses based on the received power metrics determined at block 902. In an example communication path involving one base station, one relay, and one UE, the base station may determine one or more of a total end-to-end path loss between the base station and the UE, a path loss between the relay and the base station, or a path loss between the relay and the UE. In other example communication paths with other configurations of one or more base stations, one or more relays, and one or more UEs, the base station may perform additional path loss calculations.

[0089] The base station can determine the path loss experienced by end-to-end downlink communications by comparing the base station's known transmit power level with the received power level reported by the UE receiving the downlink communications. Similarly, the base station can determine the path loss experienced by end-to-end uplink communications by comparing the UE's known transmit power level with the measured received power level determined at the base station. The base station can also be able to decompose the end-to-end path loss into its components based on received power reports received from relays (for uplink or downlink communications) in the path between the base station and the UE.

[0090] In some implementations, the path loss calculation may be based on the transmission of one or more synchronization signal / PBCH (Physical Broadcast Channel) block (SSB) messages or one or more channel state information reference signal (CSI-RS) messages. For example, the downlink path loss estimation may be done at the UE. The transmit power of the SSB is known and is indicated in the system information block (e.g., SIB1) parameter "SS-PBCH-BlockPower". This parameter indicates the transmit power level used by the base station for the SSB. The UE may then calculate the path loss based on the difference between the received power of the SSB measured at the UE and the known transmit power from the base station. If a CSI-RS message is used for channel estimation, the base station may indicate the power level of the CSI-RS message, such as via an offset (-3dB, 0, 3dB, or 6dB) from the SSB transmit power. The UE may then calculate the path loss based on the difference between the received power of the CSI-RS measured at the UE and the known transmit power from the base station. If the UE determines path loss information and / or received power information, the UE may report the measurement or determination back to the base station to allow the base station to use the measurement or determination to control transmit power or gain in the system.

[0091] In block 906, the base station determines one or more of a target received power level associated with the upcoming communication, a target transmitter power consumption level associated with the upcoming communication, and / or a target maximum interference level associated with the upcoming communication. For uplink communications, the base station may determine one or more of a target received power level at the base station for uplink communications, a target power consumption level associated with transmissions from a UE or a repeater, and / or a target maximum interference level at the base station or other device. For downlink communications, the base station may determine one or more of a target received power level at the UE for downlink communications, a target power consumption level associated with transmissions from the base station or a repeater, and / or a target maximum interference level at the UE or other device. For downlink communications or uplink communications, the base station may determine a target received power level at the repeater.

[0092] At block 908, the base station selects gain configuration information and / or power configuration information based at least in part on the one or more path loss determinations from block 904, the one or more target level determinations from block 906, or both. The base station may select gain configuration information for a repeater in the communication path by selecting a gain value for use as amplification at the repeater. The selection of the gain value may be based at least in part on the path loss determination of block 904 or the target level determination of block 906. Additionally or alternatively, the selection of the gain value for the repeater at the base station may be based at least in part on the path loss determination of block 904 or the target level determination of block 906. Figure 7 The base station may also select power configuration information at block 908, such as selecting an output power level to be used by the base station (for downlink), the relay (for uplink or downlink), or the UE (for uplink).

[0093] At block 910, the base station configures gain values ​​and / or output levels at one or more devices based on the determination made at block 908. The base station may adjust one value, or multiple different values ​​to achieve the desired performance goals.

[0094] As an example, for downlink signals transmitted from a base station to a UE via a repeater, the base station may coordinate the selection of the transmit power level to be used at the base station and the gain value to be applied at the repeater based on the desired received power level at the UE (or other target level determination from block 906). In some implementations, both the transmit power level to be used at the base station and the gain value to be applied at the repeater are variable values ​​selected by the base station. In other implementations, the transmit power level to be used at the base station is a fixed value, and the gain value to be applied at the repeater is a variable value selected by the base station. The fixed value in some implementations may be set to the maximum available transmit power level. The maximum available transmit power level may be defined by the hardware capabilities of the base station or limited by government regulations. Using the maximum supported transmit power level at the base station may result in a higher end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) level than using a lower transmit power level. In other implementations, the fixed value used for base station transmissions may be set to the minimum available transmit power level. The minimum available transmit power level may be defined as the minimum power level that still achieves the target received power at another device (such as an amplifying repeater). Using the minimum supported transmit power level at the base station may result in lower power consumption for transmissions at the base station compared to using a higher transmit power level, or may result in lower interference compared to using a higher transmit power level.

[0095] As another example, for uplink signals transmitted from a UE to a base station via a repeater, the base station may coordinate the selection of a transmit power level for use at the UE and a gain value to be applied at the repeater based on the desired received power level at the base station (or other target level determination from block 906). In some implementations, both the transmit power level for use at the UE and the gain value to be applied at the repeater are variable values ​​selected by the base station. In other implementations, the transmit power level for use at the UE is a fixed value, and the gain value to be applied at the repeater is a variable value selected by the base station. In some implementations, the fixed value used for UE transmissions may be set to the maximum available transmit power level. The maximum available transmit power level may be defined by the UE's hardware capabilities or limited by government regulations. Using the maximum supported transmit power level at the UE may result in a higher end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) level than using a lower transmit power level. In other implementations, the fixed value used for UE transmissions may be set to the minimum available transmit power level. The minimum available transmit power level can be defined as the minimum power level at which a target received power can still be achieved at another device (such as an amplifying repeater). Using the minimum supported transmit power level at the UE can result in lower power consumption for transmission at the UE compared to using a higher transmit power level, or can result in lower interference compared to using a higher transmit power level.

[0096] In some implementations, the base station may configure the gain value and / or output power level at multiple possible adjustment points in block 910. These multiple possible adjustment points allow the base station to customize a coordinated approach to power control. The coordinated approach can balance potentially competing goals across the system, such as saving power (e.g., battery-powered devices), managing interference, or meeting a desired link budget. With respect to managing interference, the end-to-end (E2E) signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a downlink (DL) signal from the base station through the repeater to the UE may be approximately determined by the following equation (where SNR1 is the SNR between the base station and the repeater, SNR2 is the SNR between the repeater and the UE, and F is a factor related to the internal noise figure at the repeater):

[0097]

[0098] Due to the noise boost factor F of the amplify-and-forward repeater in the communication path, SNR1 is more important than SNR2 for the overall E2E SNR. Therefore, in some implementations, it may be desirable to have a high SNR value for SNR1. Accordingly, the base station may set its transmit power to a relatively high power so that SNR1 is relatively high. The base station may then set the gain value or output power level of the repeater accordingly to achieve the desired received power level or desired total link budget at the UE. Similarly, for uplink signals, the repeater may amplify and forward any received interference that causes noise boost. Therefore, the base station may seek to set the UE's transmit power to a relatively high value so as to have a relatively good SNR on the first link of the communication path (e.g., the link from the UE to the repeater). The base station may then set the gain value or output power level of the repeater accordingly to achieve the desired received power level or desired total link budget at the UE. Alternatively, the base station may desire to save power at the UE by setting a relatively low output power level, and then rely on the repeater to have a relatively high gain value to compensate for the low UE transmit power while still achieving the target receive power at the base station. Thus, using multiple adjustment points in the communication path, the base station can coordinate gain values ​​and output transmit levels to achieve a desired mix of power savings, interference reduction, and other performance goals.

[0099] The various illustrative components, logic, logic blocks, modules, circuits, operations, and algorithmic processes described in conjunction with the implementations disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, firmware, software, or a combination of hardware, firmware, or software, including the structures disclosed in this specification and their structural equivalents. This interchangeability of hardware, firmware, and software has been generally described in terms of their functionality and illustrated in the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and processes described above. Whether such functionality is implemented in hardware, firmware, or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0100] The hardware and data processing apparatus for implementing the various illustrative components, logic, logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented or performed using a general-purpose single-chip or multi-chip processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device (PLD), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. The processor may be a microprocessor, or any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. In some implementations, specific processes, operations, and methods may be performed by circuitry dedicated to a given function.

[0101] As described above, in some respects, the realization of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented as software.For example, each function of each component disclosed herein or each frame or step of the method disclosed herein, operation, process or algorithm can be implemented as one or more modules of one or more computer programs.Such computer programs may include non-transient processors or computer-executable instructions encoded on one or more tangible processors or computer-readable storage media, which are used to perform or control the operation of the data processing device by the data processing device of the component including the device described herein.As an example and not a limitation, this storage medium may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage device or any other medium that can be used to store instruction or data structure form of program code.The above combination should also be included in the scope of storage medium.

[0102] Various modifications to the implementations described in this disclosure may be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other implementations without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to the implementations shown herein, but should be accorded the widest scope consistent with this disclosure, the principles, and the novel features disclosed herein.

[0103] In addition, various features described in this specification in the context of separate implementations may also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single implementation may also be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination. Thus, although features may be described above as functioning in a particular combination and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination may in some cases be removed from that combination, and a claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination, or variations of a subcombination.

[0104] Similarly, although the operations are depicted in a particular order in the accompanying drawings, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order shown or in a sequential order, or to perform all of the illustrated operations in order to achieve the desired result. In addition, the accompanying drawings may schematically depict one or more example processes in the form of a flow chart or flow diagram. However, other operations not depicted may be incorporated into the schematically illustrated example processes. For example, one or more additional operations may be performed before, after, simultaneously with, or between any of the illustrated operations. In some environments, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. In addition, the separation of the various system components in the implementations described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all implementations, and it should be understood that the described program components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged into multiple software products.

[0105] It should be understood that any reference to an element herein using designations such as "first," "second," etc. generally does not limit the number or order of these elements. Specifically, these designations can be used herein as a convenient method to distinguish between two or more elements or instances of elements. Therefore, the reference to a first element and a second element does not mean that only two elements can be used here or that the first element must be located before the second element in some way. Moreover, unless otherwise stated, a group of elements may include one or more elements. In addition, terms of the form "at least one of A, B, or C" or "one or more of A, B, or C" or "at least one of a group comprising A, B, and C" used in the specification or claims mean "A or B or C or any combination of these elements." For example, this term can include A, or B, or C, or A and B, or A and C, or A and B and C, or 2A, or 2B, or 2C, etc. In addition, although some aspects may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is also contemplated unless explicitly stated to be limited to the singular.

Claims

1. A repeater for relaying communication between a first communication device and a second communication device, comprising: processor; as well as a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processor to cause the repeater to: determining one or more power configuration parameters associated with the repeater; transmitting the one or more power configuration parameters from the repeater to a control node, wherein the one or more power configuration parameters transmitted from the repeater to the control node include a power headroom parameter associated with the repeater, a current transmit power parameter associated with the repeater, or a current gain setting associated with the repeater; receiving, at the relay, from the control node, gain configuration information determined for the relay based on the power headroom parameter associated with the relay, the current transmit power parameter associated with the relay, or the current gain setting associated with the relay; receiving a communication from the first communication device; determining a gain value for the repeater based on the gain configuration information; applying the gain value at the repeater to the received communication to create a gain-adjusted communication; as well as The gain adjusted communication is transmitted from the repeater to the second communication device.

2. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the one or more power configuration parameters transmitted from the repeater to the control node further include a maximum gain setting value associated with the repeater, wherein the gain configuration information is determined for the repeater based on the maximum gain setting value associated with the repeater.

3. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the one or more power configuration parameters transmitted from the repeater to the control node further include a maximum output power value associated with the repeater, wherein the gain configuration information is determined for the repeater based on the maximum output power value associated with the repeater. 4 . The relay of claim 1 , wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processor to cause the relay to transmit the one or more power configuration parameters to the control node based on a periodic schedule. 5 . The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processor to cause the repeater to detect an event trigger and transmit the one or more power configuration parameters to the control node in response to the event trigger.

6. The repeater of claim 5 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor to cause the repeater to detect the event trigger include instructions executable by the processor to cause the repeater to: detecting a request for updated power configuration parameters from the control node; Detecting that the output power threshold condition is met; or Detects that the gain setting threshold condition is met.

7. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processor to cause the repeater to: determining a first set of power configuration parameters specific to a first communication beam; determining a second set of power configuration parameters specific to a second communication beam; wherein the second set of power configuration parameters is different from the first set of power configuration parameters; and The first set of power configuration parameters, the second set of power configuration parameters, or both are transmitted to the control node.

8. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processor to cause the repeater to: determining a first set of power configuration parameters specific to a first interface with the first communication device; determining a second set of power configuration parameters specific to a second interface with the second communications device, wherein the second set of power configuration parameters is different from the first set of power configuration parameters; and The first set of power configuration parameters, the second set of power configuration parameters, or both are transmitted to the control node.

9. The repeater of claim 1, further comprising: one or more receiving antennas; as well as one or more transmitting antennas; wherein the one or more receive antennas are configured to receive the communications as analog millimeter wave signals based on receive beamforming; wherein the instructions executable by the processor to cause the repeater to apply the gain value include instructions executable by the processor to cause the repeater to amplify the analog millimeter wave signal without performing analog-to-digital conversion of the analog millimeter wave signal; and The one or more transmit antennas are configured to transmit the amplified analog millimeter wave signal based on transmit beamforming.

10. The repeater of claim 1, wherein the repeater is a layer 1 millimeter wave repeater.

11. The repeater of claim 1, further comprising a power amplifier and a variable gain amplifier set based on the gain configuration information received from the control node.

12. The repeater of claim 1, wherein the gain configuration information received at the repeater from the control node explicitly specifies the gain value to be used by the repeater.

13. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor to cause the repeater to determine the gain value include instructions executable by the processor to cause the repeater to: determining whether the received communication is an uplink communication or a downlink communication; and The gain value is selected based on the gain configuration information and a determination of whether the received communication is an uplink communication or a downlink communication.

14. The repeater of claim 13, wherein the instructions executable by the processor to cause the repeater to determine the gain value include instructions executable by the processor to cause the repeater to perform the following operations: select the gain value differently when the received communication is an uplink communication than when the received communication is a downlink communication.

15. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor to cause the repeater to determine the gain value include instructions executable by the processor to cause the repeater to perform the following operations: determining the gain value based on the gain configuration information received from the control node and also based on one or more gain control factors determined locally at the repeater.

16. The repeater of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to transmit the one or more power configuration parameters and receive the gain configuration information using a different radio access technology (RAT) than the repeater uses to receive the communication and transmit the gain adjusted communication.

17. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to transmit the one or more power configuration parameters and receive the gain configuration information using a frequency range within the same radio access technology (RAT) that is different from that used by the repeater to receive the communication and transmit the gain-adjusted communication.

18. The repeater of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to transmit the one or more power configuration parameters and receive the gain configuration information using a different portion of bandwidth within the same frequency range of the same radio access technology (RAT) than that used by the repeater to receive the communication and transmit the gain-adjusted communication.

19. The relay of claim 1, wherein the control node is the first communication device, and wherein the first communication device is a network node.

20. A wireless communication method performed by a repeater, the repeater relaying communication between a first communication device and a second communication device, comprising: determining one or more power configuration parameters associated with the repeater; transmitting the one or more power configuration parameters from the repeater to a control node, wherein the one or more power configuration parameters transmitted from the repeater to the control node include a power headroom parameter associated with the repeater, a current transmit power parameter associated with the repeater, or a current gain setting associated with the repeater; receiving, at the relay, from the control node, gain configuration information determined for the relay based on the power headroom parameter associated with the relay, the current transmit power parameter associated with the relay, or the current gain setting associated with the relay; receiving a communication from the first communication device; determining a gain value for the repeater based on the gain configuration information; applying the gain value for the repeater to the received communication to create a gain-adjusted communication; as well as The gain adjusted communication is transmitted from the repeater to the second communication device.

21. A wireless communication method performed by a control node in communication with a relay, comprising: receiving, at the control node, from the repeater one or more power configuration parameters associated with the repeater, wherein the one or more power configuration parameters received at the control node from the repeater include a power headroom parameter associated with the repeater, a current transmit power parameter associated with the repeater, or a current gain setting associated with the repeater; determining gain configuration information for the repeater based on a power headroom parameter associated with the repeater, a current transmit power parameter associated with the repeater, or a current gain setting associated with the repeater; as well as The gain configuration information is transmitted from the control node to the repeater.

22. A control node communicating with a repeater, comprising: processor; as well as a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processor to cause the control node to: receiving, at the control node, from the repeater one or more power configuration parameters associated with the repeater, wherein the one or more power configuration parameters received at the control node from the repeater include a power headroom parameter associated with the repeater, a current transmit power parameter associated with the repeater, or a current gain setting associated with the repeater; determining gain configuration information for the repeater based on the power headroom parameter associated with the repeater, the current transmit power parameter associated with the repeater, or the current gain setting associated with the repeater; as well as The gain configuration information is transmitted from the control node to the repeater.

23. The control node of claim 22, wherein the control node is a network node, and wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processor to cause the network node to: Communicating with a communication device through the repeater is performed based on applying the gain configuration information at the repeater.

24. The control node of claim 22, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processor to cause the control node to: Coordinating selection of a transmit power level for use at the first communication device and a gain value to be applied at the repeater based on at least one of: a target received power level at a second communication device of a signal transmitted from the first communication device to the second communication device through the repeater; Target transmitter power consumption level; or Target maximum interference level.

25. The control node of claim 22, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processor to cause the control node to: receiving a power report from at least one of the repeater or the first communication device; as well as determining a path loss experienced between the first and second communications devices through the relay based on the received power report; The instructions executable by the processor to cause the control node to determine the gain configuration information for the repeater include instructions executable by the processor to cause the control node to perform the following operations: select a gain value for use at the repeater based on the path loss determination and the one or more power configuration parameters associated with the repeater.

26. The control node of claim 22, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the processor to cause the control node to: determining a transmit power level used by the first communications device; determining a received power level at a second communication device; as well as determining a path loss experienced between the first communication device and the second communication device through the repeater based on the transmit power level and the received power level; The instructions executable by the processor to cause the control node to determine the gain configuration information for the repeater include instructions executable by the processor to cause the control node to perform the following operations: select a gain value for use at the repeater based on the path loss determination and the one or more power configuration parameters associated with the repeater.

27. A control node as described in claim 22, wherein the instructions capable of being executed by the processor to cause the control node to transmit the gain configuration information include instructions capable of being executed by the processor to cause the control node to perform the following operations: specifying a first gain value for use at the repeater for communication from a first communication device through the repeater to a second communication device and a second gain value different from the first gain value for use at the repeater for communication from the second communication device through the repeater to the first communication device.

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