System, method and apparatus for multi-carrier network controlled repeaters in a mobile network

Abstract

A Network Control Repeater, NCR, (608) is described that comprises a NCR-Mobile Termination (MT) circuit (740) which communicates with a base station (604) using a control link (730) and at least one NCR-Forward (Fwd) circuit (741) for communicating both with the base station (604), via a plurality of backhaul links (732, 734), and with at least one wireless subscriber communication unit (UE, 702), via a plurality of access links (724, 725). The NCR-Fwd circuit (741) thus forwards messages across multiple carriers, facilitating carrier aggregation or dual connectivity. In one embodiment (Fig. 8a) the network-controlled repeater may comprise a single NCR-MT and a single NCR-Fwd, the latter operating using multiple different carriers (812-815). Alternatively, the NCR may comprise a single NCR-MT and multiple NCR-Fwds, each operating using a respective different carrier (Fig 8b). Further still, the NCR may comprise multiple NCR-MTs, each associated with a plurality of NCR-Fwds (Fig. 9). The NCR-Fwds may be arranged in a main cell group, operating in a first band, FR1, and a second group of NCR-Fwds operating in a second band, FR2 (Fig. 10).

Images