Analog phased-array repeaters with digitally-assisted frequency translation and phase adjustment

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for wireless communications are described. A repeater may apply a frequency translation and a phase rotation adjustment to a transmitted signal to avoid radio frequency interference. For instance, wireless repeater may receive a signal from a first device on a first carrier frequency. The wireless repeater may identify one or more interfering signals affecting the reception or transmission of the signal. The wireless repeater may then perform a frequency translation from the first carrier frequency to the second carrier frequency, and may also apply a phase rotation adjustment corresponding to the frequency translation. The wireless repeater may retransmit the signal including the phase rotation adjustment over the second carrier frequency to a second device in the wireless network.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for wireless communications at a first device, comprising:
 one or more memories; and   one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories and individually or collectively configured to cause the first device to:
 receive, at a first antenna array of the first device, a signal at a first carrier frequency from a second device in a wireless network; 
 perform a frequency translation of the received signal from the first carrier frequency to a second carrier frequency, wherein a difference between the first carrier frequency and the second carrier frequency satisfies a threshold; and 
 transmit, by a second antenna array of the first device, the translated signal to a third device in the wireless network, the translated signal transmitted at the second carrier frequency. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein, to perform the frequency translation, the one or more processors are individually or collectively configured to cause the first device to:
 heterodyne, in an analog domain, the received signal from the first carrier frequency to the second carrier frequency.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first carrier frequency is associated with a first radio frequency spectrum band and the second carrier frequency is associated with a second radio frequency spectrum band different from the first radio frequency spectrum band. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further configured to cause the first device to:
 apply a phase rotation adjustment to the received signal based at least in part on the frequency translation of the received signal, the phase rotation adjustment corresponding to the second carrier frequency, the translated signal comprising the phase rotation adjustment.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further configured to cause the first device to:
 receive, at the first antenna array, control information comprising a configuration for the first device, wherein one or more of the frequency translation or the phase rotation adjustment is based at least in part on the configuration.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the configuration comprises an indication of one or more transmission directions, one or more gains, a beam width for one or more transmission beams, a beam width for one or more receive beams, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further configured to cause the first device to:
 demodulate the received signal; and   track carrier frequencies based at least in part on one or more reference signals, one or more synchronization signal blocks, or a combination thereof, identified based on demodulation of the received signal, wherein the phase rotation adjustment is applied based at least in part on the carrier frequency tracking.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further configured to cause the first device to:
 acquire symbol timing information for each of one or more symbol periods of the received signal, wherein the phase rotation adjustment is applied to the one or more symbol periods based at least in part on the symbol timing information.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further configured to cause the first device to:
 receive control information for the first device via a secondary link with another device, the secondary link different from a link associated with the first antenna array; and   track the carrier frequencies based at least in part on an identified clock signal associated with the secondary link.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the carrier frequencies are tracked in accordance with one or more phase-locked loop circuits. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further configured to cause the first device to:
 convert the received signal from an analog signal to a digital signal, wherein, to apply the phase rotation adjustment, the one or more processors are individually or collectively configured to cause the first device to:
 apply the phase rotation adjustment to the digital signal based at least in part on the second carrier frequency. 
   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the phase rotation adjustment is based at least in part on an equation comprising e −j2πf     n     t     start,l       μ     T     c   , wherein:
 t start,l   μ  comprises a starting position of a symbol l for a subcarrier spacing configuration μ in a subframe;   N CP,l   μ  comprises a cyclic prefix length in samples for the symbol l; and   T c  comprises a sampling interval in a baseband.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further configured to cause the first device to:
 perform digital gain control for the first antenna array, the second antenna array, or a combination thereof, based at least in part on a first antenna gain associated with the first antenna array and a second antenna gain associated with the second antenna array.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further configured to cause the first device to:
 downconvert the received signal to a baseband signal; and   filter the received signal using a first analog filter.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the first analog filter comprises one or more of a microwave filter, an intermediate frequency filter, a surface acoustic wave filter, a bulk acoustic wave filter, or a film bulk acoustic resonator filter. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further configured to cause the first device to:
 filter, during the downconversion, the received signal in accordance with a second analog filter, the second analog filter comprising one or more of an intermediate frequency filter, a surface acoustic wave filter, a bulk acoustic wave filter, or a film bulk acoustic resonator filter;   convert the received signal to a digital signal; and   filter the digital signal based at least in part on the conversion of the received signal to the digital signal.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein, to perform the frequency translation of the received signal, the one or more processors are individually or collectively configured to cause the first device to:
 heterodyne, in a digital domain, the digital signal from the first carrier frequency to the second carrier frequency.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein, to transmit the translated signal, the one or more processors are individually or collectively configured to cause the first device to:
 upconvert the received signal from baseband in accordance with a zero intermediate frequency architecture, low-intermediate frequency architecture, or a super-heterodyne architecture.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further configured to cause the first device to:
 downconvert the received signal to an intermediate frequency signal; and   filter the intermediate frequency signal in accordance with an analog filter, a surface acoustic wave filter, a bulk acoustic wave filter, a film bulk acoustic wave resonator filter, a digital filter, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the received signal is downconverted in accordance with a zero intermediate frequency architecture, low-intermediate frequency architecture, or a super-heterodyne architecture. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein, to transmit the translated signal, the one or more processors are individually or collectively configured to cause the first device to:
 transmit the translated signal as a beamformed signal, wherein one or more of the first antenna array or the second antenna array comprise a phased antenna array.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are individually or collectively further configured to cause the first device to:
 heterodyne, in a digital domain, the received signal from the first carrier frequency to the second carrier frequency.   
     
     
         23 . An apparatus for wireless communications at a first device, comprising:
 one or more memories; and   one or more processors coupled with the one or more memories and individually or collectively configured to cause the first device to:
 output, at a first carrier frequency, an indication of a configuration of a repeating device, the configuration being based at least in part on communication with one or more user equipment (UEs) via the repeating device; and 
 output, at a second carrier frequency, a beamformed signal based at least in part on the configuration, the first carrier frequency and the second carrier frequency associated with a same radio frequency spectrum band. 
   
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein, to transmit the indication of the configuration, the one or more processors are individually or collectively configured to cause the first device to:
 transmit a second beamformed signal comprising control information that indicates the configuration.   
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the second beamformed signal is transmitted via a first link used to communicate beamformed signal transmissions. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein, to transmit the indication of the configuration, the one or more processors are individually or collectively configured to cause the first device to:
 transmit, via a second link that is different from a first link used to communicate beamformed signal transmissions, a second signal that indicates the configuration.   
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the configuration comprises one or more transmission directions, one or more gains, a beam width for one or more transmission beams, a beam width for one or more receive beams, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the same radio frequency spectrum band comprises a millimeter wave (mmW) frequency range. 
     
     
         29 . A method for wireless communications at a first device, comprising:
 receiving, at a first antenna array of the first device, a signal at a first carrier frequency from a second device in a wireless network;   performing a frequency translation of the received signal from the first carrier frequency to a second carrier frequency, wherein a difference between the first carrier frequency and the second carrier frequency satisfies a threshold; and   transmitting, by a second antenna array of the first device, the translated signal to a third device in the wireless network, the translated signal being transmitted at the second carrier frequency.   
     
     
         30 . A method for wireless communications at a network device, comprising:
 outputting, at a first carrier frequency, an indication of a configuration of a repeating device, the configuration being based at least in part on communicating with one or more user equipment (UEs); and   outputting, at a second carrier frequency, a beamformed signal based at least in part on the configuration, the first carrier frequency and the second carrier frequency being associated with a same radio frequency spectrum band.