Repeater methods and apparatus
Methods and apparatus for implementing a repeater are described. In various embodiments the repeater determines uplink/downlink timing information either from information broadcast from a base station or from monitoring received signals and/or gaps between received signals. In various embodiments while the repeater may decode control information to determine uplink/downlink time periods, user data is not decoded and re-encoded. In various embodiments interference between uplink and downlink circuitry is reduced or minimized by controlling gains, combining weights and/or power to amplifiers in the repeater based on the mode of operation. A stored information can include sets of different weights and/or parameters for the mode of operation and/or beam forming antenna pattern in use at a given time.
1. A method of operating a repeater comprising:
detecting a time division duplex (TDD) timing schedule including a plurality of times at which a switch is made between uplink and downlink communication;
controlling a donor side switch to change between a transmit position and a receive position based on the TDD timing schedule; and
when said TDD timing schedule indicates a change from a downlink mode of operation to an uplink mode of operation, setting a first set of donor side antenna receiver weights to a first set of values which cause constructive signal cancelation when combining signals received from donor side receive antenna outputs of a donor side antenna.
2. A method of operating a repeater comprising:
detecting a time division duplex (TDD) timing schedule including a plurality of times at which a switch is made between uplink and downlink communication, detecting the TDD timing schedule including:
i) receiving at least one of a system information broadcast (SIB) or a slot format indication (SFI) broadcast and
ii) decoding the received at least one of the SIB or SFI broadcast to recover TDD timing information;
controlling a donor side switch to change between a transmit position and a receive position based on the TDD timing schedule; and
when said TDD timing schedule indicates a change from a downlink mode of operation to an uplink mode of operation, setting a first set of donor side antenna receiver weights to a first set of values which cause constructive signal cancelation when combining signals received from donor side receive antenna outputs of a donor side antenna.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
when said TDD timing schedule indicates a change from a downlink mode of operation to an uplink mode of operation, further performing the step of:
decreasing the gain of a donor side receiver amplifier.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein decreasing the gain of the donor side receiver amplifier includes reducing said the voltage supplied to the amplifier to a lower voltage than a voltage which is supplied during downlink mode operation.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said lower voltage is a non-zero voltage.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein said lower voltage is a zero voltage.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using a beam which is narrower for donor side communications than service side communications.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising storing a code book including uplink mode information including serving and nulling weights for a plurality of different antenna beam arrangements.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
automatically selecting which set of donor side antenna weights is to be used at a given time based on the TDD timing schedule.
10. A repeater comprising:
a memory; and
a processor coupled to said memory, the processor being configured to:
detect a time division duplex (TDD) timing schedule including a plurality of times at which a switch is made between uplink and downlink communication;
control a donor side switch to change between a transmit position and a receive position based on the TDD timing schedule; and
set a first set of donor side antenna receiver weights to a first set of values which cause constructive signal cancelation when combining signals received from donor side receive antenna outputs of a donor side antenna.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said donor side antenna faces a base station and wherein the donor side receive antenna outputs are part of a signal path which is not used during uplink mode operation.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the TDD timing schedule includes:
receiving at least one of a system information broadcast (SIB) or a slot format indication (SFI) broadcast.
13. The repeater of claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
automatically select which set of donor side antenna weights is to be used at a given time based on the TDD timing schedule.
14. The repeater of claim 10 wherein the processor is configured, as part of detecting the TDD timing schedule, to:
receive at least one of a system information broadcast (SIB) or a slot format indication (SFI) broadcast; and
decode the received at least one of the SIB or SFI broadcast to recover TDD timing information.
15. The repeater of claim 14 , further comprising:
a donor side receiver amplifier; and
when said TDD timing schedule indicates a change from a downlink mode of operation to an uplink mode of operation, the processor being further configured to control the repeater to:
decrease the gain of a donor side receiver amplifier.
16. The repeater of claim 15 , wherein decreasing the gain of the donor side receiver amplifier includes reducing said the voltage supplied to the amplifier to a lower voltage than a voltage which is supplied during downlink mode operation.
17. The repeater of claim 16 , wherein said lower voltage is a non-zero voltage.
18. The repeater of claim 16 , wherein said lower voltage is a zero voltage.
19. The repeater of claim 14 , wherein said donor side antenna faces a base station and wherein the donor side receive antenna outputs are part of a signal path which is not used during uplink mode operation.
20. The repeater of claim 19 , wherein the processor is further configured to control the repeater to:
receive data signals via a service side antenna during said uplink mode of operation; and
retransmit the received data signals via the donor side antenna during said uplink mode of operation.
21. The repeater of claim 20 ,
wherein the repeater does not include an encoder or re-encoder; and
wherein said processor is configured to control the repeater to:
receive data signals via said service side antenna during the uplink mode of operation; and
retransmit the received signals via the donor side antenna during the uplink mode operation without decoding the received data signals.
22. The repeater of claim 13 , further comprising using a beam which is narrower for donor side communications than service side communications.
23. The repeater of claim 22 further comprising:
a code book stored in said memory including uplink mode information including serving and nulling weights for a plurality of different antenna beam arrangements.
24. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving data signals via a service side antenna during said uplink mode of operation; and
retransmitting the received data signals via the donor side antenna during said uplink mode of operation.
25. The method of claim 24 , wherein said receiving signals via said service side antenna and retransmitting the received signals via the donor side antenna are performed without decoding the received data signals.