Delay control to improve frequency domain channel estimation in an echo cancellation repeater

1. A wireless repeater including a first antenna and a second antenna to receive an input signal and transmit an amplified signal, the input signal being a sum of a remote signal to be repeated and a feedback signal resulting from a feedback channel between the first antenna and the second antenna, the repeater comprising:

an echo canceller to receive the input signal and configured to generate an echo cancelled signal by estimating a feedback channel between the first antenna and the second antenna and further configured to cancel a feedback signal estimate from the input signal;

an amplifier to amplify the echo cancelled signal and to provide the amplified signal to the first antenna or the second antenna to be transmitted; and

a variable delay element configured to receive the echo cancelled signal and to introduce a first delay to the echo cancelled signal, the first delay being selected to reduce delay spread in the estimation of the feedback channel, wherein the delayed echo cancelled signal output by the variable delay element is coupled to the echo canceller as a reference signal for estimating the feedback channel.

2. The wireless repeater of claim 1 , wherein the echo canceller is configured to generate the echo cancelled signal by estimating the feedback channel between the first antenna and the second antenna and providing a feedback channel estimate, and further configured to estimate the feedback signal estimate based on the feedback channel estimate, the feedback signal estimate being subtracted from the input signal to generate the echo cancelled signal.

3. The wireless repeater of claim 2 , wherein the echo canceller comprises:

a channel estimation block to receive the input signal and the delayed echo cancelled signal and to generate the feedback channel estimate using the delayed echo cancelled signal as a reference signal, the reference signal being delayed from the amplified signal and wherein the delay advances the feedback channel to be estimated;

a feedback signal estimate computation block to generate the feedback signal estimate based on the feedback channel estimate; and

a summer to receive the input signal and the feedback signal estimate, the summer to subtract the feedback signal estimate from the input signal to generate the echo cancelled signal.

4. The wireless repeater of claim 1 , wherein the repeater is configured to adjust the first delay when the repeater is started up.

5. The wireless repeater of claim 1 , wherein the repeater is configured to tune the first delay periodically during repeater operation.

6. The wireless repeater of claim 1 , wherein the first delay is selected to calibrate out bulk delay in the feedback channel to reduce the delay spread.

7. The wireless repeater of claim 1 , further comprising a second variable delay element to introduce a second delay to the echo cancelled signal, the second delay less than a maximum decorrelation delay amount and selected to provide decorrelation of the remote signal with the amplified signal.

8. A wireless repeater having a first antenna and a second antenna for receiving an input signal and for transmitting an amplified signal, the input signal being a sum of a remote signal to be repeated and a feedback signal resulting from a feedback channel between the first antenna and the second antenna, the repeater comprising:

means for receiving the input signal and generating an echo cancelled signal by estimating a feedback channel between the first antenna and the second antenna and cancelling a feedback signal estimate from the input signal;

means for amplifying the echo cancelled signal and providing the amplified signal to the transmitting antenna; and

means for introducing a first delay to the echo cancelled signal, the first delay being selected to reduce delay spread in the estimation of the feedback channel, the delayed echo cancelled signal being coupled to the echo canceller as a reference signal for estimating the feedback channel.

9. A method for providing echo cancellation in a wireless repeater in a wireless communication system, comprising:

receiving an input signal at a first antenna of the repeater, the input signal being a sum of a remote signal to be repeated and a feedback signal resulting from a feedback channel between the first antenna and a second antenna;

estimating a feedback channel between the first antenna and the second antenna of the repeater;

cancelling a feedback signal estimate from the input signal and generating an echo cancelled signal;

amplifying the echo cancelled signal;

transmitting the amplified signal on the transmitting antenna;

introducing a first delay to the echo cancelled signal, the first delay being selected to reduce delay spread in the estimation of the feedback channel; and

providing the delayed echo cancelled signal as a reference signal for estimating the feedback channel, the reference signal being delayed from the amplified signal and having the effect of advancing the feedback channel to be estimated.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein estimating a feedback channel between the first antenna and the second antenna comprises estimating a feedback channel between the transmitting antenna and the receiving antenna and providing a feedback channel estimate, and estimating the feedback signal estimate using the feedback channel estimate; and cancelling a feedback signal estimate from the input signal and generating an echo cancelled signal comprises subtracting the feedback signal estimate from the input signal to generate the echo cancelled signal.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first delay is adjusted when the repeater is started up.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first delay is tuned periodically during repeater operation.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first delay is selected to calibrate out bulk delay in the feedback channel.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

introducing a second delay to the echo cancelled signal, the second delay less than a maximum decorrelation delay amount and being selected to provide decorrelation of the remote signal with the amplified signal,

wherein amplifying the echo cancelled signal comprises amplifying the delayed echo cancelled signal having the second delay.