Communication node and method for generating multicarrier signals by backscattering

1. A wireless communication node for generating multicarrier signals by means of backscattering in a wireless communication system, the wireless communication node comprising:

a plurality A of antennas configured to receive a radio frequency (RF) signal with a carrier frequency;

a plurality A of switches, each one of the plurality A of switches having a number M of states;

a number of impedance matrices, each impedance matrix comprising a number M of impedances; wherein each one of the plurality A of antennas is coupled to one of the impedance matrices by one of the plurality A switches;

a symbol mapper, a serial to parallel converter, and one or more modulators configured to generate a number A of baseband subcarrier signals based on data symbols to be transmitted;

wherein each one of the number A of baseband subcarrier signals is generated with an antenna specific frequency for each one of the plurality A of antennas;

one or more switch controllers configured to control the states of the plurality A of switches based on the generated number A of baseband subcarrier signals such that a corresponding impedance is selected among the number M of impedances for each one of the plurality A of antennas, and thereby the received RF signal at each one of the plurality A of antennas is modulated by its specific frequency baseband subcarrier signal; and

wherein a group of RF subcarrier signals is generated by reflecting the modulated RF signal from each antenna, and thereby the multicarrier signals are generated from the plurality A of antennas;

wherein A and M are whole integer numbers.

2. The wireless communication node of claim 1 , wherein the frequencies of the number A of baseband subcarrier signals are chosen such that frequencies of the group of RF subcarriers generated from each one of the plurality A of antennas have a center frequency corresponding to a center frequency of a subcarrier in the wireless communication system.

3. The wireless communication node of claim 1 , wherein the group of RF subcarrier signals comprises one RF subcarrier signal, and wherein each one of the plurality A of antennas generates a different RF subcarrier signal.

4. The wireless communication node of claim 1 , wherein a center frequency of the received RF signal corresponds to one frequency in a channel raster of the multicarrier wireless communication system.

5. The wireless communication node of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality A of reflection amplifiers coupled to the plurality A of antennas respectively.

6. The wireless communication node of claim 5 , further comprising an energy scavenging circuitry configured to supply power for the plurality A reflection amplifiers.

7. The wireless communication node of claim 6 , wherein the energy scavenging circuitry is an RF to DC power converter and configured to convert power of an RF signal received at a set of antennas to DC power.

8. The wireless communication node of claim 7 :

wherein the set of antennas is the same as the plurality A antennas for generating the multicarrier signals; and

wherein the wireless communication node further comprises a set of switches configured to control the plurality A antennas for backscattering and energy scavenging.

9. A method for generating multicarrier signals by means of backscattering in a wireless communication node in a multicarrier wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal with a carrier frequency by a plurality A of antennas;

generating a number A of baseband subcarrier signals based on data to be transmitted by a symbol mapper, a serial to parallel converter, and one or more modulators; wherein each one of the number A of baseband subcarrier signal is generated with a specific frequency for each one of the plurality A antennas;

controlling states of a plurality A switches coupled to the plurality A antennas based on the generated number A of baseband subcarrier signals such that a corresponding impedance is selected among the number M of impedances for each one of the plurality A of antennas, thereby modulating the received RF signal at each one of the plurality A of antennas with its specific frequency baseband subcarrier signal; and

generating a group of RF subcarrier signals by reflecting the modulated RF signal from each one of the plurality A of antennas, thereby generating the multicarrier signals from the plurality A antennas;

wherein A and M are whole integer numbers.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the frequencies of the number A of baseband signals are chosen such that frequencies of the subcarriers generated from each one of the plurality A of antennas has a center frequency corresponding to a center frequency of a subcarrier in the multicarrier wireless system.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the group of RF subcarrier signals comprises one RF subcarrier signal, and wherein each one of the plurality A of antennas generates a different RF subcarrier signal.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein a center frequency of the received RF signal corresponds to one frequency in a channel raster of the multicarrier wireless communication system.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising boosting the generated multicarrier signals by a plurality A of reflection amplifiers coupled to the plurality A of antennas respectively.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising supplying power for the plurality A reflection amplifiers by energy scavenging circuitry.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising converting power of an RF signal received at a set of antennas to DC power in the energy scavenging circuitry.

16. The method of claim 15 :

wherein the set of antennas is the same as the plurality A antennas for generating the multicarrier signals; and

wherein the method further comprises controlling the plurality A antennas for backscattering and energy scavenging by a set of switches.