Methods for switching between repeater and intelligent reflective surface operations in an assistive device

1. An assistive node comprising:

memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

transmit, to a network entity, a control message indicating that the assistive node is capable of operating in an amplifying mode and in a reflecting mode;

receive, from the network entity, scheduling information for a packet transmission;

receive, from the network entity, control signaling indicating which one of the reflecting mode or the amplifying mode is to be applied by the assistive node based at least in part on the control message; and

amplify or reflect the packet transmission to a wireless device based at least in part on the control signaling.

2. The assistive node of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit, to the network entity, a second message indicating a number and arrangement of antenna elements of the assistive node, wherein the control signaling instructs the assistive node to use at least a subset of antenna elements of the assistive node for amplifying or reflecting the packet transmission based at least in part on the number and arrangement of antenna elements.

3. The assistive node of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive the control signaling indicating an antenna element threshold, wherein the assistive node operates in the amplifying mode to amplify the packet transmission based at least in part on a number of antenna elements of the assistive node being above the antenna element threshold or the assistive node operates in the reflecting mode to reflect the packet transmission based at least in part on the number of antenna elements being at or below the antenna element threshold.

4. The assistive node of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive the control signaling indicating a first beam of a first codebook that is associated with the assistive node operating in the amplifying mode, wherein the packet transmission is amplified by the assistive node using the first beam.

5. The assistive node of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit, to the network entity, a second message indicating an estimated distance between the assistive node and the network entity, wherein the control signaling indicates to operate in the reflecting mode to reflect the packet transmission or operate in the amplifying mode to amplify the packet transmission based at least in part on the estimated distance between the assistive node and the network entity.

6. The assistive node of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive the control signaling indicating a distance threshold between the assistive node and the network entity, wherein the assistive node operates in the amplifying mode to amplify the packet transmission based at least in part on an estimated distance between the assistive node and the network entity exceeding the distance threshold or the assistive node operates in the reflecting mode to reflect the packet transmission based at least in part on the estimated distance between the assistive node and the network entity not exceeding the distance threshold.

7. The assistive node of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit, to the network entity, a second message indicating an estimated distance between the assistive node and the wireless device, wherein the control signaling indicates to one of operate in the reflecting mode to reflect the packet transmission or operate in the amplifying mode to amplify the packet transmission based at least in part on the estimated distance between the assistive node and the wireless device.

8. The assistive node of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive the control signaling indicating a distance threshold between the assistive node and the wireless device, wherein the assistive node operates in the amplifying mode to amplify the packet transmission based at least in part on an estimated distance between the assistive node and the wireless device exceeding the distance threshold or the assistive node operates in the reflecting mode to reflect the packet transmission based at least in part on the estimated distance between the assistive node and the wireless device not exceeding the distance threshold.

9. The assistive node of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive the control signaling indicating which one of the reflecting mode or the amplifying mode is to be applied to the packet transmission based at least in part on a message type of the packet transmission, a latency target associated with the packet transmission, a size of an analog beamforming codebook associated with the assistive node, beamwidths associated with beams in the analog beamforming codebook, a number and arrangement of antenna elements of the assistive node, a first threshold distance between the assistive node and the wireless device, a second threshold distance between the assistive node and the network entity, or a combination thereof.

10. The assistive node of claim 1 , wherein the packet transmission is one of reflected via a reflective surface of the assistive node or amplified via one of a relay or a repeater of the assistive node.

11. The assistive node of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive, from the network entity, a second message comprising the scheduling information and the control signaling.

12. The assistive node of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

select at least a subset of antenna elements of the assistive node and a size of an analog beamforming codebook for amplifying or reflecting the packet transmission based at least in part on the control signaling indicating which one of the reflecting mode or the amplifying mode is to be applied by the assistive node.

13. A network entity comprising:

memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

receive, from an assistive node, a control message indicating that the assistive node is capable of operating in an amplifying mode and in a reflecting mode;

transmit, to the assistive node, scheduling information for a packet transmission;

transmit, to the assistive node, control signaling indicating which one of the reflecting mode or the amplifying mode is to be applied by the assistive node to reflect or amplify the packet transmission to a wireless device based at least in part on the control message; and

transmit, to the assistive node, the packet transmission based at least in part on the scheduling information.

14. The network entity of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive, from the assistive node, a second message indicating a number and arrangement of antenna elements of the assistive node, wherein the control signaling instructs the assistive node to use at least a subset of antenna elements of the assistive node for amplifying or reflecting the packet transmission based at least in part on the number and arrangement of antenna elements.

15. The network entity of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit the control signaling indicating an antenna element threshold, wherein the assistive node operates in the amplifying mode to amplify the packet transmission based at least in part on a number of antenna elements of the assistive node being above the antenna element threshold or the assistive node operates in the reflecting mode to reflect the packet transmission based at least in part on the number of antenna elements being at or below the antenna element threshold.

16. The network entity of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit the control signaling indicating a first beam of a first codebook that is associated with the assistive node operating in the amplifying mode, wherein the packet transmission is amplified by the assistive node using the first beam.

17. The network entity of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive, from the assistive node, a second message indicating an estimated distance between the assistive node and the network entity, wherein the control signaling indicates to operate in the reflecting mode to reflect the packet transmission or operate in the amplifying mode to amplify the packet transmission based at least in part on the estimated distance between the assistive node and the network entity.

18. The network entity of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit the control signaling indicating a distance threshold between the assistive node and the network entity, wherein the assistive node operates in the amplifying mode to amplify the packet transmission based at least in part on an estimated distance between the assistive node and the network entity exceeding the distance threshold or the assistive node operates in the reflecting mode to reflect the packet transmission based at least in part on the estimated distance between the assistive node and the network entity not exceeding the distance threshold.

19. The network entity of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive, from the assistive node, a second message indicating an estimated distance between the assistive node and the wireless device, wherein the control signaling indicates to one of operate in the reflecting mode to reflect the packet transmission or operate in the amplifying mode to amplify the packet transmission based at least in part on the estimated distance between the assistive node and the wireless device.

20. The network entity of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit the control signaling indicating a distance threshold between the assistive node and the wireless device, wherein the assistive node operates in the amplifying mode to amplify the packet transmission based at least in part on an estimated distance between the assistive node and the wireless device exceeding the distance threshold or the assistive node operates in the reflecting mode to reflect the packet transmission based at least in part on the estimated distance between the assistive node and the wireless device not exceeding the distance threshold.

21. The network entity of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit the control signaling indicating which one of the reflecting mode or the amplifying mode is to be applied based at least in part on a message type of the packet transmission, a latency target associated with the packet transmission, a size of an analog beamforming codebook associated with the assistive node, beamwidths associated with beams in the analog beamforming codebook, a number and arrangement of antenna elements of the assistive node, a first threshold distance between the assistive node and the wireless device, a second threshold distance between the assistive node and the network entity, or a combination thereof.

22. The network entity of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

transmit, to the assistive node, a second message comprising the scheduling information and the control signaling.

23. A method for wireless communications at an assistive node, comprising:

transmitting, to a network entity, a control message indicating that the assistive node is capable of operating in an amplifying mode and in a reflecting mode;

receiving, from the network entity, scheduling information for a packet transmission;

receiving, from the network entity, control signaling indicating which one of the reflecting mode or the amplifying mode is to be applied by the assistive node based at least in part on the control message; and

amplifying or reflecting the packet transmission to a wireless device based at least in part on the control signaling.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

transmitting, to the network entity, a second message indicating a number and arrangement of antenna elements of the assistive node, wherein the control signaling instructs the assistive node to use at least a subset of antenna elements of the assistive node for amplifying or reflecting the packet transmission based at least in part on the number and arrangement of antenna elements.

25. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

receiving the control signaling indicating an antenna element threshold, wherein the assistive node operates in the amplifying mode to amplify the packet transmission based at least in part on a number of antenna elements of the assistive node being above the antenna element threshold or the assistive node operates in the reflecting mode to reflect the packet transmission based at least in part on the number of antenna elements being at or below the antenna element threshold.

26. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

receiving the control signaling indicating a first beam of a first codebook that is associated with the assistive node operating in the amplifying mode, wherein the packet transmission is amplified by the assistive node using the first beam.

27. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

transmitting, to the network entity, a second message indicating an estimated distance between the assistive node and the network entity, wherein the control signaling indicates to operate in the reflecting mode to reflect the packet transmission or operate in the amplifying mode to amplify the packet transmission based at least in part on the estimated distance between the assistive node and the network entity.

28. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

receiving the control signaling indicating a distance threshold between the assistive node and the network entity, wherein the assistive node operates in the amplifying mode to amplify the packet transmission based at least in part on an estimated distance between the assistive node and the network entity exceeding the distance threshold or the assistive node operates in the reflecting mode to reflect the packet transmission based at least in part on the estimated distance between the assistive node and the network entity not exceeding the distance threshold.

29. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

transmitting, to the network entity, a second message indicating an estimated distance between the assistive node and the wireless device, wherein the control signaling indicates to one of operate in the reflecting mode to reflect the packet transmission or operate in the amplifying mode to amplify the packet transmission based at least in part on the estimated distance between the assistive node and the wireless device.

30. A method for wireless communications at a network entity, comprising:

receiving, from an assistive node, a control message indicating that the assistive node is capable of operating in an amplifying mode and in a reflecting mode;

transmitting, to the assistive node, scheduling information for a packet transmission;

transmitting, to the assistive node, control signaling indicating which one of the reflecting mode or the amplifying mode is to be applied by the assistive node to reflect or amplify the packet transmission to a wireless device based at least in part on the control message; and

transmitting, to the assistive node, the packet transmission based at least in part on the scheduling information.