Communication via a reflector
Various aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to wireless communication. In some aspects, a user equipment (UE) may receive a signal from a network node. The UE may reflect, toward the network node, the signal with a modulation that indicates an identification of the UE. Numerous other aspects are described.
1 . A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising:
a memory; and
one or more processors, coupled to the memory, configured to:
receive a signal from a network node, wherein the signal comprises a synchronization signal block (SSB), wherein the UE performs SSB detection on one or more of a primary synchronization signal (PSS) of the SSB or a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) of the SSB; and
reflect, toward the network node and based at least in part on detection of one or more channel conditions that satisfy a threshold, a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) signal of the SSB with a modulation that indicates an identification of the UE.
2 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein reflection of the PBCH signal of the SSB with the modulation that indicates the identification of the UE initiates one or more of:
an initial attachment procedure, or
an access procedure.
3 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the signal from the network node comprises
an optical wireless communication signal.
4 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein to reflect the PBCH signal of the SSB with the modulation that indicates the identification of the UE, the one or more processors are configured to:
reflect the PBCH signal of the SSB using a modulated retro reflector (MRR).
5 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the signal occupies multiple time resources.
6 . The UE of claim 5 , wherein the PSS of the SSB occupies a first time resource of the multiple time resources, and wherein the SSS of the SSB occupies a second time resource of the multiple time resources.
7 . The UE of claim 6 , wherein the second time resource is after the first time resource.
8 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein reflecting the PBCH signal of the SSB with the modulation that indicates the identification of the UE is based at least in part on reception of a prior signal from the network node.
9 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the UE is configured to modulate received signals with a pattern associated with the identification of the UE.
10 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein to receive the signal from the network node, the one or more processors are configured to:
decode an information block from the signal; and
identify cell information associated with the network node.
11 . A network node for wireless communication, comprising:
a memory; and
one or more processors, coupled to the memory, configured to:
transmit a signal, wherein the signal comprises a synchronization signal block (SSB); and
receive, from a user equipment (UE) and based at least in part on one or more channel conditions satisfying a threshold, a reflection of a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) signal of the SSB with a modulation that indicates an identification of the UE.
12 . The network node of claim 11 , wherein the reflection of the PBCH signal of the SSB with the modulation that indicates the identification of the UE initiates one or more of:
an initial attachment procedure, or
an access procedure.
13 . The network node of claim 11 , wherein the signal comprises an optical wireless communication signal.
14 . The network node of claim 11 , wherein the signal occupies multiple time resources.
15 . The network node of claim 14 , wherein to receive the reflection of the PBCH signal of the SSB with the modulation that indicates the identification of the UE, the one or more processors are configured to:
receive the reflection of the PBCH signal of the SSB on a proper subset of the multiple time resources.
16 . The network node of claim 15 , wherein the proper subset of the multiple time resources excludes a resource of the multiple time resources.
17 . The network node of claim 11 , wherein to transmit the signal the one or more processors are configured to one or more of:
transmit the signal via multiple transmission beams; or
transmit the signal during a periodic resource for transmission of the signal.
18 . A method of wireless communication performed by a user equipment (UE), comprising:
receiving a signal from a network node, wherein the signal comprises a synchronization signal block (SSB), wherein the UE performs SSB detection on one or more of a primary synchronization signal (PSS) of the SSB or a secondary synchronization signal (SSS) of the SSB; and
reflecting, toward the network node and based at least in part on detecting one or more channel conditions that satisfy a threshold, a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) signal of the SSB with a modulation that indicates an identification of the UE.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein reflecting the PBCH signal of the SSB with the modulation that indicates the identification of the UE initiates one or more of:
an initial attachment procedure, or
an access procedure.
20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the signal from the network node comprises an optical wireless communication signal.
21 . The method of claim 18 , wherein reflecting the PBCH signal of the SSB with the modulation that indicates the identification of the UE comprises:
reflecting the PBCH signal of the SSB using a modulated retro reflector (MRR).
22 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the signal occupies multiple time resources.
23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein receiving the PSS of the SSB occupies a first time resource of the multiple time resources, and wherein the SSB occupies a second time resource of the multiple time resources.
24 . The method of claim 18 , wherein reflecting the PBCH signal of the SSB with the modulation that indicates the identification of the UE is based at least in part on reception of a prior signal from the network node.
25 . The method of claim 18 , wherein receiving the signal from the network node comprises:
decoding an information block from the signal; and
identifying cell information associated with the network node.
26 . A method of wireless communication performed by a network node, comprising:
transmitting a signal, wherein the signal comprises a synchronization signal block (SSB); and
receiving, from a user equipment (UE) and based at least in part on one or more channel conditions satisfying a threshold, a reflection of a physical broadcast channel (PBCH) signal of the SSB with a modulation that indicates an identification of the UE.
27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the reflection of the PBCH signal of the SSB with the modulation that indicates the identification of the UE initiates one or more of:
an initial attachment procedure, or
an access procedure.
28 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the signal comprises an optical wireless communication signal.
29 . The method of claim 26 , wherein the signal occupies multiple time resources.
30 . The method of claim 26 , wherein transmitting the signal comprises one or more of:
transmitting the signal via multiple transmission beams; or
transmitting the signal during a periodic resource for transmission of the signal.