Radio access technology (RAT) spectrum translator
Systems and methods described herein may introduce an intermediary device between radio access networks using a first spectrum and user equipment using a second spectrum. The intermediary device may process communication signals from either the first spectrum or the second spectrum into a format usable by the other of the first spectrum or the second spectrum. The intermediary device may be referred to as a multi-radio access technology (multi-RAT) translator.
1 . A system comprising:
a first device configured to use a first frequency spectrum;
a second device configured to use a second frequency spectrum, the second frequency spectrum comprising higher frequencies than the first frequency spectrum; and
a third device communicatively coupled to the second device, the third device being configured to
receive scheduling data from the second device generated based on a message from the first device, the scheduling data indicating a time shift on when to receive downlink data from the first device, and
perform a frequency translation on one or more signals received from the first device via the first frequency spectrum before transmitting one or more translated signals to the second device via the second frequency spectrum based on the scheduling data.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the third device comprises a first network interface and the second device comprises a second network interface, the first network interface being communicatively coupled to the second network interface via a personal area network (PAN).
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the third device is configured to perform the frequency translation at least in part by
receiving the one or more signals from the first device via the first frequency spectrum, and
translating the one or more signals from a first carrier frequency of the first frequency spectrum to a second carrier frequency of the second frequency spectrum.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first device comprises a base station, the second device comprising a user equipment, and the third device configured to synchronize to the base station by synchronizing to the user equipment based on a primary-secondary device synchronization operation.
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the user equipment is configured to communicate on the first frequency spectrum and the second frequency spectrum, wherein the message comprises a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) message.
6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the third device corresponds to a multiple radio access technology (RAT) translator configured to intercept communications from the first device on the first frequency spectrum based on the time shift indicated by the scheduling data.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the third device is configured to
receive an input signal from the first device via the first frequency spectrum,
generate an output signal communicable on the second frequency spectrum based on the input signal, and
transmit the output signal to the second device via the second frequency spectrum.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second device is configured to transmit an indication of control information comprising the scheduling data to the third device without transmitting the indication of the control information to the first device.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the third device is transparent to the first device, the third device being configured to use the scheduling data to intercept wireless communications transmitted on the first frequency spectrum between the first device and the second device without first registering to the first device.
10 . A method comprising:
receiving, at a collaborative device configured to receive communications between a network node and user equipment, an input signal from the network node via a first frequency;
receiving, via the collaborative device, scheduling data from the user equipment, the scheduling data generated by the user equipment based on a message from the network node, the scheduling data indicating a time shift on when to receive downlink data from the network node at the collaborative device;
generating, at the collaborative device, an output signal communicable on a second frequency based on a frequency translation of the input signal, the second frequency being a higher frequency than the first frequency; and
transmitting, via the collaborative device, the output signal to the user equipment via the second frequency based on the scheduling data.
11 . The method of claim 10 , comprising receiving, via the collaborative device, an indication of control information from the user equipment.
12 . The method of claim 11 , comprising adjusting, via the collaborative device, the frequency translation based on the indication of control information.
13 . The method of claim 10 , comprising transmitting, via the collaborative device, the output signal to the user equipment based on a personal area network (PAN) associated with a network interface of the user equipment.
14 . The method of claim 10 , comprising performing, via the collaborative device, the frequency translation on the input signal at least in part by translating one or more signals from a first frequency spectrum associated with the first frequency to a second frequency spectrum associated with the second frequency.
15 . A system comprising:
user equipment configured to use a first frequency spectrum based on scheduling data generated based on a message from a network node, the scheduling data indicating a time shift on when to receive downlink data from the network node by a translator device; and
the translator device communicatively coupled to the user equipment, the translator device being configured to forward one or more signals received from the network node via a second frequency spectrum to the user equipment via the first frequency spectrum based on the scheduling data, the second frequency spectrum comprising lower frequencies than the first frequency spectrum.
16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the translator device is configured to translate one or more frequencies of the one or more signals to generate one or more translated signals in the first frequency spectrum and transmit the one or more translated signals to the user equipment.
17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the translator device is configurable to operate based on a schedule assigned to the user equipment by the network node without the translator device comprising a SIM card, the network node being configured to transmit the one or more signals via the second frequency spectrum.
18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the first frequency spectrum and the second frequency spectrum correspond to different ranges of frequencies between 24.25 and 52.6 gigahertz (GHz).
19 . The method of claim 10 , comprising receiving, via the collaborative device, the input signal from the network node via the first frequency based on network agnostic operations.
20 . The system of claim 15 , comprising the network node communicatively coupled to the user equipment, the user equipment being configured to transmit a first portion of a communication to the translator device as the one or more signals, and transmit a second portion of the communication to the network node.