Abstract: In an embodiment, a first repeater configures a beacon signal that identifies the first repeater to one or more other repeaters. The first repeater transmits the configured beacon signal at a given transmission power level to the one or more other repeaters. The transmitted beacon signal is received at least by a second repeater. The second repeater reduces interference associated with other transmissions from the first repeater, such as retransmissions of donor signals, based on the received beacon signal.

Abstract: A method for estimating a feedback channel for a wireless repeater detects changes in a power of a remote signal. When a large power swing in the remote signal is detected, the method operates to discard samples or blocks of samples of the pilot and receive signals and a final channel estimate is generated using undiscarded samples of the pilot and receive signals. Alternately, sub channel estimates are generated using individual blocks of the pilot samples and receive samples. When a large power swing in the remote signal is detected, the method operates to discard one or more sub channel estimates and a final channel estimate is generated using undiscarded sub channel estimates.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methods for control of sleep modes in a transceiver or receiver. In particular, a transceiver is disclosed including a processor configured to determine timing information concerning sleep periods for at least a portion of components within the transceiver. The transceiver also includes a sleep control logic coupled to the processor to receive information concerning sleep periods from the processor and configured to effect shutting down of the at least a portion of the components of the transceiver during power reduction periods independent of the processor.

Abstract: A wireless repeater includes a gain control metric computation block to compute a gain control metric for use in controlling the variable gain of the repeater. The gain control metric is computed by downsampling the gain control input signal to the gain control metric computation block and also downsampling the computed correlation and normalization terms. The gain control metric may be further enhanced by filtering the computed metric values using linear or non-linear filtering.

Abstract: A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided in which a first cell receives a configuration identifying a plurality of transmission layers in a multi-layer spatial multiplexing scheme of a Multi-Media Broadcast over a Single Frequency Network (MBSFN). The configuration may identify resource block allocations to transmission layers, seed values for pattern generation, and timing information used to allocate resource blocks to transmission layers. The first cell transmits a first set of resource blocks during a first period of time using a first transmission layer to one or more user equipments (UE) located in the MBSFN. Another cell located in the MBSFN may concurrently transmit a second set of resource blocks to the UE in a second transmission.

Abstract: Disclosed are apparatus and methods for control of sleep modes in a transceiver or receiver. In particular, a transceiver is disclosed including a processor configured to determine timing information concerning sleep periods for at least a portion of components within the transceiver. The transceiver also includes a sleep control logic coupled to the processor to receive information concerning sleep periods from the processor and configured to effect shutting down of the at least a portion of the components of the transceiver during power reduction periods independent of the processor.

Abstract: A system and method for frequency diversity uses interleaving in a wireless communication system utilizing orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) with various FFT sizes. Subcarriers of one or more interlaces are interleaved in a bit reversal fashion and the one or more interlaces are interleaved in the bit reversal fashion.

Abstract: A method for monitoring feedback loop stability in a wireless repeater includes measuring a gain control metric in the feedback loop of the repeater periodically for a given time period where the gain control metric is indicative of a loop gain of the feedback loop of the repeater; and monitoring the magnitude of the gain control metric to determine the stability of the feedback loop of the repeater. In operation, a large magnitude of the gain control metric indicates instability in the feedback loop of the repeater.

Abstract: A wireless repeater in a multi-repeater environment operates to detect the presence of neighboring repeaters and to maintain repeater stability in the presence of a neighboring repeater. In some embodiments, the repeater transmits a known signal sequence to discover the presence of a neighboring repeater. When a neighboring repeater is detected, the repeater may apply mitigation measures to maintain operational stability at the repeater.

Abstract: A wireless repeater incorporates a gain management block to implement a multi-parameter gain management algorithm. The gain management algorithm receives gain settings from at least a gain control metric for stability and output signal quality and signal headroom values associated with circuitry of the repeater. The gain management block provides secure and robust boot-up of the repeater as well as oscillation detection and prevention. Furthermore, the gain management block implements repeater stability control, output signal-to-noise level control, uplink and downlink gain balance control and compensation for device constraints.

Abstract: A method for controlling gain in a wireless repeater includes using two or more gain control metrics indicative of stability of the repeater, at least two of the gain control metrics having different integration lengths, where the integration length is the sum of the coherent integration time and the non coherent integration time, and controlling a variable gain value of the repeater based on one or more of the selected gain control metric(s) where the gain control metric(s) to use is selected based on the stability of the repeater.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for estimating a loop delay value (Ndelay) in an interference cancellation repeater are presented. For example, a method may include setting a repeater gain to an initial gain value, setting a delay parameter to an initial time value, and measuring a loop gain associated with the delay parameter and the repeater gain by detecting a feedback signal with an echo canceller disabled. The method may further include determining whether the measured loop gain is larger than a previously measured loop gain, and if so, designating the delay parameter as the loop delay value (Ndelay); and decrementing the delay parameter when the measured loop gain is not larger than the previously measured loop gain, and when the delay parameter is not at a final time value. The method may iterate until the delay parameter is less than or equal to the final time value.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for use in a wireless communication system are disclosed for reducing channel estimation noise in a device such as a wireless transceiver. A disclosed apparatus includes a processor that determines a channel activity portion and a noise portion of a channel estimation. The processor also determines a threshold noise level based on channel estimate values in the noise portion of the channel estimation. The processor compares channel estimate energy values in the channel estimation to the threshold noise level and sets each of the channel estimate energy values being less than the threshold noise level to a predetermined value such as zero in order to reduce or eliminate the noise. Similar methods are also disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for the transmission of waveforms to aid channel estimation, timing synchronization, and AGC bootstrapping in a wireless network. The method includes inserting at least one TDM pilot symbol located at a transition between wide area and local area waveforms to facilitate decoding of the transmission block.

Abstract: A method for adjusting per-carrier gains in a repeater is presented. The method may include determining a separate gain value for each carrier frequency in a signal. The method may further include applying the separate gain value to each carrier frequency in the signal to form a per-carrier gain adjusted signal. The method may also include adjusting the separate gain values based upon a per-carrier stability metric.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for determining timing tracking in a multiple antenna wireless system are disclosed. Timing tracking is obtained, in particular, by determining at least two channel density profiles for signals respectively received by at least two antennas of multiple receive antenna wireless device. The channel density profiles are then combined, such as by summing, to form a composite channel density profile. The composite is, in turn, used by a timing tracking algorithm to determine a timing decision for setting the timing tracking in a transceiver device used in the multiple antenna wireless system. Use of a composite density profile affords the system increased resistance to channel dynamics such as fading, birth and death, which reduces degradation due to mistiming caused by such channel dynamics.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for constructing a pilot symbol for a communication frame transmitted in a wireless communication system, such as an OFDM system, are disclosed. In particular, the methods and apparatus generate at least one pseudo-random noise sequence having at least a predetermined length, where the at least one pseudo-random noise sequence represents a system configuration of a wireless system. A time domain symbol sequence is modulated with the at least one pseudo-random noise sequence to create a timing acquisition pilot symbol. The modulated acquisition pilot symbol is further masked to a prescribed frequency profile and placed in a frame for wireless transmission.

Abstract: A wireless repeater includes a channel estimation block to estimate a feedback channel between the antennas of the repeater using frequency domain channel estimation. The repeater includes a pilot signal blanking circuit to blank out a selected number of samples of the pilot signal to improve the accuracy of the channel estimation. In another embodiment, the repeater replaces T samples of the pilot signal with a cyclic prefix.

Abstract: A wireless repeater introduces a low level noise to the signal path of the repeater where the introduced noise is used to facilitate channel estimation. The introduced low power level noise may be added to the receive signal or to the transmit signal. The low power noise signal ensures that the repeater always has a reference signal for performing channel estimation, even when the repeater is not receiving any incoming signal traffic. In one embodiment, a low noise signal is inserted to the transmit circuit of the repeater. In another embodiment, the repeater is configured to increase the noise figure of the receive circuit where the detected noise figure acts as a receive signal.

Abstract: A device for generating a pilot signal for use in a wireless repeater where the pilot signal is added to a transmit signal for transmission includes a pilot power control unit configured to set a power level of the pilot signal as a function of a gain of the repeater and a power level of the transmit signal, where the function comprises a linear or non-linear function. In one embodiment, the operation of the repeater may be divided into gain regions and the inserted pilot power is controlled according to the different gain regions of the repeater. When the repeater gain is low, the pilot power may be set greater than the transmit power to ensure there is sufficient signal to use for channel estimation. When the repeater gain is in steady state, the pilot power may be set to be lower than the transmit power to avoid interference.