User equipment arranged to operate as virtual network element

Abstract

Aspects of this disclosure relate to a user equipment that includes a transceiver that can operate in at least a traffic mode and a virtual network element mode. In the traffic mode, the transceiver can process a received downlink radio frequency signal and transmit an uplink radio frequency signal. The transceiver can couple a receive path to a transmit path in an analog domain in the virtual network element mode. In the virtual network element mode, the transceiver can, for example, perform functions of a network repeater or a network transmit-receive point.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A method of wirelessly transmitting signals, the method comprising:
 wirelessly transmitting, by a user equipment in a traffic mode, an uplink signal generated based on an output of a baseband processor of the user equipment;   toggling, by the user equipment, between the traffic mode and a virtual network element mode;   processing, by the user equipment in the virtual network element mode, a radio frequency signal received at an antenna of the user equipment to generate a processed radio frequency signal without demodulating the radio frequency signal received at the antenna to baseband; and   wirelessly transmitting, by the user equipment in the virtual network element mode, the processed radio frequency signal.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the virtual network element mode is a repeater mode where user equipment functions as a network repeater. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the baseband processor is idle in the repeater mode. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the virtual network element mode is a virtual transmit-receive point mode, and the processing comprises frequency translation. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the radio frequency signal received at the antenna of the user equipment is a millimeter wave signal and the processed radio frequency has a frequency below 6 GHz. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the virtual network element mode is a virtual transmit-receive point mode, and the processing comprises front haul processing. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the radio frequency signal received at the antenna of the user equipment is an uplink cellular signal transmitted by another user equipment. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the processed radio frequency signal is a downlink cellular signal. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the wirelessly transmitting the processed radio frequency signal increases multiple-input multiple-output dimensionality of a downlink data transmission from a network system to another user equipment. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the toggling comprises adjusting a state of a switch of the user equipment. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the toggling is in response to a signal wirelessly received by the user equipment. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising operating, by the user equipment, in a second virtual network element mode, wherein the user equipment is configured to function as a repeater in the virtual network element mode and to function as a virtual transmit-receive point in the second virtual network element mode. 
     
     
         14 . A user equipment comprising:
 an antenna;   radio frequency processing circuitry comprising an amplifier and a filter,   wherein, in a repeater mode of the user equipment, the radio frequency processing circuitry is configured to:
 process a radio frequency signal received from the antenna by at least amplifying and filtering the radio frequency signal to generate a processed radio frequency signal, and 
 provide the processed radio frequency signal for wireless transmission from the user equipment; and 
   a baseband processor configured to cause the user equipment to wirelessly transmit an uplink signal.   
     
     
         15 . The user equipment of  claim 14 , wherein the radio frequency signal received from the antenna and the processed radio frequency signal have substantially the same carrier frequency. 
     
     
         16 . The user equipment of  claim 14 , wherein the radio frequency processing circuitry is configured to function as a repeater for at least two other user equipments in the repeater mode. 
     
     
         17 . The user equipment of  claim 14 , wherein the user equipment is arranged to wirelessly transmit the processed radio frequency signal to a second user equipment to cause a multiple-input multiple-output order of a wireless transmission from a network system to the second user equipment to be increased. 
     
     
         18 . A user equipment comprising:
 an antenna;   radio frequency processing circuitry comprising frequency translation circuitry,   wherein, in a virtual transmit-receive point mode of the user equipment, the radio frequency processing circuit configured to:
 process a radio frequency signal received from the antenna by at least frequency translating the radio frequency signal with the frequency translation circuitry to generate a processed radio frequency signal, and 
 provide the processed radio frequency signal for wireless transmission from the user equipment; and 
   a baseband processor configured to cause the user equipment to wirelessly transmit an uplink signal.   
     
     
         19 . The user equipment of  claim 18 , wherein the radio frequency circuit is configured to perform fronthaul processing on the radio frequency signal received from the antenna. 
     
     
         20 . The user equipment of  claim 18 , wherein the radio frequency signal received from the antenna is a millimeter wave signal and the processed radio frequency has a frequency below 6 GHz. 
     
     
         21 . The user equipment of  claim 18 , wherein the antenna is a wide-area network antenna, and the user equipment is configured to receive the radio frequency signal via a wireless transmission from a second user equipment.