US 12,255,701 B2
Method and apparatus for radio communications
Magnus Nilsson, Lund (SE); Peter Jakobsson, Lund (SE); Per Ingelhag, Alingsås (SE); Sten Wallin, Enskede (SE); Joakim Plahn, Täby (SE); Martin Isberg, Lund (SE); Torsten Carlsson, Lund (SE); Peter Svensson, Lund (SE); Agneta Ljungbro, Bjärred (SE); Örjan Renström, Spånga (SE); and Dandan Hao, Beijing (CN)
Assigned to TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL), Stockholm (SE)
Appl. No. 17/798,185
Filed by Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ), Stockholm (SE)
PCT Filed Feb. 9, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/052993
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 8, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/160570, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 19, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/972,381, filed on Feb. 10, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0073740 A1, Mar. 9, 2023
Int. Cl. H04B 7/024 (2017.01); H04B 7/06 (2006.01); H04B 7/08 (2006.01); H04B 7/15 (2006.01)
CPC H04B 7/024 (2013.01) [H04B 7/0617 (2013.01); H04B 7/086 (2013.01); H04B 7/15 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
2. A radio communications node comprising:
antenna circuitry configured for over-the-air transmission of radio carrier signals via an antenna array and over-the-air reception of radio carrier signals via the antenna array; and
a dielectric waveguide interface coupled to the antenna circuitry and configured for a series interconnection of the radio communications node, the dielectric waveguide interface including a first coupling circuit for transmitting radio carrier signals into a first dielectric waveguide and receiving radio carrier signals from the first dielectric waveguide, and further including a second coupling circuit for transmitting radio carrier signals into a second dielectric waveguide and receiving radio carrier signals from the second dielectric waveguide; and
wherein the radio communications node further comprises control circuitry that configures the radio communications node for relay operation or base-station operation, and wherein:
in base-station operation, radio carrier signals received by the antenna circuitry via over-the-air reception are coupled into the dielectric interface and transmitted into at least one of the first and second dielectric waveguides, and radio carrier signals received by the dielectric waveguide interface are coupled into the antenna circuitry for over-the-air transmission; and
in relay operation, radio carrier signals received from the first dielectric waveguide via the first coupling circuit are coupled to the second coupling circuit and transmitted into the second dielectric waveguide, and radio carrier signals received from the second dielectric waveguide via second coupling circuit are coupled to the first coupling circuit and transmitted into the first dielectric waveguide, and
wherein the control circuitry is configured to output control signaling that indicates timing for Time Division Duplexing (TDD) operation of the radio communications node, such that, in base-station operation, the radio communications node either receives or transmits via the antenna circuitry and the associated antenna array, and such that, in relay operation, the radio communications node either relays radio signals towards the central processing unit or relays radio signals away from the central processing unit.