Apparatus, methods, and computer-readable media for facilitating a programmable smart repeater with in-band control are disclosed herein. An example method for wireless communication at a repeater includes establishing a control link with a control node and receiving, via the control link, a configuration for the repeating unit component of the repeater to forward communication between a first wireless device and a second wireless device on an access link. The example method also includes transitioning an MT component of the repeater to an RRC inactive mode or an RRC idle mode for at least a period of time after receiving the configuration and forwarding the communication between the first wireless device and the second wireless device on the access link based on the configuration while the MT component of the repeater is in the RRC inactive mode or the RRC idle mode.

Embodiments provide in-flight configuration of satellite pathways to flexibly service terra-link and cross-link traffic in a constellation of non-processed satellites, for example, to facilitate flexible forward-channel and return-channel capacity in a satellite communications system. For example, each satellite in the constellation can include one or more dynamically configurable pathway and switching and/or beamforming can be used to configure each pathway to be a forward-channel pathway or a return-channel pathway in each of a number of timeslots according to a pathway configuration schedule. At least some of the pathways can be further selectively configured, in each timeslot, to carry terra-link traffic to and/or from terrestrial terminals and cross-link traffic to and/or from one or more other satellites of the constellation.

A transmitter is set to time division multiple access (TDMA) mode and allocated a first TDMA channel. In the TDMA mode, the additional TDMA channels are allocated to and deallocated from the transmitter, according a traffic demand at the transmitter, until all TDMA channels are assigned and the traffic demand reaches a threshold, whereupon the transmitter is switched to a frequency division multiple access (FDMA) mode, and assigned an FDMA channel. In response to traffic levels, the transmitter is switched to larger bandwidth FDMA channels and, optionally, to a concurrent FDMA-TDMA mode having a large bandwidth FDMA channel in addition to a number of TDMA channels. Optionally, switching the transmitter among TDMA mode, FDMA mode, and concurrent FDMA-TDMA mode is based, at least in part, on QoS, or time of day, or user statistics, or combinations thereof.

Embodiments provide in-flight configuration of satellite pathways to flexibly service terra-link and cross-link traffic in a constellation of non-processed satellites, for example, to facilitate flexible forward-channel and return-channel capacity in a satellite communications system. For example, each satellite in the constellation can include one or more dynamically configurable pathway, and switching and/or beamforming can be used to configure each pathway to be a forward-channel pathway or a return-channel pathway in each of a number of timeslots according to a pathway configuration schedule. At least some of the pathways can be further selectively configured, in each timeslot, to carry terra-link traffic to and/or from terrestrial terminals and cross-link traffic to and/or from one or more other satellites of the constellation.

A communication system including at least one first TDMA high speed switch having a first switch output, a FDMA channelizer, configured to receive an input RF signal from the at least one first TDMA high speed switch, at least one matrix power amplifier having at least one input and at least one output, and at least one second TDMA high speed switch having a second switch input coupled to a respective one of at least one channelizer output and at least one second switch output coupled to a corresponding input of the at least one matrix power amplifier, the at least one second TDMA high speed switch being configured to receive an output RF signal from the FDMA channelizer and transmit the output RF signal to a selected input of the at least one matrix power amplifier, wherein each predetermined output is coupled to a corresponding antenna beam.

Embodiments provide in-flight configuration of satellite pathways to flexibly service terra-link and cross-link traffic in a constellation of non-processed satellites, for example, to facilitate flexible forward-channel and return-channel capacity in a satellite communications system. For example, each satellite in the constellation can include one or more dynamically configurable pathway and switching and/or beamforming can be used to configure each pathway to be a forward-channel pathway or a return-channel pathway in each of a number of timeslots according to a pathway configuration schedule. At least some of the pathways can be further selectively configured, in each timeslot, to carry terra-link traffic to and/or from terrestrial terminals and cross-link traffic to and/or from one or more other satellites of the constellation.

A communication system including at least one first TDMA high speed switch having a first switch output, a FDMA channelizer, configured to receive an input RF signal from the at least one first TDMA high speed switch, at least one matrix power amplifier having at least one input and at least one output, and at least one second TDMA high speed switch having a second switch input coupled to a respective one of at least one channelizer output and at least one second switch output coupled to a corresponding input of the at least one matrix power amplifier, the at least one second TDMA high speed switch being configured to receive an output RF signal from the FDMA channelizer and transmit the output RF signal to a selected input of the at least one matrix power amplifier, wherein each predetermined output is coupled to a corresponding antenna beam.

Apparatus, methods, and computer-readable media for facilitating a programmable smart repeater with in-band control are disclosed herein. An example method for wireless communication at a repeater includes establishing a control link with a control node and receiving, via the control link, a configuration for the repeating unit component of the repeater to forward communication between a first wireless device and a second wireless device on an access link. The example method also includes transitioning an MT component of the repeater to an RRC inactive mode or an RRC idle mode for at least a period of time after receiving the configuration and forwarding the communication between the first wireless device and the second wireless device on the access link based on the configuration while the MT component of the repeater is in the RRC inactive mode or the RRC idle mode.