Communication node and method for generating beamformed signals by backscattering

A wireless communication node for generating beamformed signals by means of backscattering in a wireless communication network comprising:

• a plurality A of antennas configured to receive a radio frequency, RF, signal with a carrier frequency (fc);
• a plurality A of switches, where each switch has a number M of states;
• a number of impedance matrices, each impedance matrix comprises a number of M impedances, and wherein each antenna is coupled to one of the impedance matrix by one of the plurality A switches;
• a baseband signal generator configured to generate a first baseband signal based on data symbols (φk, k=1, . . . K) to be transmitted;
• a plurality A of switch controllers, wherein each switch controller is configured to generate a specific switch control signal for one of the plurality A switches by phase shifting the first baseband signal with an antenna specific phase (θa, a=1, . . . A);
• and wherein
• the states of each switch are controlled based on its specific switch control signal such that each antenna impedance is changed among the number M of impedances, and thereby the received RF signal at each antenna is modulated by the first baseband signal with its specific phase (θa) and reflected, and
• the beamformed signals are generated by the plurality A of antennas by reflecting the modulated RF signals from each antenna.