Repeater-based architecture for intelligent reflective surface deployment

A method of wireless communication at a base station, comprising:

• detecting at least one obstruction for communication via at least one reflective surface, the at least one reflective surface being associated with a node, the node including a repeater unit (RU) and a control entity;
• transmitting, to the control entity of the node, an indication of the at least one obstruction for communication via the at least one reflective surface, the indication indicating to the control entity to utilize the RU and the at least one reflective surface for communication, the RU being separate from the at least one reflective surface;
• and
• transmitting, to one or more user equipments (UEs) based on the at least one obstruction for communication, a first communication via the RU for repeating the first communication to the at least one reflective surface, or receiving, from the one or more UEs based on the at least one obstruction for communication, a repeated second communication via the RU and the at least one reflective surface based on the at least one obstruction for communication.

An apparatus for wireless communication at a node, comprising:

• at least one memory;
• and
• at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory and configured to:
• receive, from a base station at a control entity of the node, an indication of at least one obstruction for communication via at least one reflective surface, the indication indicating to the control entity to utilize a repeater unit (RU) of the node and the at least one reflective surface for communication;
• configure, upon receiving the indication of the at least one obstruction, the RU and the at least one reflective surface for communication with the base station, the RU being separate from the at least one reflective surface;
• and
• forward a first communication received from the base station to the at least one reflective surface via the RU for repeating the first communication to the at least one reflective surface based on the at least one obstruction for communication, or forward a second communication received from the at least one reflective surface and repeated by the RU to the base station based on the at least one obstruction for communication.

A method of wireless communication at a node, comprising:

• receiving, from a base station at a control entity of the node, an indication of at least one obstruction for communication via at least one reflective surface, the indication indicating to the control entity to utilize a repeater unit (RU) of the node and the at least one reflective surface for communication;
• configuring, upon receiving the indication of the at least one obstruction, the RU and the at least one reflective surface for communication with the base station, the RU being separate from the at least one reflective surface;
• and
• forwarding a first communication received from the base station to the at least one reflective surface via the RU for repeating the first communication to the at least one reflective surface based on the at least one obstruction for communication, or forwarding a second communication received from the at least one reflective surface and repeated by the RU to the base station based on the at least one obstruction for communication.