Node device, repeater and methods for use therewith

• US 10,014,946 B2
• Filed: 07/20/2017
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Henry, Paul Shala, Gerszberg, Irwin, Bennett, Robert, Barzegar, Farhad, Barnickel, Donald J., Willis, III, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huang, David S
• Application Number:
  US15/655,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20170317755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 348 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/12 Coupling devices having more than two ports H01P5/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00007 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/29 Repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 14/02 characterised by the use of pulse modulation in radio transmission relays H04B7/17
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5479 using repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/52 Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/56 Circuits for coupling, blocking, or by-passing of signals
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/124 using wired telecommunication networks or data transmission busses

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a node device includes an interface configured to receive first signals. A plurality of coupling devices are configured to launch the first signals on a transmission medium as a plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves at corresponding plurality of non-optical carrier frequencies, wherein the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves are bound to a physical structure of the transmission medium. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A repeater comprising:

a first coupling device configured to receive a subset of a plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves, wherein the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves has a corresponding plurality of non-optical carrier frequencies and is bound to a physical structure of a transmission medium, wherein at least one of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves propagates longitudinally along the transmission medium via a guided wave mode that is absent from at least one other of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves;

processing circuitry configured to generate repeated signals based on the subset of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves; and

a second coupling device configured to launch the repeated signals as at least one second guided electromagnetic wave that is bound to the physical structure of the transmission medium.

2. The repeater of claim 1 wherein the transmission medium includes a wire and the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves is bound to an outer surface of the wire.

3. The repeater of claim 1, wherein the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves convey a plurality of channels and wherein at least one of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves conveys a subset of the plurality of channels.

4. The repeater of claim 1, the first coupling device is further configured to pass ones of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves not included in the subset.

5. The repeater of claim 1, wherein the first coupling device is further configured to receive third guided electromagnetic waves from at least one remote device that include second signals, and wherein the repeater selects one of a plurality of repeating modes in response to the second signals.

6. The repeater of claim 5, wherein the second signals include data indicating at least one of:

a first command for the repeater to repeat the subset of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves, in accordance with one of the plurality of repeating modes;

or

a second command for the repeater to not repeat the subset of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves, in accordance with another of the plurality of repeating modes.

7. The repeater of claim 5 wherein the processing circuitry includes a controller configured to select the one of the plurality of repeating modes in response to the second signals.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a subset of a plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves, wherein the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves has a corresponding plurality of non-optical carrier frequencies and is bound to a physical structure of a transmission medium;

passing ones of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves not included in the subset along the physical structure of the transmission medium;

receiving second guided electromagnetic waves that include second signals from at least one remote device, and

selecting one of a plurality of repeating modes in response to the second signals.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second signals include data indicating at least one of:

a first command to repeat the subset of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves, in accordance with one of the plurality of repeating modes;

or

a second command to not repeat the subset of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves, in accordance with another of the plurality of repeating modes.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the transmission medium includes a wire.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves is bound to an outer surface of the wire.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves conveys a plurality of channels and wherein at least one of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves conveys a subset of the plurality of channels.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

passing ones of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves not included in the subset.

14. A repeater comprising:

a first coupling device configured to receive a subset of a plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves, wherein the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves has a corresponding plurality of non-optical carrier frequencies and is bound to a first physical interface of a first transmission medium, wherein at least one of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves propagates longitudinally along the transmission medium, without requiring an electrical return path, via a guided wave mode that is absent from at least one other of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves;

processing circuitry configured to generate repeated signals based on the subset of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves; and

a second coupling device configured to launch the repeated signals as at least one second guided electromagnetic wave that is bound to a second physical interface of a second transmission medium.

15. The repeater of claim 14 wherein the first transmission medium includes a wire and the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves is bound to an outer surface of the wire.

16. The repeater of claim 14, wherein the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves conveys a plurality of channels and wherein at least one of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves conveys a subset of the plurality of channels.

17. The repeater of claim 14, wherein the first coupling device is further configured to pass ones of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves not included in the subset.

18. The repeater of claim 14, wherein the first coupling device is further configured to receive third guided electromagnetic waves from at least one remote device that include second signals, and wherein the repeater selects one of a plurality of repeating modes in response to the second signals.

19. The repeater of claim 18, wherein the second signals include data indicating at least one of:

a first command for the repeater to repeat the subset of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves, in accordance with one of the plurality of repeating modes;

or

a second command for the repeater to not repeat the subset of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves, in accordance with another of the plurality of repeating modes.

20. The repeater of claim 18 wherein the processing circuitry includes a controller configured to select the one of the plurality of repeating modes in response to the second signals.