Repeater and methods for use therewith

• US 10,027,398 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2016
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2015
• 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: Bennett, Robert, Henry, Paul Shala, Gerszberg, Irwin, Barzegar, Farhad, Barnickel, Donald J, Willis, III, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kassim, Khaled
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALI, SYED
• Application Number:
  US15/070,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20160365916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/0057 using diplexing or multiplexing filters for selecting the desired band
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/36 Repeater circuits H04B3/58 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/38 for signals in two different frequency ranges transmitted in opposite directions over the same transmission path
• 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: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/155 Ground-based stations H04B7/204 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a repeater device having a first coupler to extract downstream channel signals from first guided electromagnetic waves bound to a transmission medium of a guided wave communication system. An amplifier amplifies the downstream channel signals to generate amplified downstream channel signals. A channel selection filter selects one or more of the amplified downstream channel signals to wirelessly transmit to the at least one client device via an antenna. A second coupler guides the amplified downstream channel signals to the transmission medium of the guided wave communication system to propagate as second guided electromagnetic waves. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A repeater device, comprising:

an amplifier configured to amplify first channel signals to generate amplified first channel signals, wherein the first channel signals are extracted from first guided electromagnetic waves bound to at least one guided wave transmission medium, and wherein at least a portion of the first channel signals is formatted in accordance with a data over cable system interface specification (DOCSIS) protocol, an 802.11 protocol or a fifth generation (5G) mobile wireless protocol;

a channel selection filter configured to select one or more of the amplified first channel signals to wirelessly transmit to at least one device via an antenna; and

a channel duplexer configured to transfer at least a portion of the amplified first channel signals to a first coupler configured to guide the at least the portion of the amplified first channel signals to the at least one guided wave transmission medium to propagate as second guided electromagnetic waves and further to transfer the first channel signals to the channel selection filter;

wherein the channel selection filter is further configured to wirelessly receive second channel signals from the at least one device via the antenna;

wherein the channel duplexer is further configured to transfer the second channel signals to the amplifier;

wherein the amplifier is further configured to amplify the second channel signals to generate amplified second channel signals;

wherein a second coupler is configured to guide the amplified second channel signals to the at least one guided wave transmission medium to propagate as third guided electromagnetic waves; and

wherein the first channel signals correspond to a number of first frequency channels and the second channel signals correspond to a number of second frequency channels that is less than the number of the first frequency channels.

2. The repeater device of claim 1, wherein the at least one guided wave transmission medium includes a dielectric and the first guided electromagnetic waves and the second guided electromagnetic waves are guided by an outer surface of the dielectric.

3. The repeater device of claim 1, wherein the at least one guided wave transmission medium is conductorless and operates in a non-cellular frequency band.

4. The repeater device of claim 1, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves and the second guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the at least one guided wave transmission medium without an electrical return path.

5. The repeater device of claim 1, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves are bound to the at least one guided wave transmission medium and propagate along the at least one guided wave transmission medium with a first portion of the first guided electromagnetic waves propagating within the at least one guided wave transmission medium and a second portion of the first guided electromagnetic waves propagating outside the at least one guided wave transmission medium.

6. The repeater device of claim 1, wherein the channel duplexer includes a diplexer that operates via analog signal processing.

7. The repeater device of claim 1, wherein the at least one guided wave transmission medium includes a bare wire and the first guided electromagnetic waves and the second guided electromagnetic waves are guided by an outer surface of the bare wire.

8. The repeater device of claim 1, wherein the at least one guided wave transmission medium includes an insulated wire and the first guided electromagnetic waves and the second guided electromagnetic waves are guided by an outer surface of the insulated wire.

9. The repeater device of claim 1, wherein the at least one guided wave transmission medium includes a wire bundle and the first guided electromagnetic waves and the second guided electromagnetic waves are guided by a surface of the wire bundle.

10. The repeater device of claim 1, wherein the at least one guided wave transmission medium is part of a distributed antenna system that includes the antenna and a plurality of other antennas.

11. The repeater device of claim 1, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves propagate along a surface of the at least one guided wave transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path.

12. The repeater device of claim 1, wherein the repeater device is part of a distributed antenna system.

13. The repeater device of claim 12, wherein the distributed antenna system includes a plurality of other repeaters having a plurality of other antennas.

14. The repeater device of claim 13, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves are received from a first repeater of the plurality of other repeaters via the at least one guided wave transmission medium.

15. The repeater device of claim 14, wherein the second guided electromagnetic waves are sent to a second repeater of the plurality of other repeaters via the at least one guided wave transmission medium.

16. The repeater device of claim 15, wherein the third guided electromagnetic waves are sent to the first repeater of the plurality of other repeaters via the at least one guided wave transmission medium.

17. The repeater device of claim 13, wherein the first channel signals are further formatted to facilitate reception and retransmission by the plurality of other repeaters without requiring either analog to digital conversion or digital to analog conversion.

18. The repeater device of claim 13, wherein the first channel signals are further formatted to facilitate reception and retransmission by the plurality of other repeaters via analog signal processing.

19. The repeater device of claim 1, wherein the antenna wirelessly transmits the one or more of the amplified first channel signals to wirelessly transmit to the at least one device.

20. The repeater device of claim 1, wherein the at least one device is a mobile communication device.