Apparatus and methods for measuring signals

• US 10,027,427 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2016
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2016
• 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: Vannucci, Giovanni, Wolniansky, Peter, Henry, Paul Shala, Bennett, Robert, Barzegar, Farhad, Gerszberg, Irwin, Barnickel, Donald J., Willis, III, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Joseph, Jaison
• Application Number:
  US15/372,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20180167148A1
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/00 Auxiliary devices coupling devices of the waveguide type H01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/10 Wire waveguides, i.e. with a single solid longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/00 Coupling devices of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/46 Electric supply lines or communication lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/24 constituted by a dielectric or ferromagnetic rod or pipe H01Q13/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/28 comprising elements constituting electric discontinuities and spaced in direction of wave propagation, e.g. dielectric elements or conductive elements forming artificial dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/101 for measurement of specific parameters of the transmitter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5495 having measurements and testing channel
• 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: H04L 25/0278 Arrangements for impedance matching

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, a system that obtains a group of signals that are each representative of a corresponding one of a group of electromagnetic waves, analyzes the group of signals to determine signal characteristics, and determines, according to the signal characteristics, predicted characteristics for a communication signal that is to be transmitted by a circuit. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a probe including a light source, a photodetector, an optic fiber, and an antenna, wherein the light source generates light, wherein the photodetector converts the light to an electrical signal, wherein the optic fiber couples the light source to the photodetector, and wherein the antenna is coupled to the photodetector and radiates a wireless signal based on the electrical signal;

a circuit coupled with a transmission medium, wherein the wireless signal induces an electromagnetic wave at a physical interface of the transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic wave propagates and is guided by the transmission medium to the circuit;

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

obtaining, from the circuit, a first signal representative of the electromagnetic wave,

analyzing the first signal to determine a first signal characteristic, and

determining, according to the first signal characteristic, a first predicted characteristic for a communication signal that is to be transmitted by the circuit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first predicted characteristic is determined according to the first signal characteristic based on Lorentz reciprocity.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the probe is moveable with respect to the transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic wave is a first electromagnetic wave induced while the probe is in a first position with respect to the transmission medium, wherein the probe induces a second electromagnetic wave at the physical interface of the transmission medium while the probe is in a second position with respect to the transmission medium, wherein the second electromagnetic wave propagates and is guided by the transmission medium to the circuit, and wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining, from the circuit, a second signal representative of the second electromagnetic wave,

analyzing the second signal to determine a second signal characteristic, and

determining, according to the second signal characteristic, a second predicted characteristic for the communication signal that is to be transmitted by the circuit.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating, by the processing system according to the first and second predicted characteristics, a wave model for the communication signal that is to be transmitted by the circuit.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the photodetector comprises a photodiode, and wherein the antenna comprises one of a monopole, dipole or loop antenna.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuit comprises a monolithic microwave integrated circuit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium is part of a polyrod antenna, and wherein the communication signal is a transmitted wireless signal to be transmitted via the polyrod antenna.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuit is part of a waveguide launcher, and wherein the transmission medium is a power line.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the probe includes an amplifier for increasing power of the electrical signal.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the probe includes a bandpass filter for filtering the electrical signal.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the probe includes a matching network for impedance matching.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the probe includes a voltage bias circuit for biasing the photodetector.

13. A method comprising:

obtaining, by a processing system including a processor, a group of signals that are each representative of a corresponding one of a group of electromagnetic waves, wherein each of the group of electromagnetic waves is induced by a corresponding one of a group of wireless signals transmitted from a probe, wherein each of the group of electromagnetic waves is induced at a physical interface of a transmission medium, wherein each of the group of electromagnetic waves propagates and is guided by the transmission medium to a circuit, wherein each of the group of wireless signals is generated based on light that is converted to a corresponding one of a group of electrical signals by a photodetector of the probe that is coupled with a light source via an optic fiber, and wherein the group of electromagnetic waves is induced at different positions of the probe with respect to the transmission medium;

analyzing, by the processing system, the group of signals to determine signal characteristics; and

determining, by the processing system according to the signal characteristics, predicted characteristics for a communication signal that is to be transmitted by the circuit.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

generating, by the processing system according to the predicted characteristics, a wave model for the communication signal that is to be transmitted by the circuit.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

adjusting the circuit according to the predicted characteristics resulting in an adjusted circuit.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmission medium is part of a polyrod antenna and further comprising:

generating, via the adjusted circuit, a first electromagnetic wave; and

transmitting, via the polyrod antenna, a first wireless signal based on the first electromagnetic wave.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable storage device, comprising instructions, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, a processor of a waveguide performs operations comprising:

obtaining a group of signals that are each representative of a corresponding one of a group of electromagnetic waves, wherein each of the group of electromagnetic waves is induced by a corresponding one of a group of wireless signals transmitted from a probe, wherein each of the group of electromagnetic waves is induced at a physical interface of a transmission medium, wherein each of the group of electromagnetic waves propagates and is guided by the transmission medium to a circuit of the waveguide, wherein each of the group of wireless signals is generated based on light that is converted to a corresponding one of a group of electrical signals, and wherein the group of electromagnetic waves is induced at different positions of the probe with respect to the transmission medium;

analyzing the group of signals to determine signal characteristics; and

determining, according to the signal characteristics, predicted characteristics for a communication signal that is to be transmitted by the circuit.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

adjusting the circuit according to the predicted characteristics resulting in an adjusted circuit.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the transmission medium is part of a polyrod antenna and wherein the operations further comprise:

generating, via the adjusted circuit, a first electromagnetic wave; and

transmitting, via the polyrod antenna, a first wireless signal based on the first electromagnetic wave.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

applying a bias voltage to a photodetector that converts the light to the group of electrical signals.