Guided wave coupler, coupling module and methods for use therewith

• US 10,079,419 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2018
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2014
• 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, Bennett, Robert, Gerszberg, Irwin, Barzegar, Farhad, Barnickel, Donald J, Willis, III, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rachedine, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US15/876,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20180145394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 239 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/16 Dielectric waveguides, i.e. without a longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/02 with invariable factor of coupling H01P5/12 takes precedence choke joints H01P1/04, H01P1/06
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/12 Coupling devices having more than two ports H01P5/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/0485 Dielectric resonator antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/36 Repeater circuits H04B3/58 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/52 Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/56 Circuits for coupling, blocking, or by-passing of signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15557 Selecting relay station operation mode, e.g. between amplify and forward mode, decode and forward mode or FDD - and TDD mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a coupler including a receiving portion that receives a first electromagnetic wave conveying first data from a transmitting device. A guiding portion guides the first electromagnetic wave to a junction for coupling the first electromagnetic wave to a transmission medium. The first electromagnetic wave propagates via at least one first guided wave mode. The coupling of the first electromagnetic wave to the transmission medium forms a second electromagnetic wave that is guided to propagate along the outer surface of the transmission medium via at least one second guided wave mode that differs from the at least one first guided wave mode. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A waveguide device comprising:

a first coupler configured to;

couple first electromagnetic waves conveying a first data stream to a transmission medium, wherein the first electromagnetic waves propagate along the first coupler via at least one first guided wave mode; and

generate, responsive to the first electromagnetic waves, third electromagnetic waves conveying the first data stream that propagate at non-optical frequencies along the transmission medium via a non-fundamental mode not included in the at least one first guided wave mode; and

a second coupler configured to;

couple second electromagnetic waves conveying a second data stream to the transmission medium, wherein the second electromagnetic waves propagate along the second coupler via the at least one first guided wave mode; and

generate, responsive to the second electromagnetic waves, fourth electromagnetic waves conveying the second data stream that propagate along the transmission medium at non-optical frequencies in a same longitudinal direction as the third electromagnetic waves, wherein the fourth electromagnetic waves propagate along the transmission medium via the non-fundamental mode.

2. The waveguide device of claim 1, wherein the at least one first guided wave mode includes only a fundamental mode.

3. The waveguide device of claim 1, wherein the at least one first guided wave mode has a circular field pattern and wherein the non-fundamental mode has a non-circular field pattern.

4. The waveguide device of claim 1, wherein the first coupler is non-coaxially aligned with the transmission medium.

5. The waveguide device of claim 1, wherein the second coupler is non-coaxially aligned with the transmission medium.

6. The waveguide device of claim 1, wherein the first coupler and the second coupler each comprise a non-conductive plastic waveguide.

7. The waveguide device of claim 1, wherein the first coupler includes a non-conductive dielectric waveguide having a tapered, rounded or beveled end that terminates at a junction with the transmission medium.

8. The waveguide device of claim 1, wherein the second coupler includes a non-conductive dielectric waveguide having a tapered, rounded or beveled end that terminates at a junction with the transmission medium.

9. The waveguide device of claim 1, wherein the first coupler includes a first non-conductive dielectric waveguide having a first end that terminates at a first junction with the transmission medium, wherein the first junction has a first azimuthal orientation to the transmission medium, wherein the second coupler includes a second non-conductive dielectric waveguide having a second end that terminates at a second junction with the transmission medium, wherein the second junction has a second azimuthal orientation to the transmission medium.

10. The waveguide device of claim 9, wherein the first junction is spaced a longitudinal distance from the second junction along the transmission medium.

11. The waveguide device of claim 9, wherein the first junction is spaced an azimuthal angle from the second junction along the transmission medium.

12. The waveguide device of claim 1, wherein the first coupler is non-coaxially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the transmission medium according to a first azimuthal orientation to the transmission medium, and wherein the second coupler is non-coaxially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the transmission medium according to a second azimuthal orientation to the transmission medium.

13. The waveguide device of claim 1, wherein the first coupler is tangentially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the transmission medium according to a first azimuthal orientation to the transmission medium, and wherein the second coupler is tangentially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the transmission medium according to a second azimuthal orientation to the transmission medium.

14. A coupling module comprising:

guiding means for guiding a plurality of first electromagnetic waves conveying first data to a corresponding plurality of junctions for coupling the plurality of first electromagnetic waves to a transmission medium, wherein the plurality of first electromagnetic waves propagates via at least one first guided wave mode and wherein the coupling of the plurality of first electromagnetic waves to the transmission medium forms a plurality of second electromagnetic waves that is guided to propagate along an outer surface of the transmission medium via at least one second guided wave mode that differs from the at least one first guided wave mode, and wherein the at least one second guided wave mode includes a non-fundamental mode not included in the at least one first guided wave mode; and

wherein the first data includes a plurality of data streams that differ from one another and wherein each of the plurality of first electromagnetic waves conveys one of the plurality of data streams.

15. The coupling module of claim 14, wherein the at least one first guided wave mode has a circular field pattern and wherein the plurality of junctions induces the plurality of second electromagnetic waves such that the at least one second guided wave mode has a non-circular field pattern.

16. The coupling module of claim 14, wherein the at least one first guided wave mode has a circular field pattern and wherein the plurality of junctions induces the plurality of second electromagnetic waves such that the at least one second guided wave mode includes an asymmetric mode having a non-circular field pattern and a symmetric mode having the circular field pattern.

17. The coupling module of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of junctions includes an air gap.

18. The coupling module of claim 14, wherein a plurality of third electromagnetic waves conveys second data that also propagates along the outer surface of the transmission medium;

and

wherein the plurality of junctions couples the plurality of third electromagnetic waves from the transmission medium to form a plurality of fourth electromagnetic waves that is guided by the guiding means to a receiver.

19. The coupling module of claim 14, wherein the guiding means includes a plurality of non-conductive dielectric waveguides.

20. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of first electromagnetic waves conveying data from a transmitting device, wherein the data includes a plurality of data streams that differ from one another and wherein each of the plurality of first electromagnetic waves conveys one of the plurality of data streams; and

guiding the plurality of first electromagnetic waves to a plurality of junctions for coupling the plurality of first electromagnetic waves to a transmission medium, wherein the plurality of first electromagnetic waves propagates via a fundamental mode and wherein the coupling of the plurality of first electromagnetic waves to the transmission medium forms a plurality of second electromagnetic waves that are each guided to propagate along a surface of the transmission medium via a non-fundamental mode.