Quasi-optical coupler
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- an antenna that facilitates reception of a wireless signal; and
a transmitter coupled to the antenna, wherein the transmitter facilitates emitting a focused transmission that is based on the wireless signal, and wherein the focused transmission is directed to a focal plane of a reflector;
wherein the reflector, positioned with respect to a transmission medium, facilitates reflecting from the focal plane the focused transmission thereby generating a guided wave that propagates along the transmission medium.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A quasi-optical coupling system launches and extracts surface wave communication transmissions from a wire. At millimeter-wave frequencies, where the wavelength is small compared to the macroscopic size of the equipment, the millimeter-wave transmissions can be transported from one place to another and diverted via lenses and reflectors, much like visible light. Transmitters and receivers can be positioned near telephone and power lines and reflectors placed on or near the cables can reflect transmissions onto or off of the cables. The lenses on the transmitters are focused, and the reflectors positioned such that the reflected transmissions are guided waves on the surface of the cables. The reflectors can be polarization sensitive, where one or more of a set of guided wave modes can be reflected off the wire based on the polarization of the guided wave modes and polarization and orientation of the reflector.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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an antenna that facilitates reception of a wireless signal; and a transmitter coupled to the antenna, wherein the transmitter facilitates emitting a focused transmission that is based on the wireless signal, and wherein the focused transmission is directed to a focal plane of a reflector; wherein the reflector, positioned with respect to a transmission medium, facilitates reflecting from the focal plane the focused transmission thereby generating a guided wave that propagates along the transmission medium. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus, comprising:
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an antenna, wherein the antenna facilitates reception of a wireless signal; a reflector having a focal plane, wherein the reflector is positioned with respect to a transmission medium; and a transmitter coupled to the antenna, wherein the transmitter facilitates emitting, responsive to the wireless signal, a focused transmission, and wherein the focused transmission is directed to the focal plane of the reflector; wherein the reflector facilitates reflecting from the focal plane the focused transmission to generate a guided wave that propagates along the transmission medium. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A method, comprising:
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receiving, by an antenna, a wireless signal; and emitting, by a transmitter coupled to the antenna, a focused transmission that is based on the wireless signal, wherein the focused transmission is directed to a focal plane of a reflector; wherein the reflector, positioned with respect to a transmission medium, reflects from the focal plane the focused transmission, thereby generating a guided wave that propagates along the transmission medium. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification