Network termination and methods for use therewith

• US 10,361,753 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2018
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2015
• 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): Burd, Kevin M
• Application Number:
  US15/940,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20180219583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 481 Days
• Field of Search: 375256
• 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 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 5/22 Capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/28 using the near field of leaky cables, e.g. of leaky coaxial cables
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/75 for isolation purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0002 analog front ends; means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line duplex arrangements H04L5/143
• 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 network termination includes a downstream channel modulator modulates downstream data into downstream channel signals to convey the downstream data via a guided electromagnetic wave that is bound to a transmission medium of a guided wave communication system. A host interface sends the downstream channel signals to the guided wave communication system and receives upstream channel signals corresponding to upstream frequency channels from the guided wave communication system. An upstream channel demodulator demodulates upstream channel signals into upstream data. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A network termination comprising:

a first interface configured to receive first data from a communication network and to send second data to the communication network;

a channel modulator configured to modulate, by a first physical layer processing, the first data into first channel signals, the first physical layer processing formatting the first channel signals in accordance with a wireless standard communication protocol that is compatible with direct wireless connectivity to wireless devices via antennas of a distributed antenna system without requiring either an analog to digital conversion or a digital to analog conversion by a plurality of repeaters of the distributed antenna system, the formatting of the first channel signals further enabling the plurality of repeaters of the distributed antenna system to receive and repeat a first guided electromagnetic wave conveying the first channel signals along a surface of a transmission medium;

a second interface, coupled to a fiber optic link, configured to send the first channel signals formatted in accordance with the wireless standard communication protocol over the fiber optic link to the distributed antenna system and to receive second channel signals formatted in accordance with the wireless standard communication protocol via the fiber optic link, the second channel signals conveyed by the distributed antenna system via a second guided electromagnetic wave on the surface of the transmission medium; and

a channel demodulator configured to demodulate, by a second physical layer processing, the second channel signals in accordance with the wireless standard communication protocol into the second data.

2. The network termination of claim 1, wherein the channel modulator modulates the first channel signals to convey selected ones of the first channel signals to each of the plurality of repeaters to facilitate wireless transmissions to the wireless devices via the antennas of the distributed antenna system and wherein the plurality of repeaters each further generates selected ones of the second channel signals from wireless receptions from the wireless devices via the antennas of the distributed antenna system.

3. The network termination of claim 2, wherein the transmission medium includes a dielectric core surrounded by a cladding and the first guided electromagnetic wave is guided by the dielectric core.

4. The network termination of claim 3, wherein the first guided electromagnetic wave is bound to the transmission medium and propagates along the transmission medium with a first portion of the first guided electromagnetic wave propagating within the dielectric core and a second portion of the first guided electromagnetic wave propagating inside the cladding.

5. The network termination of claim 3, wherein the transmission medium further includes a jacket that surrounds the cladding.

6. The network termination of claim 1, wherein the first channel signals are formatted in accordance with a Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless standard communication protocol.

7. The network termination of claim 1, wherein the first channel signals are formatted in accordance with a data over cable system interface specification (DOCSIS) protocol.

8. The network termination of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium is a medium voltage cable.

9. The network termination of claim 1, wherein the second channel signals are formatted in accordance with a data over cable system interface specification (DOCSIS) protocol.

10. The network termination of claim 1, wherein the second channel signals are formatted in accordance with a fifth generation (5G) mobile wireless protocol.

11. A method comprising:

receiving first data from a communication network;

modulating, by a first physical layer processing, the first data into first channel signals, the first physical layer processing formatting the first channel signals in accordance with a wireless standard communication protocol that is compatible with direct wireless connectivity to wireless devices via antennas of a distributed antenna system without requiring either an analog to digital conversion or a digital to analog conversion by a plurality of repeaters of the distributed antenna system, the formatting of the first channel signals enabling the plurality of repeaters of the distributed antenna system to receive and repeat a first guided electromagnetic wave conveying the first channel signals that is guided by at least one surface of a transmission medium of the distributed antenna system;

sending the first channel signals formatted in accordance with the wireless standard communication protocol to the distributed antenna system via a wired connection;

receiving second channel signals formatted in accordance with the wireless standard communication protocol over the wired connection from the distributed antenna system, the second channel signals conveyed by the distributed antenna system via a second guided electromagnetic wave on the at least one surface of the transmission medium;

demodulating, by a second physical layer processing, the second channel signals in accordance with the wireless standard communication protocol into second data; and

sending the second data to the communication network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the transmission medium includes a medium voltage power line.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the transmission medium includes a dielectric core surrounded by a cladding and the first guided electromagnetic wave is guided by the dielectric core.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first guided electromagnetic wave is bound to the transmission medium and propagates along the transmission medium with a first portion of the first guided electromagnetic wave propagating within the dielectric core and a second portion of the first guided electromagnetic wave propagating inside the cladding.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the transmission medium further includes a jacket that surrounds the cladding.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the second channel signals are formatted in accordance with a data over cable system interface specification (DOCSIS) protocol.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the first channel signals are formatted in accordance with a data over cable system interface specification (DOCSIS) protocol.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein at least a portion of the second channel signals and at least a portion of the first channel signals are formatted in accordance with a data over cable system interface specification protocol or a fifth generation (5G) mobile wireless protocol.

19. A network termination comprising:

a channel modulator configured to modulate, by a first physical layer processing, first data into first channel signals, the first physical layer processing formatting the first channel signals in accordance with a wireless standard communication protocol that is compatible with direct wireless connectivity to a plurality of wireless devices via antennas of a distributed antenna system without requiring either an analog to digital conversion or a digital to analog conversion by a plurality of repeaters of the distributed antenna system, the formatting of the first channel signals further enabling the plurality of repeaters of the distributed antenna system to receive and repeat a guided electromagnetic wave conveying the first data that is guided by a transmission medium of the distributed antenna system;

an interface, coupled to a fiber optic link, configured to send, via the fiber optic link, the first channel signals formatted in accordance with the wireless standard communication protocol to the distributed antenna system for transmission to the plurality of wireless devices via the distributed antenna system and to receive second channel signals formatted in accordance with the wireless standard communication protocol from the plurality of wireless devices via the distributed antenna system; and

a channel demodulator configured to demodulate, by a second physical layer processing, the second channel signals in accordance with the wireless standard communication protocol into second data.

20. The network termination of claim 19, wherein the transmission medium includes a dielectric core surrounded by a cladding and a jacket and the guided electromagnetic wave is guided by the dielectric core.