Method and apparatus for repeating guided wave communication signals

• US 10,439,675 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2016
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2016
• 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: Johnson, Shikik, Bogdan, Pamela A. M., Henry, Paul Shala, Bennett, Robert, Gerszberg, Irwin, Barzegar, Farhad, Barnickel, Donald J., Willis, III, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lugo, David B
• Application Number:
  US15/369,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20180159595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/103 Hollow-waveguide/coaxial-line transitions
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/02 Waveguide horns
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/26 Surface waveguide constituted by a single conductor, e.g. strip conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/408 using successive loop-backs
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5425 improving S/N by matching impedance, noise reduction, gain control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5445 Local network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5458 Monitor sensor; Alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5479 using repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/56 Circuits for coupling, blocking, or by-passing of signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/58 Repeater circuits

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a guided wave repeater system operable to receive via a guided wave transceiver a first plurality of electromagnetic waves that includes a first communication signal. A second plurality of electromagnetic waves that includes a second communication signal is transmitted via the guided wave transceiver. The first plurality of electromagnetic waves and the second plurality of electromagnetic waves are guided by a power line of a utility pole. A third communication signal is received from a smart grid device. A fourth communication signal is transmitted to the smart grid device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A guided wave repeater system, comprising:

a processing system that includes a processor;

a first guided wave transceiver that transmits and receives communications by electromagnetic waves at a physical interface of a transmission medium that comprises a power line supported by a utility pole, wherein the first guided wave transceiver includes a plurality of monolithic microwave integrated circuits coupled to radiating elements that transmit electromagnetic signals having e-fields of opposing orientation that combine together to induce the electromagnetic waves for propagation along the transmission medium according to a fundamental wave mode and wherein the electromagnetic waves are guided by the transmission medium and propagate without utilizing an electrical return path; and

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

receiving via the first guided wave transceiver a first plurality of the electromagnetic waves that includes a first communication signal, wherein the first communication signal includes sensor input from a weather sensor;

generating first power outage warning data that indicates a predicted future power outage, wherein the first power outage warning data is generated by determining a power outage likelihood value based on the sensor input from the weather sensor and comparing the power outage likelihood value to a power outage likelihood threshold;

generating, subsequently to generating the first power outage warning data, second power outage warning data that includes a notice that a warning period has passed when the power outage likelihood value compares favorably to the power outage likelihood threshold;

transmitting via the first guided wave transceiver a second plurality of the electromagnetic waves that includes a second communication signal, wherein the second communication signal includes the first power outage warning data and the second power outage warning data;

receiving a third communication signal from a smart grid device; and

transmitting a fourth communication signal to the smart grid device.

2. The guided wave repeater system of claim 1, wherein the smart grid device is physically attached to the utility pole.

3. The guided wave repeater system of claim 1, wherein the smart grid device is powered by the power line.

4. The guided wave repeater system of claim 1, further comprising a wireless transceiver, wherein the third communication signal is a wireless communication signal received by the wireless transceiver, and wherein the fourth communication signal is a wireless communication signal transmitted by the wireless transceiver.

5. The guided wave repeater system of claim 4, wherein the third communication signal and the fourth communication signal are received and transmitted, respectively, via an access line of sight radio link protocol.

6. The guided wave repeater system of claim 1, further comprising a wired interface, wherein the third communication signal is received from the smart grid device via the wired interface, and wherein the fourth communication signal is transmitted to the smart grid device via the wired interface.

7. The guided wave repeater system of claim 1, wherein the third communication signal is received as a third plurality of the electromagnetic waves via the first guided wave transceiver, and wherein the fourth communication signal is received as a fourth plurality of the electromagnetic waves via the first guided wave transceiver.

8. The guided wave repeater system of claim 1, wherein the guided wave repeater system further comprises a second guided wave transceiver, wherein the third communication signal is received as a third plurality of the electromagnetic waves via the second guided wave transceiver, and wherein the fourth communication signal is received as a fourth plurality of the electromagnetic waves via the second guided wave transceiver.

9. The guided wave repeater system of claim 1, wherein the third communication signal includes supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) data, and wherein the operations further comprise:

transforming the third communication signal to generate the second plurality of the electromagnetic waves for transmission, wherein the second communication signal includes the SCADA data.

10. The guided wave repeater system of claim 1, wherein the first communication signal includes supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) data, and wherein the operations further comprise:

transforming the first plurality of the electromagnetic waves to generate the fourth communication signal for transmission to the smart grid device, wherein the fourth communication signal includes the SCADA data.

11. The guided wave repeater system of claim 1, further comprising a wired interface, wherein the operations further comprise:

transforming the first plurality of the electromagnetic waves to generate a fifth communication signal that includes data of the first communication signal;

transmitting the fifth communication signal to a second guided wave repeater system via the wired interface;

receiving a sixth communication signal from the second guided wave repeater system via the wired interface; and

transforming the sixth communication signal to generate the second plurality of the electromagnetic waves, wherein the second plurality of electromagnetic waves includes data of the sixth communication signal.

12. The guided wave repeater system of claim 11, wherein the guided wave repeater system is physically attached to the power line, wherein the power line corresponds to a first phase on a first side of the utility pole, and wherein the second guided wave repeater system is physically attached to the first phase on an opposite side of the utility pole.

13. A method for use by a guided wave repeater system that includes a processor and a guided wave transceiver, the method comprising:

receiving via the guided wave transceiver a first plurality of electromagnetic waves that includes a first communication signal, wherein the first communication signal includes sensor input from a weather sensor;

generating first power outage warning data that indicates a predicted future power outage, wherein the first power outage warning data is generated by determining a power outage likelihood value based on the sensor input from the weather sensor and comparing the power outage likelihood value to a power outage likelihood threshold;

generating, subsequently to generating the first power outage warning data, second power outage warning data that includes a notice that a warning period has passed when the power outage likelihood value compares favorably to the power outage likelihood threshold;

transmitting via the guided wave transceiver a second plurality of electromagnetic waves that includes a second communication signal, wherein the second communication signal includes the first power outage warning data and the second power outage warning data, wherein the guided wave transceiver includes a plurality of monolithic microwave integrated circuits coupled to radiating elements that transmit electromagnetic signals having e-fields of opposing orientation that combine together to induce the second plurality of electromagnetic waves for propagation along a transmission medium according to a fundamental wave mode;

receiving a third communication signal from a smart grid device; and

transmitting a fourth communication signal to the smart grid device;

wherein the first plurality of electromagnetic waves and the second plurality of electromagnetic waves are guided by a power line of a utility pole and propagate without utilizing an electrical return path.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the smart grid device is physically attached to the utility pole.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the smart grid device is powered by the power line.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the third communication signal is a wireless communication signal received by a wireless transceiver, and wherein the fourth communication signal is a wireless communication signal transmitted by the wireless transceiver.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the third communication signal and the fourth communication signal are received and transmitted, respectively, via a standard radio access link.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the third communication signal is received from the smart grid device via a wired interface, and wherein the fourth communication signal is transmitted to the smart grid device via the wired interface.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the third communication signal is received as a third plurality of electromagnetic waves via the guided wave transceiver, and wherein the fourth communication signal is received as a fourth plurality of electromagnetic waves via the guided wave transceiver.

20. A guided wave repeater system, comprising:

means for receiving via a first plurality of electromagnetic waves that includes a first communication signal, wherein the first communication signal includes sensor input from a weather sensor;

means for generating first power outage warning data that indicates a predicted future power outage, wherein the first power outage warning data is generated by determining a power outage likelihood value based on the sensor input from the weather sensor and comparing the power outage likelihood value to a power outage likelihood threshold;

means for generating, subsequently to generating the first power outage warning data, second power outage warning data that includes a notice that a warning period has passed when the power outage likelihood value compares favorably to the power outage likelihood threshold;

means for transmitting a second plurality of electromagnetic waves that includes a second communication signal, wherein the second communication signal includes the first power outage warning data and the second power outage warning data, wherein the means for transmitting includes a plurality of monolithic microwave integrated circuits coupled to radiating elements that transmit electromagnetic signals having e-fields of opposing orientation that combine together to induce the second plurality of electromagnetic waves for propagation along a transmission medium according to a fundamental wave mode;

means for receiving a third communication signal from a smart grid device; and

means for transmitting a fourth communication signal to the smart grid device;

wherein the first plurality of electromagnetic waves and the second plurality of electromagnetic waves are guided by a power line of a utility pole and propagate without utilizing an electrical return.