Communication system, guided wave switch and methods for use therewith
First Claim
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1. A communication system comprising:
- a first guided wave cable having a first dielectric core configured to propagate first guided waves without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the first guided waves are within a non-optical frequency band;
at least one second guided wave cable having a plurality of second dielectric cores coupled to a plurality of antennas; and
a guided wave switch configured to couple the first dielectric core to a selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores to communicate the first guided waves from one of the plurality of antennas to the first dielectric core via the selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores;
wherein the first guided wave cable is further configured to communicate the first guided waves to a radio.
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Abstract
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a guided wave switch that selectively aligns an end of the first dielectric core of a first conductorless guided wave cable with an end of a selected one of a plurality of second dielectric cores of at least one second conductorless guided wave cable to facilitate coupling of the first guided waves from the first dielectric core to a selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores. Other embodiments are disclosed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A communication system comprising:
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a first guided wave cable having a first dielectric core configured to propagate first guided waves without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the first guided waves are within a non-optical frequency band; at least one second guided wave cable having a plurality of second dielectric cores coupled to a plurality of antennas; and a guided wave switch configured to couple the first dielectric core to a selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores to communicate the first guided waves from one of the plurality of antennas to the first dielectric core via the selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores; wherein the first guided wave cable is further configured to communicate the first guided waves to a radio. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A communication system comprising:
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a first guided wave cable having a first dielectric core configured to communicate first guided waves that are bound to the first dielectric core, wherein the first guided waves are within a non-optical frequency band and propagate along the first dielectric core without requiring an electrical return path; at least one second guided wave cable without the electrical return path having a plurality of second dielectric cores coupled to a plurality of antennas; and a guided wave switch configured to couple the first dielectric core to a selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores to communicate the first guided waves from the selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores to the first dielectric core, wherein the first guided waves propagate along the selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores from one of the plurality of antennas without requiring an electrical return path. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method comprising:
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communicating, via a guided wave cable having a first dielectric core, guided waves that propagate along the first dielectric core without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the guided waves are within a non-optical frequency band; and coupling, via a guided wave switch, the first dielectric core to a selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores to communicate the first guided waves from the selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores to the first dielectric core, wherein the first guided waves propagate along the selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores from one of the plurality of antennas without requiring an electrical return path.
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Specification