Access point and methods for communicating resource blocks with guided electromagnetic waves

• US 10,555,249 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2017
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2017
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Barzegar, Farhad, Gerszberg, Irwin, Vannucci, Giovanni, Wolniansky, Peter, Henry, Paul Shala
• Primary Examiner(s): Rutkowski, Jeffrey M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patidar, Sudesh M
• Application Number:
  US15/813,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20190150072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 370338
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 29/40 Regulating or controlling the amount of current drawn or delivered by the motor for controlling the mechanical load
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/52 Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/001 Synchronization between nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/047 using dedicated repeater stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/20 between access points

Abstract

In accordance with one or more embodiments, an access point includes a first communication interface that receives, first guided electromagnetic waves from a first waveguide system wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves convey a first plurality of resource blocks containing first data. A data switch selects first selected portions of the first data corresponding to a first subset of the first plurality of resource blocks for transmission to at least one communication device in proximity to the access point and select second selected portions of the first data corresponding to a second subset of the first plurality of resource blocks by omitting the first subset from the first plurality of resource blocks. A second communication interface generates second guided electromagnetic waves conveying the second selected portions of the first data to facilitate reuse of the first subset of the first plurality of resource blocks by a second waveguide system.

Claims

1. An access point comprising:

a first communication interface that includes;

a first coupler configured to receive, via a first transmission medium, first guided electromagnetic waves from a first waveguide system of a distributed antenna system, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the first transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path; and

a first receiver configured to receive a first plurality of resource blocks containing first data from the first guided electromagnetic waves;

a data switch configured to;

select first selected portions of the first data corresponding to a first subset of the first plurality of resource blocks for transmission to at least one communication device in proximity to the access point; and

select second selected portions of the first data corresponding to a second subset of the first plurality of resource blocks by omitting the first subset from the first plurality of resource blocks; and

a second communication interface that includes;

a second coupler configured to transmit, via a second transmission medium and in response to electromagnetic signals, second guided electromagnetic waves to a second waveguide system of the distributed antenna system, wherein the second guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the second transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path, wherein the second coupler is further configured to receive, via the second transmission medium, third guided electromagnetic waves from the second waveguide system of the distributed antenna system, wherein the third guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the second transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path;

a first transmitter configured to generate the electromagnetic signals in response to the second selected portions of the first data to facilitate reuse of the first subset of the first plurality of resource blocks by the second waveguide system; and

a second receiver configured to receive a second plurality of resource blocks containing second data from the third guided electromagnetic waves;

wherein the data switch is further configured to receive third data from the at least one communication device in proximity to the access point;

wherein the first coupler is further configured to transmit, via the first transmission medium and in response to additional electromagnetic signals, fourth guided electromagnetic waves to the first waveguide system of the distributed antenna system, wherein the fourth guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the first transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path; and

wherein the first communication interface further includes a second transmitter configured to generate the additional electromagnetic signals to convey the second data and the third data by inserting the third data in at least one unused resource block of the second plurality of resource blocks.

2. The access point of claim 1, wherein the first transmission medium includes a dielectric core surrounded, at least in part, by a dielectric cladding.

3. The access point of claim 2, wherein the dielectric core has a first relative permittivity and the dielectric cladding has a second relative permittivity that is less than the first relative permittivity.

4. The access point of claim 2, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the first transmission medium with a first electromagnetic field strength within the dielectric core and a second electromagnetic field strength within the dielectric cladding.

5. The access point of claim 4, wherein the first electromagnetic field strength is greater than the second electromagnetic field strength.

6. The access point of claim 1, wherein the first data is formatted in accordance with an Ethernet protocol and wherein the data switch includes an Ethernet switch.

7. The access point of claim 6, wherein the Ethernet switch routes, via a wired connection, the first selected portions of the first data to the at least one communication device.

8. The access point of claim 1, further comprising a wireless transceiver that transmits the first selected portions of the first data to the at least one communication device in accordance with a wireless communication protocol.

9. The access point of claim 1, further comprising:

a third communication interface that includes;

a third coupler configured to receive, via a third transmission medium, fifth guided electromagnetic waves from a third waveguide system of the distributed antenna system, wherein the fifth guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the third transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path; and

a third receiver configured to receive a second plurality of resource blocks containing third data from the fifth guided electromagnetic waves;

wherein the data switch is further configured to;

receive fourth data from the at least one communication device in proximity to the access point;

a fourth communication interface that includes;

a fourth coupler configured to transmit, via a fourth transmission medium and in response to additional electromagnetic signals, sixth guided electromagnetic waves to a fourth waveguide system of the distributed antenna system, wherein the sixth guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the fourth transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path; and

a second transmitter configured to generate the additional electromagnetic signals to convey the fourth data and the third data by inserting the fourth data in at least one unused resource block of the second plurality of resource blocks.

10. The access point of claim 1, wherein the first waveguide system is coupled to a utility pole;

wherein the access point further comprises a low voltage power supply that generates a power supply voltage from a low voltage power line supported by the utility pole;

wherein the power supply voltage powers the first communication interface and the data switch; and

wherein the first waveguide system is coupled to communicate the second guided electromagnetic waves that propagate along a medium voltage power line without requiring the electrical return path and wherein the medium voltage power line is supported by the utility pole.

11. The access point of claim 10, wherein the data switch comprises an add-drop multiplexer.

12. A method comprising:

receiving, via a first transmission medium, first guided electromagnetic waves from a first waveguide system of a distributed antenna system, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the first transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path and wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves contain a first plurality of resource blocks conveying first data;

selecting first selected portions of the first data corresponding to a first subset of the first plurality of resource blocks for transmission to at least one communication device in proximity to an access point;

selecting second selected portions of the first data corresponding to a second subset of the first plurality of resource blocks by omitting the first subset from the first plurality of resource blocks;

generating electromagnetic signals in response to the second selected portions of the first data to facilitate reuse of the first subset of the first plurality of resource blocks by a second waveguide system;

transmitting, via a second transmission medium and in response to the electromagnetic signals, second guided electromagnetic waves to the second waveguide system of the distributed antenna system, wherein the second guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the second transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path;

receiving, via the second transmission medium, third guided electromagnetic waves from the second waveguide system of the distributed antenna system, wherein the third guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the second transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path, wherein the third guided electromagnetic waves contain a second plurality of resource blocks conveying second data;

receiving third data from the at least one communication device in proximity to the access point;

generating additional electromagnetic signals to convey the second data and the third data by inserting the third data in at least one unused resource block of the second plurality of resource blocks; and

transmitting, via the first transmission medium and in response to the additional electromagnetic signals, fourth guided electromagnetic waves to the first waveguide system of the distributed antenna system, wherein the fourth guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the first transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first transmission medium includes a dielectric core surrounded, at least in part, by a dielectric cladding.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the dielectric core has a first relative permittivity and the dielectric cladding has a second relative permittivity that is less than the first relative permittivity.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the first transmission medium with a first electromagnetic field strength within the dielectric core and a second electromagnetic field strength within the dielectric cladding, and wherein the first electromagnetic field strength is greater than the second electromagnetic field strength.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

routing, via a wired connection, the first selected portions of the first data to the at least one communication device.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting, via a wireless transceiver, the first selected portions of the first data to the at least one communication device in accordance with a wireless communication protocol.

18. An access point comprising:

means for receiving, via a first transmission medium, first guided electromagnetic waves from a first waveguide system of a distributed antenna system, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the first transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path and wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves contain a first plurality of resource blocks conveying data;

means for selecting first selected portions of the data corresponding to a first subset of the first plurality of resource blocks for transmission to at least one communication device in proximity to the access point;

means for selecting second selected portions of the data corresponding to a second subset of the first plurality of resource blocks by omitting the first subset from the first plurality of resource blocks;

means for generating electromagnetic signals in response to the second selected portions of the data to facilitate reuse of the first subset of the first plurality of resource blocks by a second waveguide system;

means for transmitting, via a second transmission medium and in response to the electromagnetic signals, second guided electromagnetic waves to the second waveguide system of the distributed antenna system, wherein the second guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the second transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path;

means for receiving, via the second transmission medium, third guided electromagnetic waves from the second waveguide system of the distributed antenna system, wherein the third guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the second transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path, wherein the third guided electromagnetic waves contain a second plurality of resource blocks conveying second data;

means for receiving third data from the at least one communication device in proximity to the access point;

means for generating additional electromagnetic signals to convey the second data and the third data by inserting the third data in at least one unused resource block of the second plurality of resource blocks; and

means for transmitting, via the first transmission medium and in response to the additional electromagnetic signals, fourth guided electromagnetic waves to the first waveguide system of the distributed antenna system, wherein the fourth guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the first transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path.

19. The access point of claim 18, wherein the first transmission medium includes a dielectric core surrounded, at least in part, by a dielectric cladding.

20. The access point of claim 19, wherein the dielectric core has a first relative permittivity and the dielectric cladding has a second relative permittivity that is less than the first relative permittivity.