Method and apparatus for configuring a communication interface

• US 10,560,152 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2017
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2014
• 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: Birk, Martin, Henry, Paul Shala
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahn, Sung S
• Application Number:
  US15/652,484
• Publication Number:
  US 20170373718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/08 Locating faults in cables, transmission lines, or networks
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/085 in power transmission or distribution lines, e.g. overhead
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/58 Testing of lines, cables or conductors testing of electric windings G01R31/72
• 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 3/03 Hybrid circuits for transceivers H04B1/52, H04B1/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/56 Circuits for coupling, blocking, or by-passing of signals
• 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 system for exchanging electrical signals and guided electromagnetic waves between customer premises equipment and service provider equipment to provide uplink and/or downlink communication services. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

generating, by a coupler, first electromagnetic waves; and

inducing, by the coupler, according to the first electromagnetic waves, second electromagnetic waves that propagate along a boundary formed between a plurality of insulating surfaces of an inner bundle of twisted pair cables, the second electromagnetic waves propagating along the boundary formed between the plurality of insulating surfaces of the inner bundle of twisted pair cables without requiring an electrical return path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the inner bundle of twisted pair cables comprises an unshielded bundle of twisted pair cables.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein additional electromagnetic waves induced by the coupler according to the first electromagnetic waves propagate along another boundary formed between another plurality of insulating surfaces of the inner bundle of twisted pair cables.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving one or more communication signals that convey data, wherein the second electromagnetic waves convey in whole or in part the data, and wherein the second electromagnetic waves propagate partly on the plurality of insulating surfaces.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the coupler induces the second electromagnetic waves in accordance with a multiple-input and multiple-output technique.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the coupler induces the second electromagnetic waves by multiplexing via differing wave propagation modes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the coupler comprises a plurality of launchers located at differing positions of the inner bundle of twisted pair cables, and wherein the generating comprises generating, by the plurality of launchers, the first electromagnetic waves.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second electromagnetic waves employ phase shift keying, frequency shift keying, quadrature amplitude modulation, amplitude modulation, multi-carrier modulation, frequency division multiplexing, time division multiplexing, code division multiplexing, multiplexing via differing wave propagation modes, or any combinations thereof.

9. A launcher, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

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

generating a first plurality of electromagnetic waves; and

inducing along a boundary formed between a plurality of insulating outer surfaces of an inner bundle of twisted pair cables, according to the first plurality of electromagnetic waves, a second plurality of electromagnetic waves, the second plurality of electromagnetic waves propagating along the boundary formed between the plurality of insulating outer surfaces of the inner bundle of twisted pair cables without requiring an electrical return path.

10. The launcher of claim 9, wherein additional electromagnetic waves that are induced according to the first plurality of electromagnetic waves propagate along another boundary formed between another plurality of insulating outer surfaces of the inner bundle of twisted pair cables.

11. The launcher of claim 9, wherein the inner bundle of twisted pair cables is configured to provide the second plurality of electromagnetic waves to a receiver in accordance with a multiple-input and multiple-output technique.

12. The launcher of claim 9, wherein the launcher induces the second plurality of electromagnetic waves by multiplexing via differing wave propagation modes.

13. The launcher of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of couplers located at differing positions of the inner bundle of twisted pair cables, wherein the inducing comprises inducing by the plurality of couplers along the boundary formed between the plurality of insulating outer surfaces of the inner bundle of twisted pair cables, according to the first plurality of electromagnetic waves, the second plurality of electromagnetic waves.

14. The launcher of claim 9, wherein the second plurality of electromagnetic waves employ phase shift keying, frequency shift keying, quadrature amplitude modulation, amplitude modulation, multi-carrier modulation, frequency division multiplexing, time division multiplexing, code division multiplexing, multiplexing via differing wave propagation modes, or any combinations thereof.

15. The launcher of claim 9, wherein the inner bundle of twisted pair cables comprises an unshielded bundle of twisted pair cables.

16. The launcher of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise receiving one or more communication signals that convey data, and wherein the second plurality of electromagnetic waves conveys in whole or in part the data.

17. The launcher of claim 9, wherein the launcher induces the second plurality of electromagnetic waves in accordance with a multiple-input and multiple-output technique.

18. A machine-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:

generating, by a coupler, first electromagnetic waves; and

inducing, by the coupler, according to the first electromagnetic waves, second electromagnetic waves that propagate along a boundary formed between a plurality of insulating outer surfaces of an inner bundle of twisted pair cables, the second electromagnetic waves propagating along the boundary formed between the plurality of insulating outer surfaces of the inner bundle of twisted pair cables without requiring an electrical return path.

19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the inner bundle of twisted pair cables comprises an unshielded bundle of twisted pair cables.

20. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise receiving one or more communication signals that convey data, and wherein the second electromagnetic waves convey in whole or in part the data.