Waveguide system with device-based authentication and methods for use therewith

• US 10,694,379 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2016
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• 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: Liu, Ken, Rappaport, Harold, Barzegar, Farhad, Gerszberg, Irwin, Barnickel, Donald J., Bogdan, Pamela A. M., Henry, Paul Shala, Willis, III, Thomas M., Bennett, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Lagor, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khan, Moeen
• Application Number:
  US15/370,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20180160304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 726 7
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/16 Dielectric waveguides, i.e. without a longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method for use in a waveguide system that includes: receiving a wireless authentication request from a communication device, the wireless authentication request including a fiber authentication key; comparing, by the waveguide system, the fiber authentication key to fiber authentication data of the waveguide system to determine when the fiber authentication key is authenticated, wherein the fiber authentication data corresponds to a microwave fiber of the waveguide system; and when the fiber authentication key is authenticated, enabling communications with the communication device, wherein the communications include generating, by the waveguide system and in response to first wireless signals received from the communication device, first electromagnetic waves on a surface of a transmission medium, and wherein the first electromagnetic waves have a frequency within a microwave frequency range.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a waveguide system, a wireless authentication request from a communication device, the wireless authentication request including a fiber authentication key;

generating, by the waveguide system, fiber authentication data by;

measuring dispersion data of a microwave fiber of a launcher of the waveguide system; and

converting the dispersion data of the microwave fiber into a pseudo-random binary number of fixed length that provides a unique identification corresponding to the microwave fiber of the launcher;

comparing, by the waveguide system, the fiber authentication key to the fiber authentication data of the waveguide system to determine whether the fiber authentication key is authenticated; and

when the fiber authentication key is authenticated, enabling communications with the communication device, wherein the communications include generating, by the launcher of the waveguide system and in response to first wireless signals received from the communication device, first electromagnetic waves propagating on a surface of a transmission medium, wherein the first electromagnetic waves propagate on the surface of the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the first electromagnetic waves are guided by the transmission medium, and wherein the first electromagnetic waves have a non-optical frequency within a microwave frequency range;

wherein the microwave fiber is a component of the launcher that launches the first electromagnetic waves onto the surface of the transmission medium.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating the fiber authentication key based on a transformation of the dispersion data via a transformation function.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the dispersion data represents a dispersion factor as a function of frequency of the microwave fiber of the launcher.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the microwave fiber comprises Teflon or high-density polyethylene and wherein the fiber authentication data is generated during a self-calibration procedure of the waveguide system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface of the transmission is an outer surface of a wire and wherein the microwave fiber is a dielectric stub coupler that launches the first electromagnetic waves onto the outer surface of the wire.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications further include generating, by the waveguide system, second wireless signals transmitted to the communication device, in response to second electromagnetic waves received from the surface of the transmission medium, wherein the second electromagnetic waves propagate without the electrical return path, wherein the second electromagnetic waves are guided by the transmission medium, and wherein the second electromagnetic waves have a frequency within the microwave frequency range.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the fiber authentication key is not authenticated, disabling communications with the communication device.

8. A waveguide device comprising:

a launcher coupled to a transmission medium, wherein the launcher includes a microwave fiber;

a memory configured to store fiber authentication data corresponding to the microwave fiber;

a wireless transceiver configured to receive a wireless authentication request from a communication device; and

a processing system including a processor, the processing system configured to;

generate the fiber authentication data by measuring dispersion data of the microwave fiber of the launcher and by converting the dispersion data of the microwave fiber into a pseudo-random binary number of fixed length that provides a unique identification corresponding to the microwave fiber of the launcher;

determine whether a fiber authentication key is authenticated by comparing the fiber authentication key to the fiber authentication data;

when the fiber authentication key is authenticated, enables communications with the communication device;

wherein the communications include generating, by the launcher and in response to first wireless signals received from the communication device, first electromagnetic waves bound to a surface of the transmission medium, wherein the first electromagnetic waves propagate without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the microwave fiber is a component of the launcher that launches the first electromagnetic waves onto the surface of the transmission medium and wherein the first electromagnetic waves have a non-optical frequency within a microwave frequency range.

9. The waveguide device of claim 8, wherein the processing system is further configured to:

generate the fiber authentication key based on a transformation of the dispersion data via a transformation function.

10. The waveguide device of claim 8,

wherein the dispersion data represents a dispersion factor as a function of frequency of the microwave fiber of the launcher.

11. The waveguide device of claim 8, wherein the microwave fiber comprises Teflon or high-density polyethylene and wherein the fiber authentication data is generated during a self-calibration procedure of the waveguide device.

12. The waveguide device of claim 8, wherein the surface of the transmission is an outer surface of a wire and wherein the microwave fiber is a dielectric stub coupler that guides launches the first electromagnetic waves onto the outer surface of the wire.

13. The waveguide device of claim 8, wherein the communications further include generating, by the wireless transceiver, second wireless signals transmitted to the communication device, in response to second electromagnetic waves received from the surface of the transmission medium via the launcher, wherein the second electromagnetic waves propagate without the electrical return path, wherein the second electromagnetic waves are guided by the transmission medium, and wherein the second electromagnetic waves have a frequency within the microwave frequency range.

14. The waveguide device of claim 8, wherein the processing system is further configured to disable communications with the communication device when the fiber authentication key is not authenticated.

15. A waveguide device comprising:

a launcher coupled to a transmission medium, wherein the launcher includes a microwave fiber;

means for generating fiber authentication data by measuring dispersion data of the microwave fiber of the launcher and by converting the dispersion data of the microwave fiber into a pseudo-random binary number of fixed length that provides a unique identification corresponding to the microwave fiber of the launcher;

a memory configured to store the fiber authentication data corresponding to the microwave fiber;

a wireless transceiver configured to receive a wireless authentication request from a communication device; and

means for determining whether a fiber authentication key is authenticated by comparing the fiber authentication key to the fiber authentication data; and

means for enabling communications with the communication device when the fiber authentication key is authenticated;

wherein the communications include generating, by the launcher and in response to first wireless signals received from the communication device, first electromagnetic waves bound to a surface of the transmission medium, wherein the first electromagnetic waves propagate without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the microwave fiber is a component of the launcher that launches the first electromagnetic waves onto the surface of the transmission medium and wherein the first electromagnetic waves have a non-optical frequency within a microwave frequency range.

16. The waveguide device of claim 15, wherein the fiber authentication key is generated based on a transformation of the dispersion data via a transformation function.

17. The waveguide device of claim 15, wherein the dispersion data represents a dispersion factor as a function of frequency of the microwave fiber of the launcher.

18. The waveguide device of claim 15, wherein the microwave fiber is a dielectric stub coupler that comprises Teflon or high-density polyethylene, and wherein the surface of the transmission is an outer surface of a wire and wherein the microwave fiber is a dielectric stub coupler that launches the first electromagnetic waves onto the outer surface of the wire.

19. The waveguide device of claim 15, wherein the communications further include generating, by the wireless transceiver, second wireless signals transmitted to the communication device, in response to second electromagnetic waves received from the surface of the transmission medium via the launcher, wherein the second electromagnetic waves propagate without the electrical return path, wherein the second electromagnetic waves are guided by the transmission medium, and wherein the second electromagnetic waves have a frequency within the microwave frequency range.

20. The waveguide device of claim 15, further comprising:

means for disabling communications with the communication device when the fiber authentication key is not authenticated.