QUASI-OPTICAL COUPLER
First Claim
1. An apparatus, comprising:
- a transmitter that facilitates emitting a focused transmission, wherein the focused transmission is directed to a focal plane of a reflector;
the reflector, positioned with respect to a transmission medium, facilitating reflecting from the focal plane the focused transmission thereby generating a first guided wave bound to a surface of the transmission medium; and
an antenna, coupled to the transmission medium, that facilitates reception of the first guided wave from the transmission medium and generation of a wireless signal based on the first guided wave.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A quasi-optical coupling system launches and extracts surface wave communication transmissions from a wire. At millimeter-wave frequencies, where the wavelength is small compared to the macroscopic size of the equipment, the millimeter-wave transmissions can be transported from one place to another and diverted via lenses and reflectors, much like visible light. Transmitters and receivers can be positioned near telephone and power lines and reflectors placed on or near the cables can reflect transmissions onto or off of the cables. The lenses on the transmitters are focused, and the reflectors positioned such that the reflected transmissions are guided waves on the surface of the cables. The reflectors can be polarization sensitive, where one or more of a set of guided wave modes can be reflected off the wire based on the polarization of the guided wave modes and polarization and orientation of the reflector.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus, comprising:
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a transmitter that facilitates emitting a focused transmission, wherein the focused transmission is directed to a focal plane of a reflector; the reflector, positioned with respect to a transmission medium, facilitating reflecting from the focal plane the focused transmission thereby generating a first guided wave bound to a surface of the transmission medium; and an antenna, coupled to the transmission medium, that facilitates reception of the first guided wave from the transmission medium and generation of a wireless signal based on the first guided wave. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus, comprising:
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a first reflector, positioned with respect to a transmission medium, facilitating reflecting a first component of an incoming guided wave away from the transmission medium while enabling a second component of the incoming guided wave to propagate through the first reflector, wherein the guided wave is bound to a surface of the transmission medium and propagates in a direction substantially parallel to the transmission medium; a receiver that facilitates receiving the first component of the incoming guided wave; and an antenna, coupled to the transmission medium, that facilitates reception of the second component of the incoming guided wave from the transmission medium and generation of a wireless signal according to the second component of the incoming guided wave. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method, comprising:
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emitting, by a transmission device, a transmission towards a focal plane of a side of a reflector that is coupled to a transmission medium; reflecting, by the reflector, the transmission in a direction substantially parallel to the transmission medium resulting in a reflected transmission, wherein the reflected transmission comprises a first guided wave on a surface of the transmission medium; and generating, by an antenna coupled to the transmission medium, a wireless signal based on the first guided wave. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification