NETWORK TERMINATION AND METHODS FOR USE THEREWITH

• US 20160359523A1
• Filed: 06/03/2015
• Published: 12/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2015
• 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: BENNETT, ROBERT, HENRY, PAUL SHALA, GERSZBERG, IRWIN, BARZEGAR, FARHAD, BARNICKEL, DONALD J., WILLIS, THOMAS M. III
• Granted Patent: US 9,912,381 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/52 Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/56 Circuits for coupling, blocking, or by-passing of signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/22 Capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/28 using the near field of leaky cables, e.g. of leaky coaxial cables
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/75 for isolation purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0002 analog front ends; means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line duplex arrangements H04L5/143
• 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 network termination includes a downstream channel modulator modulates downstream data into downstream channel signals to convey the downstream data via a guided electromagnetic wave that is bound to a transmission medium of a guided wave communication system. A host interface sends the downstream channel signals to the guided wave communication system and receives upstream channel signals corresponding to upstream frequency channels from the guided wave communication system. An upstream channel demodulator demodulates upstream channel signals into upstream data. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A network terminal comprising:

a first interface configured to receive first data from a communication network and to send second data to the communication network;

a channel modulator configured to modulate the first data into first channel signals corresponding to first frequency channels of a guided wave communication system;

a second interface configured to send the first channel signals to the guided wave communication system for propagation at non-optical frequencies without an electrical return path and to receive second channel signals corresponding to second frequency channels from the guided wave communication system; and

a channel demodulator configured to demodulate the second channel signals into the second data.

2. The network terminal of claim 1 wherein the channel modulator modulates the first channel signals to convey the first data via a guided electromagnetic wave that is bound to a transmission medium of the guided wave communication system.

3. The network terminal of claim 2 wherein the transmission medium includes one of:

a wire and the guided electromagnetic wave is bound to an outer surface of the wire, a power line of a public utility and the guided electromagnetic wave is bound to an outer surface of the power line or a dielectric core surrounded by cladding and a jacket and the guided electromagnetic wave is bound to an outer surface of the dielectric core.

4. The network terminal of claim 1 wherein a number of the second frequency channels is less than a number of the first frequency channels.

5. The network terminal of claim 1 wherein a number of the second frequency channels is equal to a number of the first frequency channels.

6. The network terminal of claim 1 wherein a first subset of the first channel signals is modulated in accordance with a first standard protocol and a second subset of the first channel signals is modulated in accordance with a second standard protocol that differs from the first standard protocol.

7. The network terminal of claim 1 wherein a first subset of the second channel signals is demodulated in accordance with a first standard protocol and a second subset of the second channel signals is demodulated in accordance with a second standard protocol that differs from the first standard protocol.

8. The network terminal of claim 1 wherein the second interface couples to a host node device of the guided wave communication system via a fiber optic cable to send the first channel signals and receive the second channel signals.

9. The network terminal of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the second channel signals and at least a portion of the first channel signals are formatted in accordance with a data over cable system interface specification (DOCSIS) protocol.

10. The network terminal of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the second channel signals and at least a portion of the first channel signals are formatted in accordance with a 802.11 protocol or a fourth generation or higher mobile wireless protocol.

11. A method comprising:

receiving downstream data from a communication network;

modulating the downstream data into downstream channel signals corresponding to downstream frequency channels of a guided wave communication system;

sending the downstream channel signals to the guided wave communication system via a wired connection for propagation along the guided wave communication system at non-optical frequencies without an electrical return path;

receiving upstream channel signals corresponding to upstream frequency channels from the guided wave communication system via the wired connection;

demodulating the upstream channel signals into upstream data; and

sending the upstream data to the communication network.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein a downstream channel modulator modulates the downstream channel signals to convey the downstream data via a guided electromagnetic wave that is guided by a transmission medium of the guided wave communication system.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the transmission medium includes one of:

a wire and the guided electromagnetic wave is bound to an outer surface of the wire, a power line of a public utility and the guided electromagnetic wave is bound to an outer surface of the power line, or a dielectric core surrounded by cladding and a jacket and the guided electromagnetic wave is bound to an outer surface of the dielectric core.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein a number of the upstream frequency channels is less than a number of the downstream frequency channels.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein a first subset of the upstream channel signals is demodulated in accordance with a first standard protocol and a second subset of the upstream channel signals is demodulated in accordance with a second standard protocol that differs from the first standard protocol.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein a first subset of the downstream channel signals is modulated in accordance with a first standard protocol and a second subset of the downstream channel signals is modulated in accordance with a second standard protocol that differs from the first standard protocol.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the downstream channel signals are sent to the guided wave communication system and the upstream channel signals are received from the guided wave communication system, via a fiber optic cable interface.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein at least a portion of the upstream channel signals and at least a portion of the downstream channel signals are formatted in accordance with a data over cable system interface specification protocol or a 802.11 protocol.

19. A network terminal comprising:

a channel modulator configured to modulate first data into first channel signals to convey the first data via a guided electromagnetic wave that is bound to a transmission medium of a guided wave communication system;

an interface configured to send the first channel signals to the guided wave communication system for propagation at non-optical frequencies without an electrical return path and to receive second channel signals from the guided wave communication system; and

a channel demodulator configured to demodulate the second channel signals into upstream data.

20. The network terminal of claim 19 wherein the transmission medium includes one of:

a wire and the guided electromagnetic wave is bound to an outer surface of the wire, a power line of a public utility and the guided electromagnetic wave is bound to an outer surface of the power line or a dielectric core surrounded by cladding and a jacket and the guided electromagnetic wave is bound to an outer surface of the dielectric core.