CLIENT NODE DEVICE AND METHODS FOR USE THEREWITH

• US 20160359541A1
• 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 10,812,174 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/58 Repeater circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a client node device having a radio configured to wirelessly receive downstream channel signals from a communication network. An access point repeater (APR) launches the downstream channel signals on a guided wave communication system as guided electromagnetic waves that propagate along a transmission medium and to wirelessly transmit the downstream channel signals to at least one client device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A client node device comprising:

a radio configured to wirelessly receive first channel signals from a communication network; and

an access point repeater (APR) configured to launch the first channel signals on a guided wave communication system as guided electromagnetic waves at non-optical frequencies that are bound to a physical structure of a transmission medium and to wirelessly transmit the first channel signals to at least one client device.

2. The client node device of claim 1 wherein the transmission medium includes a wire and the guided electromagnetic waves are bound to an outer surface of the wire.

3. The client node device of claim 1, wherein the APR comprises:

an amplifier configured to amplify the first channel signals to generate amplified first channel signals;

a channel selection filter configured to select one or more of the amplified first channel signals to wirelessly communicate with the at least one client device;

a coupler configured to guide the amplified first channel signals to the transmission medium of the guided wave communication system; and

a channel duplexer configured to transfer the amplified first channel signals to the coupler and to the channel selection filter.

4. The client node device of claim 1 wherein the radio receives the first channel signals from the communication network via one of:

a host node device coupled to the communication network or another client node device.

5. The client node device of claim 1, wherein the radio is an analog radio that generates the first channel signals by downconverting RF signals that have a higher carrier frequencies relative to carrier frequencies of the first channel signals.

6. The client node device of claim 1, wherein the APR is further configured to extract second channel signals from the guided wave communication system;

and

wherein the radio wirelessly transmits the second channel signals to the communication network.

7. The client node device of claim 6, wherein the APR wirelessly receives third channel signals from the at least one client device;

and

wherein the radio wirelessly transmits the third channel signals to the communication network.

8. The client node device of claim 1 wherein the transmission medium includes one of:

a power line of a public utility or a dielectric core surrounded by cladding and a jacket.

9. The client node device of claim 1 wherein 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 client node device of claim 1 wherein 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:

wirelessly receiving downstream channel signals from a communication network;

launching the downstream channel signals on a guided wave communication system as guided electromagnetic waves that are bound to a surface of a transmission medium; and

wirelessly transmitting the downstream channel signals to at least one client device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the transmission medium includes a wire and the guided electromagnetic waves are bound to an outer surface of the wire.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein wirelessly transmitting the downstream channel signals to at least one client device comprises:

amplifying the downstream channel signals to generate amplified downstream channel signals;

selecting one or more of the amplified downstream channel signals; and

wirelessly transmitting the one or more of the amplified downstream channel signals to the at least one client device via an antenna.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein launching the downstream channel signals on the guided wave communication system as guided electromagnetic waves that propagation along the transmission medium comprises:

amplifying the downstream channel signals to generate amplified downstream channel signals; and

guiding the amplified downstream channel signals to the transmission medium of the guided wave communication system.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein wirelessly receiving downstream channel signals from the communication network includes:

downconverting RF signals that have a higher carrier frequencies compared with carrier frequencies of the downstream channel signals.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

extracting first upstream channel signals from the guided wave communication system; and

wirelessly transmitting the first upstream channel signals to the communication network.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

wirelessly receiving second upstream channel signals from the at least one client device; and

wirelessly transmitting the second upstream channel signals to the communication network.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein the transmission medium includes one of:

a power line of a public utility or a dielectric core surrounded by cladding and a jacket.

19. A client node device comprising:

a radio configured to wirelessly receive first channel signals from a communication network and to wirelessly transmit second channel signals and third channel signals to the communication network; and

an access point repeater (APR) configured to launch the first channel signals on a guided wave communication system as guided electromagnetic waves that propagation along a transmission medium, to extract the second channel signals from the guided wave communication system, to wirelessly transmit the first channel signals to at least one client device and to wirelessly receive the third channel signals from the communication network.

20. The client node device 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.