NODE DEVICE, REPEATER AND METHODS FOR USE THEREWITH

• US 20170026082A1
• Filed: 04/11/2016
• Published: 01/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2015
• 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: Henry, Paul Shala, Gerszberg, Irwin, Bennett, Robert, Barzegar, Farhad, Barnickel, Donald J., Willis, Thomas M. III
• Granted Patent: US 9,806,818 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/12 Coupling devices having more than two ports H01P5/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• 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 10/29 Repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 14/02 characterised by the use of pulse modulation in radio transmission relays H04B7/17
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5479 using repeaters
• 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: 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 node device includes an interface configured to receive first signals. A plurality of coupling devices are configured to launch the first signals on a transmission medium as a plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves at corresponding plurality of non-optical carrier frequencies, wherein the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves are bound to a physical structure of the transmission medium. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A node device comprising:

an interface configured to receive first signals via an antenna; and

a plurality of coupling devices configured to launch the first signals on a dielectric transmission medium as a plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves at a corresponding plurality of non-optical carrier frequencies, wherein the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves is bound to the dielectric transmission medium.

2. The node device of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the plurality of first electromagnetic waves propagates within the dielectric transmission medium and a second portion of the plurality of first electromagnetic waves propagates outside the dielectric transmission medium.

3. The node device of claim 2, wherein the second portion contains more energy than the first portion.

4. The node device of claim 1, wherein the dielectric transmission medium is non-conductive and the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves propagates along the dielectric transmission medium without an electrical return path.

5. The node device of claim 1, wherein the interface includes at least one of:

a radio interface configured to receive at least a portion of the first signals from a client device via the antenna;

or

a radio interface configured to receive at least a portion of the first signals from another node device via the antenna.

6. The node device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves propagates along the dielectric transmission medium via a guided wave mode that is absent from at least one other of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves.

7. The node device of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller configured to generate second signals to control processing of at least one of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves via at least one remote device;

wherein at least one of the plurality of coupling devices is configured to launch the second signals on the dielectric transmission medium as at least one second guided electromagnetic wave.

8. The node device of claim 7, wherein the second signals include data indicating at least one of:

a first command for the at least one remote device to repeat the at least one of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves;

or

a second command for the at least one remote device to not repeat the at least one of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves.

9. The node device of claim 7 wherein the controller receives third signals from the at least one remote device and sets the plurality of non-optical carrier frequencies, in response to the third signals.

10. The node device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of coupling devices is further configured to receive a plurality of second guided electromagnetic waves launched by at least one remote device at the corresponding plurality of non-optical carrier frequencies.

11. A repeater comprising:

a first coupling device configured to receive a proper subset of a plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves, wherein the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves has a corresponding plurality of non-optical carrier frequencies and is bound to a non-conductive physical structure of a transmission medium that facilitates wireless connectivity to at least one client device via an antenna;

processing circuitry configured to generate repeated signals based on the proper subset of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves; and

a second coupling device configured to launch the repeated signals as at least one second guided electromagnetic wave that is bound to the non-conductive physical structure of the transmission medium.

12. The repeater of claim 11, wherein a first portion of the plurality of first electromagnetic waves propagates within the non-conductive physical structure and a second portion of the plurality of first electromagnetic waves propagates outside the non-conductive physical structure.

13. The repeater of claim 11, wherein the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves propagates along the non-conductive physical structure without an electrical return path.

14. The repeater of claim 11, the first coupling device is further configured to pass ones of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves not included in the proper subset.

15. The repeater of claim 11, wherein at least one of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves propagates longitudinally along the transmission medium via a guided wave mode that is absent from at least one other of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves.

16. The repeater of claim 11, wherein the first coupling device is further configured to receive second guided electromagnetic waves from at least one remote device that include control signals, and wherein the repeater selects one of a plurality of repeating modes in response to the control signals.

17. The repeater of claim 16, wherein the second guided electromagnetic waves include data indicating at least one of:

a first command for the repeater to repeat the proper subset of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves, in accordance with one of the plurality of repeating modes;

or

a second command for the repeater to not repeat at least one of the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves, in accordance with another of the plurality of repeating modes.

18. The repeater of claim 16 wherein the processing circuitry includes a controller configured to select one of the plurality of repeating modes in response to the second guided electromagnetic waves.

19. A method comprising:

receiving a proper subset of a plurality of guided electromagnetic waves, wherein the plurality of guided electromagnetic waves has a corresponding plurality of non-optical carrier frequencies and is bound to a dielectric structure of a transmission medium; and

passing ones of the plurality of guided electromagnetic waves not included in the proper subset along the dielectric structure of the transmission medium to facilitate wireless communication with at least one client device via an antenna.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein a first portion of the plurality of guided electromagnetic waves propagates within the dielectric structure and a second portion of the plurality of guided electromagnetic waves propagates outside the dielectric structure.