METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ACCESSING INTERSTITIAL AREAS OF A CABLE

• US 20180048497A1
• Filed: 10/06/2017
• Published: 02/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2014
• 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, Vannucci, Giovanni, Willis, III, Thomas M., Bennett, Robert, Gerszberg, Irwin, Barzegar, Farhad, Barnickel, Donald J., Birk, Martin, Johnson, Shikik
• Granted Patent: US 11,025,460 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/46 Electric supply lines or communication lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/20 Non-resonant leaky-waveguide or transmission-line antennas; Equivalent structures causing radiation along the transmission path of a guided wave
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• 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 5/28 using the near field of leaky cables, e.g. of leaky coaxial cables
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03006 Arrangements for removing intersymbol interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03891 Spatial equalizers MIMO diversity systems H04B7/0413
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management

Abstract

In accordance with one or more embodiments, a cabling system can include a plurality of cables, and a tapered supporting structure coupled to the plurality of cables. The tapered supporting structure can facilitate exposure of an endpoint of each cable of the plurality of cables, and the endpoint of each cable of the plurality of cables can be coupled to a communication device that facilitates transmitting electromagnetic waves that propagate along the plurality of cables without requiring an electrical return path. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A cabling system, comprising:

a plurality of cables; and

a tapered supporting structure coupled to the plurality of cables, wherein the tapered supporting structure facilitates exposure of an endpoint of each cable of the plurality of cables, and wherein the endpoint of each cable of the plurality of cables is coupled to a communication device that facilitates transmitting electromagnetic waves that propagate along the plurality of cables without requiring an electrical return path.

2. The cabling system of claim 1, wherein the endpoint of each cable of the plurality of cables comprises a conductive core.

3. The cabling system of claim 2, wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate along the conductive core.

4. The cabling system of claim 1, wherein the endpoint of each cable of the plurality of cables comprises a dielectric core.

5. The cabling system of claim 4, wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate along the dielectric core.

6. The cabling system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate along interstitial areas formed between the plurality of cables.

7. The cabling system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cables comprises a plurality of twisted pair insulated conductors available for use for Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) communications.

8. The cabling system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic waves are generated by the communication device in accordance with at least one of a plurality of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) techniques.

9. The cabling system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic waves operate in a millimeter wave frequency band.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a communication device, a communication signal; and

responsive to the communication signal, generating, by the communication device, electromagnetic waves that propagate along a plurality of cables without requiring an electrical return path, wherein a tapered supporting structure coupled to the plurality of cables facilitates exposure of an endpoint of each cable of the plurality of cables, and wherein the endpoint of each cable of the plurality of cables is coupled to the communication device to facilitate the generating.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the endpoint of each cable of the plurality of cables comprises a conductive core.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate along the conductive core.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the endpoint of each cable of the plurality of cables comprises a dielectric core.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate along the dielectric core.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate along interstitial areas formed between the plurality of cables.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of cables comprises a plurality of twisted pair insulated conductors.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the electromagnetic waves are generated by the communication device in accordance with at least one of a plurality of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) techniques.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the electromagnetic waves are received by a receiving device via interstitial areas between the plurality of cables.

19. A communication device, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising;

receiving a communication signal; and

transmitting, according to the communication signal, electromagnetic waves that propagate along a plurality of cables without requiring an electrical return path, wherein a supporting structure coupled to the plurality of cables facilitates exposure of an endpoint of each cable of the plurality of cables, and wherein the endpoint of each cable of the plurality of cables is coupled to the communication device to facilitate the transmitting.

20. The communication device of claim 19, wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate along an interstitial area formed between the plurality of cables.