COMMUNICATION SYSTEM WITH COUPLER FOR INTERSTITIAL COMMUNICATIONS AND METHODS FOR USE THEREWITH

• US 20180054234A1
• Filed: 11/03/2017
• Published: 02/22/2018
• 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: Stuckman, Bruce E., 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 10,505,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/003 Manufacturing lines with conductors on a substrate, e.g. strip lines, slot lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/06 Coaxial lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/12 Hollow waveguides H01P3/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/16 Dielectric waveguides, i.e. without a longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/087 Transitions to a dielectric waveguide
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/02 Waveguide horns
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take 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 13/00009 using pulsed signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5483 using coupling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/03 Hybrid circuits for transceivers H04B1/52, H04B1/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/52 Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/56 Circuits for coupling, blocking, or by-passing of signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2878 Access multiplexer, e.g. DSLAM generic distributed time multiplexers, e.g. TDM/TDMA H04J3/1694
• 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

Abstract

In accordance with one or more embodiments, a communication system, includes a first coupler configured to guide a first communication signal conveying first data to an interior of a cable, wherein the first coupler is further configured to generate first guided electromagnetic waves in response to the first communication signal, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves are guided by a structure within the cable and propagate within the cable without requiring an electrical return path; wherein the cable comprises a plurality of uninsulated conductors that are stranded together, wherein the plurality of uninsulated conductors form a plurality of interstitial areas that are bounded by conductive surfaces of at least three of the plurality of uninsulated conductors, and wherein the structure comprises one of the plurality of interstitial areas.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a first coupler configured to guide a first communication signal conveying first data to an interior of a cable, wherein the first coupler is further configured to generate first guided electromagnetic waves in response to the first communication signal, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves are guided by a structure within the cable and propagate within the cable without requiring an electrical return path;

wherein the cable comprises a plurality of uninsulated conductors that is stranded together, wherein the plurality of uninsulated conductors forms a plurality of interstitial areas that is bounded by conductive surfaces of at least three of the plurality of uninsulated conductors, and wherein the structure comprises one of the plurality of interstitial areas.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the cable is a medium voltage transmission line.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the first coupler comprises a conductorless dielectric waveguide having an end within the one of the plurality of interstitial areas, wherein the end of the conductorless dielectric waveguide launches the first guided electromagnetic waves in response to the first communication signal.

4. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the one of the plurality of interstitial areas is configured to support the propagation of the first guided electromagnetic waves within the cable via total internal reflection.

5. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves are within a millimeter wave frequency band.

6. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of uninsulated conductors is helically wound.

7. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the first coupler is further configured to receive second guided electromagnetic waves and to generate a second communication signal in response thereto, wherein the second guided electromagnetic waves are guided by the structure within the cable and propagate within the cable without requiring the electrical return path.

8. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second coupler configured to guide a second communication signal conveying second data to the interior of the cable, wherein the second coupler is further configured to generate second guided electromagnetic waves in response to the second communication signal, wherein the second guided electromagnetic waves are guided by another one of the plurality of interstitial areas within the cable and propagate within the another one of the plurality of interstitial areas without requiring the electrical return path.

9. The communication system of claim 8, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves and the second guided electromagnetic waves are generated in accordance with at least one of a plurality of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) techniques.

10. A method, comprising:

guiding a first communication signal conveying first data to an interior of a cable; and

generating first guided electromagnetic waves in response to the first communication signal, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves are guided by a structure within the cable and propagate within the cable without requiring an electrical return path;

wherein the cable is an electrical power transmission line that comprises a plurality of uninsulated conductors that is stranded together, wherein the plurality of uninsulated conductors forms a plurality of interstitial areas that is bounded by conductive surfaces of at least three of the plurality of uninsulated conductors, and wherein the structure comprises one of the plurality of interstitial areas.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the cable utilizes the electrical return path to propagate a power signal of an electrical power utility.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the cable is a medium voltage transmission line.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves are generated via an end of a conductorless dielectric waveguide within the one of the plurality of interstitial areas.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the one of the plurality of interstitial areas is configured to support the propagation of the first guided electromagnetic waves within the cable via total internal reflection.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves are within a millimeter wave frequency band.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of uninsulated conductors is helically wound.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving second guided electromagnetic waves, wherein the second guided electromagnetic waves are guided by the structure within the cable and propagate within the cable without requiring the electrical return path.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

guiding a second communication signal conveying second data to the interior of the cable; and

generating second guided electromagnetic waves in response to the second communication signal, wherein the second guided electromagnetic waves are guided by another one of the plurality of interstitial areas within the cable and propagate within the another one of the plurality of interstitial areas without requiring the electrical return path.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves and the second guided electromagnetic waves are generated in accordance with at least one of a plurality of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) techniques.

20. A communication system, comprising:

a conductorless dielectric waveguide configured to guide a communication signal to an interior of a stranded cable; and

means for generating, within the interior of the stranded cable, guided electromagnetic waves in response to the communication signal, wherein the guided electromagnetic waves are guided by an interstice between uninsulated strands of the stranded cable and propagate within the stranded cable without requiring an electrical return path.