APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR DISTRIBUTING A COMMUNICATION SIGNAL OBTAINED FROM ULTRA-WIDEBAND ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVES

• US 20190104419A1
• Filed: 10/04/2017
• Published: 04/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2017
• 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: Barzegar, Farhad, Gerszberg, Irwin, Vannucci, Giovanni, Wolniansky, Peter, Henry, Paul Shala
• Granted Patent: US 10,764,762 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/10 Wire waveguides, i.e. with a single solid longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/16 Dielectric waveguides, i.e. without a longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/08 for linking dissimilar lines or devices H01P1/16, H01P5/04 take precedence; linking lines of the same kind but with different dimensions H01P5/02
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/087 Transitions to a dielectric waveguide
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1207 for fastening a rigid aerial element
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/02 Waveguide horns
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/20 the units being spaced along or adjacent to a curvilinear path slotted waveguide arrays H01Q21/005; circularly or helically slotted waveguides H01Q21/0062
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7163 using impulse radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7174 Pulse generation in general H04L25/03834
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/719 Interference-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5479 using repeaters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5487 cables
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5491 using filtering and bypassing
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/32 Reducing cross-talk, e.g. by compensating
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/46 Monitoring; Testing
• 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: H04J 3/10 Arrangements for reducing cross-talk between channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 : Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, an access point that facilitates receiving from a system a modulated signal in a first spectral segment, wherein the system is configured to receive a plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves via a transmission medium and extract the modulated signal in the first spectral segment from a plurality of modulated signals conveyed by the plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves, and wherein the plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves operates in a second spectral segment that differs from the first spectral segment, and transmitting the modulated signal in the first spectral segment to a communication device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by an access point, a first communication signal from a waveguide system, wherein the waveguide system receives a first plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves that propagates along a surface of a transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the waveguide system obtains the first communication signal from the first plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves, wherein the surface is located on a first span of the transmission medium, wherein the first span is supported by a first supporting device and a second supporting device, wherein the waveguide system is coupled to the first span, and wherein the first plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves propagates along the first span without traversing the first supporting device or the second supporting device; and

transmitting, by the access point, a first wireless signal to a communication device, wherein the first wireless signal conveys the first communication signal received from the waveguide system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication signal operates in a first spectral segment, and wherein the first plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves operates in a second spectral segment that differs from the first spectral segment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication signal conforms to a signaling protocol, and wherein the first plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves conveys the first communication signal without modifying the signaling protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication signal comprises a first modulated signal in a first spectral segment, and wherein the first plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves conveys the first modulated signal in a second spectral segment that differs from the first spectral segment.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the waveguide system is configured to convert the first plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves to wirelessly deliver the first communication signal to the access point.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving, by the access point, a second wireless signal from the communication device, wherein the second wireless signal conveys a second communication signal; and

transmitting, by the access point, the second communication signal to the waveguide system for transmitting a second plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves that conveys the second communication signal, wherein the second plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves propagates along the surface of the transmission medium.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second communication signal conveys a second modulated signal in a third spectral segment generated by the communication device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the waveguide system is configured to use time division multiplexing to prevent signal interference between the first plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves and the second plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the waveguide system receives the first plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves via a coupler of the waveguide system, and wherein the waveguide system retransmits at least a portion of the first plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves to generate a second plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves, wherein the second plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves is directed to another waveguide system, wherein the another waveguide system is coupled to a second span of the transmission medium, wherein the second span is supported by the second supporting device, and wherein the second plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves is received by the another waveguide system without traversing the second supporting device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the access point, a second communication signal from the waveguide system, wherein the second communication signal is located in a first frequency channel of a plurality of frequency channels;

frequency-shifting, by the access point, the second communication signal in the first frequency channel to a second frequency channel of the plurality of frequency channels to generate an updated second communication signal; and

providing, by the access point, the updated second communication signal to the waveguide system to facilitate transmission of a second plurality of electromagnetic waves along a second span of the transmission medium, wherein the second plurality of electromagnetic waves is directed to another waveguide system, and wherein the second plurality of electromagnetic waves conveys the updated second communication signal in the second frequency channel.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the first wireless signal comprises transmitting the first wireless signal without demodulating the first communication signal, and wherein the method further comprises obtaining, by the access point, energy from the transmission medium or another transmission medium to power the access point.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the access point comprises at least one processor.

13. An access point, 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 from a system a modulated signal in a first spectral segment, wherein the system is configured to receive a plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves via a surface of a transmission medium and extract a communication signal from the plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves, wherein the plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves conveys the modulated signal without modifying a signaling protocol of the modulated signal, wherein the plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves operates in a second spectral segment that differs from the first spectral segment, wherein the surface is located on a first span of the transmission medium, wherein the first span is supported by a first supporting device and a second supporting device, wherein the system is coupled to the first span, and wherein the plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves propagates along the first span without traversing the first supporting device or the second supporting device; and

transmitting, in the first spectral segment, the modulated signal to a communication device.

14. The access point of claim 13, wherein the system facilitates retransmission of at least a portion of the plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves to generate another plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves, wherein the another plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves is directed to another system, wherein the another system is coupled to a second span of the transmission medium, wherein the second span is supported by the second supporting device, and wherein the another plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves is received by the another system without traversing the second supporting device.

15. The access point of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a second communication signal from the system, wherein the second communication signal is located in a first frequency channel of a plurality of frequency channels;

frequency-shifting the second communication signal in the first frequency channel to a second frequency channel of the plurality of frequency channels to generate an updated second communication signal; and

providing the updated second communication signal to the system to facilitate transmission of a second plurality of electromagnetic waves along a second span of the transmission medium, wherein the second plurality of electromagnetic waves is directed to another system, and wherein the second plurality of electromagnetic waves conveys the updated second communication signal in the second frequency channel.

16. The access point of claim 13, wherein the system facilitates extraction of the modulated signal in the first spectral segment from the plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves by:

obtaining a reference signal from the plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves;

mitigating phase distortion in the plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves according to the reference signal to generate an updated plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves; and

extracting the modulated signal in the first spectral segment from the updated plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves.

17. The access point of claim 16, wherein the reference signal comprises a preamble of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves included in the plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves, and wherein the preamble of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves enables the system to obtain a synchronization signal therefrom.

18. The access point of claim 13, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting a wireless signal that conveys the modulated signal in the first spectral segment.

19. An access point, 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;

generating, via a system, a modulated signal in a first spectral segment, wherein the system is configured to receive a plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves via a surface of a transmission medium and extract the modulated signal in the first spectral segment from a plurality of modulated signals conveyed by the plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves, wherein the plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves operates in a second spectral segment that differs from the first spectral segment, wherein the surface is located on a span of the transmission medium, wherein the span is supported by a first supporting device and a second supporting device, wherein the system is coupled to the span, and wherein the plurality of ultra-wideband electromagnetic waves propagates along the span without traversing the first supporting device or the second supporting device; and

transmitting, in the first spectral segment, the modulated signal to a communication device.

20. The access point of claim 19, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting a wireless signal that conveys the modulated signal in the first spectral segment.