Surface-wave communications and methods thereof

• US 9,042,812 B1
• Filed: 10/14/2014
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2013
• 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, Barnickel, Donald J, Barzegar, Farhad, Gerszberg, Irwin, Henry, Paul Shala, Willis, Thomas M. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Alam, Fayyaz
• Application Number:
  US14/513,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20150126107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 224 Days
• Field of Search: 455/7, 455/14, 455/15, 375/219, 375/220, 375/257, 340/531, 340/533, 340/538, 340/538.11
• US Class Current: 455/14
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/46 Electric supply lines or communication lines
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/36 Repeater circuits H04B3/58 takes precedence
• 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 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/022 Site diversity; Macro-diversity using two or more spaced independent antennas H04B7/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/52 using AGC [Automatic Gain Control] circuits or amplifiers

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system including a frequency mixer that combines a signal and a carrier wave to form a combined signal, and a transmitter that generates a transmission based on the combined signal. The system can also include a coupling device that emits the transmission as an electromagnetic wave guided by an outer surface of a transmission medium. The electromagnetic wave can propagate longitudinally along the surface of the transmission medium and at least partially around the surface of the transmission medium. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory that stores executable instructions; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, to facilitate execution of the executable instructions to perform operations, comprising;

receiving a signal;

modulating the signal resulting in a modulated signal, wherein the modulated signal comprises a first electromagnetic wave; and

generating a transmission of the modulated signal to induce, via a coupling device that is not coaxially aligned with a wire, a second electromagnetic wave guided by an outer surface of the wire, wherein the second electromagnetic wave propagates longitudinally along the outer surface of the wire and at least partially around the outer surface of the wire.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second electromagnetic wave comprises one or more surface-wave modes.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein second electromagnetic wave comprises a surface-wave that is asymmetric.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first electromagnetic wave comprises a surface-wave mode that is symmetric.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a wavelength of the first electromagnetic wave is smaller than a circumference of the wire.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the coupling device is a planar antenna.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the coupling device is a quasi-optical coupler.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the system receives power inductively from the wire.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device comprising a processor, a signal;

modulating, by the device, the signal to generate a modulated signal, wherein the modulated signal comprises first electromagnetic surface-waves; and

generating, by the device, a transmission based on the modulated signal to emit second electromagnetic surface-waves guided by an outer surface of a wire, wherein the second electromagnetic surface-waves propagate longitudinally along the outer surface of the wire and at least partially around the outer surface of the wire, and wherein an axis of the wire is offset a distance from an axis of transmission of the device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first electromagnetic surface-waves are symmetric.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the axis of the device is parallel or tangential to the axis of the wire.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the second electromagnetic surface-waves comprise symmetric electromagnetic surface-waves and asymmetric electromagnetic surface-waves.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising selecting, by the device, a carrier signal for modulating the signal having a wavelength that is smaller than a circumference of the wire.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a frequency mixer that combines a signal and a carrier wave to form a combined signal;

a transmitter that generates a transmission based on the combined signal, wherein the transmission has a wavelength corresponding to a millimeter-wave band; and

a coupling device that emits the transmission as an electromagnetic wave guided by an outer surface of a transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic wave propagates longitudinally along the surface of the transmission medium and at least partially around the surface of the transmission medium, wherein the coupling device is positioned such that the transmission medium is outside a cross-sectional area of the coupling device.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a waveguide that facilitates transport of the combined signal on a surface of the waveguide.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the electromagnetic wave comprises a plurality of surface-wave modes.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a surface-wave mode of the plurality of surface-wave modes is asymmetrical.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein a wavelength of the carrier wave is smaller than a circumference of the transmission medium.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the coupling device is a quasi-optical coupler.

20. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the transmission medium comprises a wire.