Transmission medium and communication interfaces and methods for use therewith

• US 9,742,462 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2015
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2014
• 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: Bennett, Robert, Henry, Paul Shala, Barzegar, Farhad, Gerszberg, Irwin, Barnickel, Donald J, Willis, III, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Liu, Shuwang
• Assistant Examiner(s): AHN, SUNG S
• Application Number:
  US14/734,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20160164571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 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 5/087 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: H02J 13/00017 using optical fiber
• 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 3/56 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
• 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 system for receiving first electromagnetic waves via a transmission medium without utilizing an electrical return path, and inducing second electromagnetic waves at an interface of the transmission medium without the electrical return path. In an embodiment, the first and second electromagnetic waves have a non-optical frequency range. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a circuit, first electromagnetic waves guided by a core of a cable without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the first electromagnetic waves have a first non-optical frequency range, and wherein the core is opaque and thereby resistant to propagation of light waves along the core;

converting, by the circuit, the first electromagnetic waves to first electrical signals supplied to a first digital subscriber line (DSL) device;

receiving, by the circuit, second electrical signals from the first DSL device;

converting, by the circuit, the second electrical signals to second electromagnetic waves; and

sending, by the circuit, the second electromagnetic waves to an interface of the cable for guiding propagation of the second electromagnetic waves via the core of the cable without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the second electromagnetic waves are directed to a second DSL device, and wherein the second electromagnetic waves have a second non-optical frequency range.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a plurality of cores, and wherein the first electromagnetic waves are bound to a first core of the plurality of cores, and wherein the second electromagnetic waves are bound to a second core of the plurality of cores.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a dielectric material.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the core comprises an insulated conductor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the core comprises an uninsulated conductor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the cable further comprises a shell disposed at least in part on an outer surface of the core, wherein the core has a first dielectric constant, wherein the shell has a second dielectric constant, wherein the first dielectric constant is greater than the second dielectric constant, and wherein the cable further comprises a jacket disposed on the shell to further reduce exposure to an adverse environment.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the core has a non-circular cross section.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the non-circular cross section is asymmetric.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the non-circular cross section is symmetric.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the cable supplies power to the circuit.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a plurality of cores, wherein a first core of the plurality of cores guides propagation of the first electromagnetic waves, and wherein a second core of the plurality of cores guides propagation of the second electromagnetic waves.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first DSL device and the second DSL device comprise a DSL modem or a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM).

13. A first network element, comprising:

a receiver;

a transmitter;

a circuit coupled to the receiver and the transmitter, wherein the circuit facilitates performance of operations, the operations comprising;

receiving, via the receiver, first electromagnetic waves generated by a second network element, the first electromagnetic waves being guided by an inner portion of a cable comprising a core that is resistant to a propagation of light waves, wherein the first electromagnetic waves are bound to the core and are guided without requiring an electrical return path, and the first electromagnetic waves having a first non-optical frequency range; and

inducing, via the transmitter, second electromagnetic waves via an interface of the cable, the second electromagnetic waves directed to the second network element, the second electromagnetic waves being guided by the inner portion of the cable without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the second electromagnetic waves are bound o to the core and the second electromagnetic waves having a second non-optical frequency range.

14. The first network element of claim 13, wherein the first network element provides uplink and downlink communication services to the second network element.

15. The first network element of claim 13, wherein the core comprises a dielectric material.

16. The first network element of claim 13, wherein the core comprises an insulated conductor.

17. The first network element of claim 13, wherein the core comprises an uninsulated conductor.

18. The first network element of claim 13, wherein the cable further comprises a shell disposed at least in part on an outer surface of the core, and wherein the shell reduces exposure of the first electromagnetic waves and the second electromagnetic waves to an adverse environment.

19. The first network element of claim 18, wherein the core has a first dielectric constant, wherein the shell has a second dielectric constant, and wherein the first dielectric constant is greater than the second dielectric constant.

20. A communication device, comprising:

a receiver;

a transmitter;

a circuit coupled to the receiver and the transmitter, wherein the circuit facilitates performance of operations, the operations comprising;

receiving, via the receiver, first electromagnetic waves without requiring an electrical return path via at least one core of an transmission medium, wherein the first electromagnetic waves having a first non-optical frequency range, wherein the at least one core comprises at least one dielectric core surrounded at least in part by a shell, and wherein the dielectric core has a high propagation loss for light waves; and

inducing, via the transmitter, second electromagnetic waves at an interface of the at least one dielectric core for propagation of the second electromagnetic waves without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the second electromagnetic waves having a second non-optical frequency range.

21. The communication device of claim 20, wherein the at least one dielectric core comprises a first dielectric core and a second dielectric core, wherein the first core guides propagation of the first electromagnetic waves, and wherein the second core guides propagation of the second electromagnetic waves.

22. The communication device of claim 20, wherein the transmission medium further comprises at least one conductor to supply power to the communication device via an electrical return path that operates independently of the propagation of the first and second electromagnetic waves.