Method and apparatus for launching a wave mode that mitigates interference

• US 9,793,951 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2015
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2015
• 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, Bennett, Robert, Barzegar, Farhad, Gerszberg, Irwin, Barnickel, Donald J, Willis, III, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lugo, David B.
• Application Number:
  US14/799,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20170019150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• 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: H04B 1/0475 with means for limiting noise, interference or distortion H04B1/0483 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system that performs operations including detecting a signal degradation of electromagnetic waves guided by a transmission medium, and adjusting at least one phase of signal components of the electromagnetic waves to produce adjusted electromagnetic waves having a hybrid wave mode and a non-optical frequency range to mitigate the signal degradation. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A waveguide system, comprising:

a plurality of launchers including a first launcher and a second launcher that facilitate generating and guiding electromagnetic waves;

wherein the first launcher facilitates generation of first electromagnetic waves having a first phase;

wherein the second launcher facilitates generation of second electromagnetic waves having a second phase; and

wherein the first launcher and the second launcher facilitate guidance of the first electromagnetic waves and the second electromagnetic waves to an interface of a transmission medium for inducing a combined electromagnetic wave having a hybrid wave mode and a non-optical frequency range, the combined electromagnetic wave being bound to an outer surface of the transmission medium, wherein the plurality of launchers further facilitate adjusting an orientation of a field pattern of the hybrid wave mode to reposition the field pattern to an adjusted position about the outer surface of the transmission medium, wherein the adjusting is responsive to detecting an obstruction on at least a portion of the outer surface of the transmission medium causing electromagnetic waves guided by the transmission medium to experience propagation losses, and wherein the adjusted position of the field pattern of the hybrid wave mode reduces the propagation losses caused by the obstruction.

2. The waveguide system of claim 1, each of the first launcher and the second launcher further comprising a waveguide structure for guiding the first electromagnetic waves and the second electromagnetic waves to the interface of the transmission medium.

3. The waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the transmission medium comprises a portion of the transmission medium.

4. The waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the field pattern of the combined electromagnetic wave has electric fields that are aligned away from a direction of propagation of the combined electromagnetic wave.

5. The waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the hybrid wave mode comprises an HE wave mode.

6. The waveguide system of claim 5, wherein the HE wave mode comprises an HE11 wave mode.

7. The waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the first launcher comprises a first probe having a radiating element.

8. The waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the second launcher comprises a second probe having a radiating element.

9. The waveguide system of claim 1, further comprising a mechanism for moving a position of the first launcher and the second launcher relative to the outer surface of the transmission medium.

10. The waveguide system of claim 9, further comprising a motor coupled to the mechanism for controlling the position of the first launcher and the second launcher relative to the outer surface of the transmission medium.

11. The waveguide system of claim 10, wherein the motor facilitates adjusting the position of the first launcher and the second launcher to a selected position to cause the hybrid wave mode to be polarized according to the selected position.

12. The waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the first launcher comprises a first radiating element, and wherein the second launcher comprises a second radiating element.

13. The waveguide system of claim 1, wherein a size of the hybrid wave mode is increased by increasing a radial size of the field pattern of the hybrid wave mode about the transmission medium.

14. The waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium does not comprise an optical fiber for guiding the combined electromagnetic wave.

24. The waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the adjusting further comprises adjusting the non-optical frequency range of the combined electromagnetic wave to increase a size of the field pattern of the hybrid wave mode.

25. The waveguide system of claim 24, wherein the size of the field pattern of the hybrid wave mode resulting from the adjusting the non-optical frequency range extends outside a region occupied by the obstruction to further reduce the propagation losses caused by the obstruction.

15. A method, comprising:

generating, by a waveguide system, first electromagnetic waves having a first phase;

generating, by the waveguide system, second electromagnetic waves having a second phase;

directing, by the waveguide system, the first electromagnetic waves and the second electromagnetic waves to induce at an interface of a transmission medium a combined electromagnetic wave having a hybrid wave mode and a non-optical frequency range, the combined electromagnetic wave being bound to an outer surface of the transmission medium; and

responsive to detecting an obstruction on at least a portion of the outer surface of the transmission medium, adjusting an orientation of a field pattern of the hybrid wave mode to reposition the field pattern to an adjusted position about the outer surface of the transmission medium, wherein the adjusting reduces propagation losses caused by the obstruction on the outer surface of the transmission medium.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the waveguide system comprises a plurality of transmitters for generating the first electromagnetic waves and the second electromagnetic waves, and wherein the waveguide system further comprises a waveguide structure for directing the first electromagnetic waves and the second electromagnetic waves to the interface of the transmission medium.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the hybrid wave mode comprises an HE wave mode.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein a size of the hybrid wave mode is increased by increasing a radial size of the field pattern of the hybrid wave mode about the transmission medium.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the adjusting further comprises adjusting a polarization of the hybrid wave mode.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

detecting an obstruction resulting in a signal degradation of electromagnetic waves bound to an outer surface of a transmission medium;

adjusting the electromagnetic waves to produce adjusted electromagnetic waves having a hybrid wave mode and a non-optical frequency range; and

orienting a field pattern of the hybrid wave mode to a new position about the outer surface of the transmission medium to mitigate the signal degradation.

21. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the adjusted electromagnetic waves are bound to the outer surface of the transmission medium.

22. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the adjusted electromagnetic waves have electric fields that avoid being longitudinally aligned with an obstruction causing the signal degradation.

23. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the hybrid wave mode comprises an HE wave mode.