Method and apparatus for sensing a condition in a transmission medium of electromagnetic waves

• US 9,893,766 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2017
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2014
• 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: Fuchs, Mitchell Harvey, Gerszberg, Irwin
• Primary Examiner(s): KASSA, ZEWDU A
• Application Number:
  US15/677,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20170353216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 182 Days
• Field of Search: 375256, 375295, 375316, 375219
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/06 through light guides, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/16 Dielectric waveguides, i.e. without a longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/12 Coupling devices having more than two ports H01P5/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/46 Electric supply lines or communication lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/544 Setting up communications; Call and signalling arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/56 Circuits for coupling, blocking, or by-passing of signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/58 Repeater circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/30 using a wired architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2209/886 using energy harvesting, e.g. solar, wind or mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 9/00 Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a device that facilitates transmitting electromagnetic waves along a surface of a wire that facilitates delivery of electric energy to devices, and sensing a condition that is adverse to the electromagnetic waves propagating along the surface of the wire. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a waveguide system comprising a dielectric coupler and an antenna, wherein the dielectric coupler is positioned with respect to a surface of a transmission medium, wherein the dielectric coupler facilitates a transmission of first electromagnetic waves that propagate along the surface of the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the antenna facilitates conversion of the first electromagnetic waves to first wireless signals directed to a recipient device, and wherein the first electromagnetic waves are generated from source electromagnetic waves that propagate along the dielectric coupler without requiring an electrical return path; and

a sensor that facilitates sensing a condition that is adverse to propagation of the first electromagnetic waves along the surface of the transmission medium.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor further facilitates a transmission of a test signal on the transmission medium to detect the condition.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the sensor further facilitates identifying a location of a source causing the condition based on reflections of the test signal originating from the source.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the sensor further facilitates identifying a source of the condition by comparing electromagnetic wave reflections of the test signal to profiles, each profile including a model of a different type of source of disturbance that affects propagation of the first electromagnetic waves along the surface of the transmission medium.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor further facilitates collecting images in a vicinity of the transmission medium to detect the condition.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor further facilitates predicting an event that causes the condition.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor further facilitates transmission to a network element sensing data associated with the condition.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna further facilitates receiving second wireless signals generated by the recipient device.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first wireless signals and second wireless signal are in a millimeter-wave frequency band, and wherein the second wireless signals are converted by the antenna to second electromagnetic waves that propagate along the surface of the transmission medium and are received by the dielectric coupler for processing by the waveguide system.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium comprises a dielectric transmission medium, and wherein the antenna and the dielectric transmission medium are components of a distributed antenna system.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an energy management system that facilitates managing power supplied to the sensor, the waveguide system, or both.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the energy management system comprises a backup battery that provides backup energy to the sensor, the waveguide system or both.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the energy management system facilitates obtaining energy from the transmission medium by electrical coupling to a conductive portion of the transmission medium, by inductive coupling to the transmission medium, by solar energy, or kinetic energy.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a processor coupled to the waveguide system and the sensor, wherein the processor facilitates processing of sensing data from the sensor and control of the transmission of the first electromagnetic waves that propagate along the surface of the transmission medium.

15. A method, comprising:

facilitating transmission, by a dielectric coupler, of electromagnetic waves that propagate along a transmission medium without requiring an electrical circuit, wherein the electromagnetic waves are generated from source electromagnetic waves that propagate along the dielectric coupler without requiring an electrical return path;

facilitating transmission, by an antenna coupled to the transmission medium, of wireless signals generated from the electromagnetic waves propagating along the transmission medium, wherein the wireless signals are formatted according to a communications protocol; and

determining by a sensor coupled to the transmission medium, an adverse condition affecting the propagation of the electromagnetic waves along the transmission medium.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining the adverse condition further comprises sensing, by the sensor, reflections of the electromagnetic waves to detect the adverse condition.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmission medium comprises a dielectric transmission medium.

18. A non-transitory tangible machine-readable storage device, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

inducing, by a dielectric coupler of a waveguide system, electromagnetic waves onto a transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate along the transmission medium without requiring an electrical circuit, wherein the electromagnetic waves are converted by an antenna to free space wireless signals, and wherein the electromagnetic waves are generated from source electromagnetic waves that propagate along the dielectric coupler without requiring an electrical return path; and

collecting sensing data from a sensor, the sensing data indicating an adverse condition affecting propagation of the electromagnetic waves along the transmission medium.

19. The non-transitory tangible machine-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise facilitating transmission of the sensing data to a network element, and wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment.

20. The non-transitory tangible machine-readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the transmission medium comprises a dielectric transmission medium.