Guided-wave transmission device with non-fundamental mode propagation and methods for use therewith

• US 9,954,286 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2016
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2014
• 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: Henry, Paul Shala, Bennett, Robert, Gerszberg, Irwin, Barzegar, Farhad, Barnickel, Donald J., Willis, III, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): DOBSON, DANIEL G
• Application Number:
  US15/335,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20170047662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 544 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/10 Wire waveguides, i.e. with a single solid longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2291 used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/40 Radiating elements coated with or embedded in protective material
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/08 Radiating ends of two-conductor microwave transmission lines, e.g. of coaxial lines, of microstrip lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/28 comprising elements constituting electric discontinuities and spaced in direction of wave propagation, e.g. dielectric elements or conductive elements forming artificial dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0799 Monitoring line transmitter or line receiver equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25753 Distribution optical network, e.g. between a base station and a plurality of remote units
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/2581 Multimode transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/36 Repeater circuits H04B3/58 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/024 Co-operative use of antennas of several sites, e.g. in co-ordinated multipoint or co-operative multiple-input multiple-output [MIMO] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/085 Access point devices with remote components

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a transmission device that includes a transmitter that generates a first electromagnetic wave to convey data. A coupler couples the first electromagnetic wave to a single wire transmission medium having an outer surface, to forming a second electromagnetic wave that is guided to propagate along the outer surface of the single wire transmission medium via at least one guided wave mode that includes an asymmetric or non-fundamental mode having a lower cutoff frequency. A carrier frequency of the second electromagnetic wave is selected to be within a limited range of the lower cutoff frequency, so that a majority of the electric field is concentrated within a distance from the outer surface that is less than half the largest cross sectional dimension of the single wire transmission medium, and/or to reduce propagation loss. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. An antenna system comprising:

an antenna;

a transmission medium that facilitates wireless network connectivity via the antenna, wherein the transmission medium comprises a dielectric material having a largest cross sectional dimension;

a coupler that couples a first electromagnetic wave having a carrier frequency to the transmission medium, wherein the coupling of the first electromagnetic wave to the transmission medium results in a second electromagnetic wave that is guided to propagate along the dielectric material via at least one guided-wave mode that includes a non-fundamental mode, wherein the non-fundamental mode has a cutoff frequency, and wherein the carrier frequency is above the cutoff frequency and a majority of an electric field strength of the second electromagnetic wave is concentrated within a distance from the dielectric material that is less than the largest cross sectional dimension.

2. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the at least one guided-wave mode of the second electromagnetic wave further includes a fundamental mode.

3. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium facilitates the wireless network connectivity to a mobile device.

4. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the first electromagnetic wave is guided to propagate along the coupler via at least one guided-wave mode that includes a fundamental mode and wherein a junction between the coupler and the transmission medium induces the non-fundamental mode of the second electromagnetic wave.

5. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium includes a conductor having a mean collision frequency of electrons and wherein the carrier frequency is less than the mean collision frequency of electrons.

6. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the dielectric material guides propagation of the second electromagnetic wave without an electrical return path.

7. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium is conductorless.

8. A transmission device comprising:

means for generating a first electromagnetic wave based on a communication signal to convey data, the first electromagnetic wave having a carrier frequency; and

means for coupling the first electromagnetic wave to a conductorless transmission medium that facilitates wireless network connectivity via an antenna, wherein the conductorless transmission medium comprises a dielectric material having a diameter, wherein the coupling of the first electromagnetic wave to the conductorless transmission medium results in a second electromagnetic wave that is guided to propagate along the conductorless transmission medium via at least one guided-wave mode that includes an asymmetric mode, wherein the carrier frequency is within a non-optical frequency band and wherein the asymmetric mode has a cutoff frequency, and wherein the carrier frequency is above the cutoff frequency and a majority of an electric field strength of the second electromagnetic wave is concentrated within a distance from the dielectric material that is less than the diameter.

9. The transmission device of claim 8, wherein the at least one guided-wave mode of the second electromagnetic wave further includes a symmetric mode.

10. The transmission device of claim 9, wherein the first electromagnetic wave is guided to propagate along the means for coupling via at least one guided-wave mode that includes a symmetric mode and wherein a junction between the means for coupling and the conductorless transmission medium induces both the asymmetric mode of the second electromagnetic wave and the symmetric mode of the second electromagnetic wave.

11. The transmission device of claim 8, wherein the first electromagnetic wave is guided to propagate along the means for coupling via at least one guided-wave mode that includes a symmetric mode and wherein a junction between the means for coupling and the conductorless transmission medium induces the asymmetric mode of the second electromagnetic wave.

12. The transmission device of claim 8, wherein the dielectric material has a mean collision frequency of electrons and wherein the carrier frequency is less than the mean collision frequency of electrons.

13. The transmission device of claim 8, wherein the carrier frequency is less than twenty-five percent above the cutoff frequency.

14. The transmission device of claim 8, wherein the conductorless transmission medium facilitates the wireless network connectivity to a mobile device.

15. A method comprising:

generating a first electromagnetic wave based on a communication signal to convey data, the first electromagnetic wave having a carrier frequency; and

coupling, by a coupler, the first electromagnetic wave to a dielectric transmission medium that provides network connectivity via an antenna that radiates free space wireless signals, wherein the dielectric transmission medium has a diameter, wherein the coupling of the first electromagnetic wave to the dielectric transmission medium results in a second electromagnetic wave that is guided to propagate along the dielectric transmission medium via a non-fundamental guided-wave mode, wherein the carrier frequency is within a non-optical frequency band and wherein the carrier frequency is above a cutoff frequency of the non-fundamental guided-wave mode and a majority of an electric field strength of the second electromagnetic wave is concentrated within a distance from the dielectric transmission medium that is less than the diameter.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the dielectric transmission medium has a substantially circular cross section and the non-fundamental guided-wave mode of the second electromagnetic wave includes an asymmetric mode.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

guiding the first electromagnetic wave to propagate along the coupler via at least one guided-wave mode that includes a symmetric mode and wherein a junction between the coupler and the dielectric transmission medium induces both the asymmetric mode of the second electromagnetic wave and the symmetric mode of the second electromagnetic wave.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the dielectric transmission medium includes a conductive wire having a mean collision frequency of electrons and wherein the carrier frequency is less than the mean collision frequency of electrons.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the dielectric transmission medium guides propagation of the second electromagnetic wave without an electrical return path.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the dielectric transmission medium is opaque and conductorless.