Method and apparatus for reducing attenuation of electromagnetic waves guided by a transmission medium

• US 10,200,086 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2017
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2015
• 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: Barnickel, Donald J., Barzegar, Farhad, Bennett, Robert, Gerszberg, Irwin, Henry, Paul Shala, Willis, III, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Rakesh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Salazar, Jr., Jorge
• Application Number:
  US15/646,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20170310365A1
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 333 24 R, 333227, 333330, 333248, 333 171, 340 1233, 340 1238, 34031001
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/207 Hollow waveguide filters H01P1/212, H01P1/213, H01P1/215, H01P1/219 take precedence
• 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 2203/5483 using coupling circuits
• 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

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, identifying a device coupled to a transmission medium that obstructs a propagation of guided electromagnetic waves propagating on an outer surface of the transmission medium when the device is subjected to a liquid, and applying a material to a portion of the device to mitigate the obstruction. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A mitigation system, comprising:

a sensor;

a device;

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

detecting, by the sensor, an atmospheric condition indicating a forecast of rainfall;

applying, by the device, physical forces to a transmission medium to reduce a water accumulation at a time determined according to the forecast of rainfall, wherein guided electromagnetic waves propagate along an outer surface of the transmission medium, wherein reducing the water accumulation reduces attenuation of the guided electromagnetic waves; and

discontinuing the applying the physical forces to the transmission medium, by the device, in response to detecting, by the sensor, that the atmospheric condition has changed.

2. The mitigation system of claim 1, wherein the mitigation system is coupled to a waveguide system, wherein the waveguide system is coupled to the transmission medium.

3. The mitigation system of claim 1, wherein the device comprises an unbalanced mass, wherein the applying the physical forces comprises generating, by the unbalanced mass, a vibration that converts to the physical forces applied to the transmission medium.

4. The mitigation system of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a blasting device, wherein the applying the physical forces comprises applying, by the blasting device, sound waves to reduce the water accumulation wherein the sound waves provide the physical forces.

5. The mitigation system of claim 4, wherein the sound waves includes sonic sound waves, sub-sonic sound waves, ultrasonic sound waves, or any combination thereof.

6. The mitigation system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a Doppler radar system.

7. The mitigation system of claim 1, wherein the atmospheric condition includes humidity, temperature, atmospheric pressure, dew point, or any combination thereof.

8. The mitigation system of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a vibration motor, wherein the applying the physical forces comprises applying, by the vibration motor, a vibration that converts to the physical forces to reduce the water accumulation, and wherein the vibration occurs at a target frequency.

9. The mitigation system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise selecting the target frequency according to physical characteristics of the transmission medium.

10. The mitigation system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

measuring a current frequency of vibration of the transmission medium in response to the vibrating of the transmission medium;

determining the current frequency is not the target frequency; and

adjusting the vibration motor to vibrate the transmission medium according to the target frequency.

11. The mitigation system of claim 10, further comprising an accelerometer, wherein the measuring of the current frequency comprises measuring the current frequency using the accelerometer.

12. The mitigation system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a rain sensor, and wherein the operations further comprise detecting a rainfall using the rain sensor.

13. The mitigation system of claim 12, wherein the applying the physical forces to the transmission medium is in response to the detecting the atmospheric condition indicating the forecast of rainfall and prior to the detecting of the rainfall.

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

measuring attenuation of guided electromagnetic waves propagating along a transmission medium;

determining a water accumulation on the transmission medium based on the attenuation; and

vibrating, using a vibration motor, the transmission medium to reduce the water accumulation, wherein reducing the water accumulation reduces the attenuation of the guided electromagnetic waves.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise selecting a target frequency according to physical characteristics of the transmission medium, wherein the vibrating of the transmission medium comprises vibrating the transmission medium at the target frequency.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

measuring a current frequency of vibration of the transmission medium in response to the vibrating of the transmission medium;

determining the current frequency is not the target frequency; and

adjusting the vibration motor to vibrate the transmission medium according to the target frequency.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the measuring the current frequency of the vibration of the transmission medium comprises measuring the current frequency using an accelerometer.

18. A method, comprising:

detecting, by a processing system comprising a processor, an atmospheric condition;

responsive to the detecting, vibrating, by the processing system, a transmission medium to reduce a water accumulation on an outer surface of the transmission medium, wherein guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the outer surface of the transmission medium, and wherein reducing the water accumulation reduces an attenuation of the guided electromagnetic waves; and

discontinuing, by the processing system, the vibrating of the transmission medium in response to detecting a change in the atmospheric condition.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the atmospheric condition includes humidity, temperature, or any combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the atmospheric condition includes atmospheric pressure, dew point, or any combination thereof.