Communication system, guided wave switch and methods for use therewith

• US 10,224,590 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2018
• Issued: 03/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2015
• 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., Bennett, Robert, Barzegar, Farhad, Gerszberg, Irwin, Henry, Paul Shala, Kafka, Henry, Willis, III, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Takaoka, Dean
• Application Number:
  US15/860,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20180123209A1
• Time in Patent Office: 427 Days
• Field of Search: 333101, 333105, 333106, 333108, 333 24 R
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/10 for switching or interrupting in systems using reflection or reradiation of radio, acoustic or other waves G01S7/034
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 11/006 Manufacturing dielectric waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/08 Microstrips; Strip lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/16 Dielectric waveguides, i.e. without a longitudinal conductor
• 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 3/03 Hybrid circuits for transceivers H04B1/52, H04B1/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/52 Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a guided wave switch that selectively aligns an end of the first dielectric core of a first conductorless guided wave cable with an end of a selected one of a plurality of second dielectric cores of at least one second conductorless guided wave cable to facilitate coupling of the first guided waves from the first dielectric core to a selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a first guided wave cable having a first dielectric core configured to propagate first guided waves without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the first guided waves are within a non-optical frequency band;

at least one second guided wave cable having a plurality of second dielectric cores coupled to a plurality of antennas; and

a guided wave switch configured to couple the first dielectric core to a selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores to communicate the first guided waves from the first dielectric core to one of the plurality of antennas via the selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the guided wave switch is further configured to communicate second guided waves from the corresponding one of the plurality of antennas to the first dielectric core;

and

wherein the first guided wave cable is further configured to communicate the second guided waves to a radio.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one second guided wave cable includes one of:

a single cable that includes the plurality of second dielectric cores, or a plurality of cables each including one of the plurality of second dielectric cores.

4. The communication system of claim 1, wherein first dielectric core comprises a high density dielectric material.

5. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of second dielectric cores comprises a high density dielectric material.

6. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the guided wave switch selectively aligns an end of the first dielectric core with an end of the selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores.

7. The communication system of claim 6, wherein the guided wave switch couples the first guided waves through a gap between the end of the first dielectric core to the end of the selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores.

8. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the guided wave switch includes a rotary switch that selectively aligns an end of the first dielectric core with an end of the selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores.

9. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the guided wave switch includes a detent that maintains alignment of an end of the first dielectric core with an end of the selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores.

10. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the guided wave switch includes an actuator that drives the guided wave switch to align an end of the first dielectric core with an end of the selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores.

11. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the guided wave switch is further configured to couple second guided waves from a selected one of a plurality of third dielectric cores to a fourth dielectric core.

12. A communication system comprising:

a first guided wave cable having a first dielectric core configured to communicate first guided waves that are bound to the first dielectric core, wherein the first guided waves are within a non-optical frequency band and propagate along the first dielectric core without requiring an electrical return path;

at least one second guided wave cable without the electrical return path having a plurality of second dielectric cores coupled to a plurality of antennas; and

a guided wave switch configured to couple the first dielectric core to a selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores to communicate the first guided waves from the first dielectric core to the selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores, wherein the first guided waves propagate along the selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores to one of the plurality of antennas.

13. The communication system of claim 12, wherein the guided wave switch is further configured to communicate second guided waves from the corresponding one of the plurality of antennas to the first dielectric core;

and

wherein the first guided wave cable is further configured to communicate the second guided waves to a radio.

14. The communication system of claim 13, wherein the at least one second guided wave cable includes one of:

a single cable that includes the plurality of second dielectric cores, or a plurality of cables each including one of the plurality of second dielectric cores.

15. The communication system of claim 12, wherein first dielectric core comprises a high density dielectric material.

16. The communication system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of second dielectric cores comprises a high density dielectric material.

17. The communication system of claim 12, wherein the guided wave switch selectively aligns an end of the first dielectric core with an end of the selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores.

18. The communication system of claim 17, wherein the guided wave switch couples the first guided waves through a gap between the end of the first dielectric core to the end of the selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores.

19. The communication system of claim 12, wherein the guided wave switch includes a rotary switch that selectively aligns an end of the first dielectric core with an end of the selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores, and wherein the rotary switch includes a detent that maintains alignment of the end of the first dielectric core with the end of the selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores.

20. A method comprising:

communicating, via a guided wave cable having a first dielectric core, guided waves that propagate along the first dielectric core without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the guided waves are within a non-optical frequency band; and

coupling, via a guided wave switch, the first dielectric core to a selected one of a plurality of second dielectric cores to communicate the guided waves from the first dielectric core to a corresponding one of a plurality of antennas via the selected one of the plurality of second dielectric cores.