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

• US 10,270,181 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2018
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• 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:
  US16/120,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20180375213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 231 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. A transmission device comprising:

a transceiver configured to generate a first electromagnetic wave to convey first data; and

a coupler, coupled to the transceiver, that couples the first electromagnetic wave to a transmission medium having at least one inner portion surrounded by an insulating jacket composed of a dielectric material, the insulating jacket having an outer surface, wherein the coupling of the first electromagnetic wave to the transmission medium forms a second electromagnetic wave having at least one carrier frequency that is guided to propagate along the outer surface of the insulating jacket 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 at least one carrier frequency is within a range, wherein the range is between the cutoff frequency and the cutoff frequency plus twenty-five percent.

2. The transmission device of claim 1, further comprising:

a training controller, coupled to the transceiver, that selects the at least one carrier frequency to be within the range based on an analysis of test signals or test data.

3. The transmission device of claim 2, wherein a third electromagnetic wave conveys second data that also propagates along the outer surface of the insulating jacket of the transmission medium, wherein the second data includes the analysis of test signals or test data by at least one remote transmission device;

wherein the coupler also couples the third electromagnetic wave from the transmission medium to form a fourth electromagnetic wave; and

wherein the transceiver receives the fourth electromagnetic wave and processes the fourth electromagnetic wave to extract the second data.

4. The transmission device of claim 2, wherein the training controller evaluates a plurality of candidate frequencies and selects the at least one carrier frequency to be within the range, based on the analysis of the test signals or test data, as one of the plurality of candidate frequencies.

5. The transmission device of claim 4, wherein the plurality of candidate frequencies is within a microwave frequency band.

6. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein the second electromagnetic wave has a first portion of signal energy that propagates inside of the insulating jacket and a second portion of signal energy that propagates outside of the insulating jacket, and where the second portion is greater than the first portion.

7. The transmission device 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.

8. A method comprising:

generating a first electromagnetic wave to convey first data; and

coupling, by a coupler, the first electromagnetic wave to a transmission medium having at least one inner portion surrounded by an insulating jacket composed of a dielectric material, the insulating jacket having an outer surface, wherein the coupling of the first electromagnetic wave to the transmission medium forms a second electromagnetic wave that propagates along the outer surface of the insulating jacket via at least one guided wave mode that includes a non-fundamental mode, wherein the second electromagnetic wave has a first portion of signal energy that propagates inside of the insulating jacket and a second portion of signal energy that propagates outside of the insulating jacket, and where the second portion is greater than the first portion.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a third electromagnetic wave conveys second data that also propagates along the outer surface of the insulating jacket, wherein the second data includes an analysis of test signals or test data by at least one remote transmission device;

wherein the coupler also couples the third electromagnetic wave from the transmission medium as a fourth electromagnetic wave; and

wherein the method further comprises;

receiving the fourth electromagnetic wave; and

processing the fourth electromagnetic wave to extract the second data.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one carrier frequency of the first electromagnetic wave is selected by:

evaluating a plurality of candidate frequencies; and

selecting the at least one carrier frequency as one of the plurality of candidate frequencies that provides a lowest propagation loss.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of candidate frequencies is within a microwave wave frequency band.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one inner portion is a wire.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the transmission medium is part of a distributed antenna system.

14. A transmission device comprising:

means for generating a first electromagnetic wave to convey first data; and

means for coupling the first electromagnetic wave to a transmission medium having at least one inner portion surrounded by an insulating jacket composed of a dielectric material, the insulating jacket having an outer surface, wherein the coupling of the first electromagnetic wave to the transmission medium forms a second electromagnetic wave that propagates along the outer surface of the insulating jacket via at least one guided wave mode that includes a non-fundamental mode, wherein the second electromagnetic wave has a first portion of signal energy that propagates inside of the insulating jacket and a second portion of signal energy that propagates outside of the insulating jacket, and where the second portion is greater than the first portion.

15. The transmission device of claim 14, further comprising:

means for selecting at least one carrier frequency of the first electromagnetic wave based on an analysis of test signals or test data.

16. The transmission device of claim 15, wherein the means for selecting evaluates a plurality of candidate frequencies and selects the at least one carrier frequency, based on the analysis of the test signals or test data, as one of the plurality of candidate frequencies.

17. The transmission device of claim 16, wherein the plurality of candidate frequencies is within a microwave frequency band.

18. The transmission device of claim 14, wherein the non-fundamental mode has a cutoff frequency, and wherein at least one carrier frequency of the first electromagnetic wave is selected based on the cutoff frequency.

19. The transmission device of claim 14, wherein the first electromagnetic wave is guided to propagate along the means for coupling via at least one guided wave mode that includes fundamental mode and wherein a junction between the means for coupling and the transmission medium induces the non-fundamental mode of the second electromagnetic wave.

20. The transmission device of claim 19, wherein the junction between the means for coupling and the transmission medium includes a gap.