Transmission medium and methods for use therewith

• US 10,276,907 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2017
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2015
• 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: Bennett, Robert, Adriazola, Aldo, Fuchs, Mitchell Harvey, Pimm, Brandon, Barzegar, Farhad, Gerszberg, Irwin, Henry, Paul Shala, Taylor, William Scott, Barnickel, Donald J., Willis, III, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Khai
• Application Number:
  US15/821,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20180115040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 375256, 375257, 375267, 333329
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/06 Coaxial lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/16 Dielectric waveguides, i.e. without a longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/165 Non-radiating dielectric waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5425 improving S/N by matching impedance, noise reduction, gain control
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5487 cables
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/32 Reducing cross-talk, e.g. by compensating
• 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, a cable can include a core, a plurality of strips of cladding disposed on the core, and a coupler that facilitates inducing electromagnetic waves that propagate along the core, where a first dielectric constant of the core exceeds a second dielectric constant of each strip of cladding of the plurality of strips of cladding, and where the electromagnetic waves propagate along the core without requiring an electrical return path. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A cable, comprising:

a core;

a plurality of dielectric strips, wherein a first dielectric constant of the core exceeds a second dielectric constant of each dielectric strip of the plurality of dielectric strips;

a cover that surrounds the plurality of dielectric strips which are positioned around an outer surface of the core; and

a coupler that facilitates inducing electromagnetic waves that propagate along the core, wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate along the core without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein the electromagnetic waves have electric fields confined substantially below an external surface of the cover.

2. The cable of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a dielectric core.

3. The cable of claim 1, wherein the cover prevents the core and the plurality of dielectric strips from being exposed to an adverse environment.

4. The cable of claim 1, wherein the plurality of dielectric strips wraps around the outer surface of the core.

5. The cable of claim 1, wherein the core comprises an insulated conductor.

6. The cable of claim 1, wherein the core comprises a high density dielectric material, and wherein each dielectric strip of the plurality of dielectric strips comprises a dielectric foam.

7. The cable of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic waves have a fundamental wave mode, a non-fundamental wave mode, or a combination thereof.

8. The cable of claim 1, wherein the cover prevents exposure of the electromagnetic waves to an adverse environment.

9. The cable of claim 1, wherein an end of the core couples to a feed point of an antenna.

10. A cable, comprising:

a cover;

a core;

a plurality of strips of cladding disposed on the core, wherein a first dielectric constant of the core exceeds a second dielectric constant of each strip of cladding of the plurality of strips of cladding; and

a coupler that facilitates inducing electromagnetic waves that propagate along the core, wherein the electromagnetic waves propagate along the core without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein the electromagnetic waves have electric fields confined substantially below an external surface of the cover.

11. The cable of claim 10, wherein the core comprises a dielectric core.

12. The cable of claim 10, wherein the cover prevents the core and the plurality of strips of cladding from being exposed to an adverse environment.

13. The cable of claim 10, wherein the plurality of strips of cladding wraps around an outer surface of the core in a helix configuration.

14. The cable of claim 10, wherein the core comprises an insulated conductor.

15. The cable of claim 10, wherein the core comprises a high density dielectric material.

16. The cable of claim 10, wherein each strip of cladding of the plurality of strips of cladding comprises a dielectric foam.

17. The cable of claim 16, wherein the core and the dielectric foam are not coaxially aligned to each other.

18. A cable, comprising:

a plurality of cores;

a plurality of covers, wherein each one of the plurality of covers surrounds a respective one of the plurality of cores;

a plurality of strips of cladding disposed on each core of the plurality of cores, wherein a first dielectric constant of each core of the plurality of cores exceeds a second dielectric constant of each strip of cladding of the plurality of strips of cladding; and

a coupler that facilitates inducing propagation of a first plurality of electromagnetic waves along each core of the plurality of cores, wherein the first plurality of electromagnetic waves propagates along each core of the plurality of cores without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein the first plurality of electromagnetic waves has electric fields confined substantially below an external surface of each of the plurality of covers.

19. The cable of claim 18, wherein the coupler facilitates selection of a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) technique for inducing the first plurality of electromagnetic waves.

20. The cable of claim 18, wherein the coupler facilitates receiving from the plurality of cores a second plurality of electromagnetic waves, wherein the coupler further facilitates processing the second plurality of electromagnetic waves according to a multi-input multi-output (MIMO) technique.