Methods and apparatus for adjusting a wavelength electromagnetic waves

• US 10,468,739 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2018
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2016
• 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, Vannucci, Giovanni, Willis, III, Thomas M., Johnson, Shikik, Bennett, Robert, Barzegar, Farhad, Gerszberg, Irwin, Barnickel, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Stephen E.
• Application Number:
  US16/106,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20180358678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/10 Wire waveguides, i.e. with a single solid longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/122 Dielectric loaded (not air)
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/024 between hollow waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/19 of the junction type
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/24 constituted by a dielectric or ferromagnetic rod or pipe H01Q13/28 takes precedence

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, generating, a first hollow waveguide that facilitates coupling, via the first dielectric coupler, a first electromagnetic wave onto a transmission medium, and a second hollow waveguide that facilitates coupling, via the second dielectric coupler, a second electromagnetic wave onto the transmission medium, where the first electromagnetic wave and the second electromagnetic wave combine to form a combined electromagnetic wave that propagates along the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, and where the first dielectric coupler has an adjustable length that facilitates an adjustment of a wave mode of the combined electromagnetic wave. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a hollow waveguide; and

a coupler positioned partially within the hollow waveguide, wherein the hollow waveguide facilitates coupling, via the coupler, an electromagnetic wave onto a transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic wave propagates along the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein a position of the coupler partially within the hollow waveguide is adjustable to provide the coupler with an adjustable length that facilitates an adjustment of a characteristic of the electromagnetic wave.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the coupler has a slanted end positioned outside of the hollow waveguide.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a motor that facilitates an adjustment of the adjustable length by adjusting a location of an endpoint of the coupler located inside the hollow waveguide.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the coupler comprises a dielectric coupler, and wherein the transmission medium comprises an insulated conductor, an uninsulated conductor, a dielectric core, or any combinations thereof.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the coupler has a tapered end positioned inside of the hollow waveguide.

6. A device, comprising:

a first waveguide coupled to a first coupler, wherein the first waveguide facilitates coupling, via the first coupler, a first electromagnetic wave onto a transmission medium; and

a second waveguide coupled to a second coupler, wherein the second waveguide facilitates coupling, via the second coupler, a second electromagnetic wave onto the transmission medium, wherein the first electromagnetic wave and the second electromagnetic wave combine to form a combined electromagnetic wave that propagates along the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein the first coupler has a first adjustable length that facilitates an adjustment of a characteristic of the combined electromagnetic wave.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the first coupler comprises a slanted endpoint located in a vicinity of the transmission medium, and wherein an end of the first coupler opposite to the slanted endpoint is located inside the first waveguide.

8. The device of claim 6, further comprising a motor that facilitates an adjustment of the first adjustable length by adjusting a location of an endpoint of the first coupler with respect to the first waveguide.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the second coupler comprises a slanted endpoint located in a vicinity of the transmission medium, and wherein an end of the second coupler opposite to the slanted endpoint is located inside the second waveguide.

10. The device of claim 6, wherein the characteristic comprises a wave mode.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the wave mode comprises a hybrid wave mode, a fundamental wave mode, or a non-fundamental wave mode.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the second coupler has a second adjustable length that facilitates a further adjustment of the wave mode of the combined electromagnetic wave.

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising a motor that facilitates the further adjustment of the second adjustable length by adjusting a location of an endpoint of the second coupler with respect to the second waveguide.

14. The device of claim 6, wherein a first length of the first coupler differs from a second length of the second coupler.

15. The device of claim 6, wherein the first adjustable length of the first coupler is adjustable according to an adjustable wavelength.

16. The device of claim 6, wherein the transmission medium comprises an insulated conductor, an uninsulated conductor, a dielectric core, or any combinations thereof.

17. A method, comprising:

generating, by a hollow waveguide coupled to a coupler, an electromagnetic wave that couples onto a transmission medium, wherein the coupler is positioned partially within the hollow waveguide, wherein the electromagnetic wave propagates along the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein a position of the coupler partially within the hollow waveguide is adjustable to provide the coupler with an adjustable length; and

adjusting the adjustable length of the coupler to adjust a wave mode of the electromagnetic wave.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising:

combining the electromagnetic wave with a second electromagnetic wave resulting in a combined electromagnetic wave that propagates along the transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path, wherein the second electromagnetic wave is generated by a second hollow waveguide coupled to a second coupler, wherein the second coupler is positioned partially within the second hollow waveguide, and wherein a position of the second coupler partially within the second hollow waveguide is adjustable to provide the second coupler with a second adjustable length.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the coupler comprises a dielectric coupler, and wherein the hollow waveguide and the second hollow waveguide are configured to select at least one of a plurality of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) techniques to generate the electromagnetic wave and the second electromagnetic wave, respectively.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein a recipient device is configured to receive and process the combined electromagnetic wave according to the at least one of the plurality of MIMO techniques.