Communication system having a cable with a plurality of stranded uninsulated conductors forming interstitial areas for propagating guided wave modes therein and methods of use

• US 10,505,250 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2017
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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., Bennett, Robert, Gerszberg, Irwin, Barzegar, Farhad, Barnickel, Donald J., Birk, Martin, Johnson, Shikik
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benny T
• Application Number:
  US15/803,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20180054233A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 333 1, 333248
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/06 Coaxial lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/12 Hollow waveguides H01P3/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/16 Dielectric waveguides, i.e. without a longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/087 Transitions to a dielectric waveguide
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/02 Waveguide horns
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/26 varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture H01Q3/12, H01Q3/22, H01Q3/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00 Circuit arrangements for providing remote indication of network conditions, e.g. an instantaneous record of the open or closed condition of each circuitbreaker in the network; Circuit arrangements for providing remote control of switching means in a power distribution network, e.g. switching in and out of current consumers by using a pulse code signal carried by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 13/00009 using pulsed signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5483 using coupling circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/02 Details
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/56 Circuits for coupling, blocking, or by-passing of signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2878 Access multiplexer, e.g. DSLAM generic distributed time multiplexers, e.g. TDM/TDMA H04J3/1694
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/00 Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/121 using the power network as support for the transmission

Abstract

In accordance with one or more embodiments, a communication system, includes at least one launcher configured to generate first guided electromagnetic waves in response to a first communication signal conveying first data, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves are guided by a structure within a cable and propagate within the cable via a plurality of guided wave modes without requiring an electrical return path; wherein the cable comprises a plurality of uninsulated conductors that are stranded together, wherein the plurality of uninsulated conductors form a plurality of interstitial areas that are bounded by conductive surfaces of at least three of the plurality of uninsulated conductors, and wherein the structure comprises one of the plurality of interstitial areas.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

at least one launcher configured to generate first guided electromagnetic waves in response to a first communication signal conveying data, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves are guided by a structure within a cable and propagate within the cable via a plurality of guided wave modes without requiring any electrical return path;

wherein the cable comprises a plurality of uninsulated conductors that are stranded together, wherein the plurality of uninsulated conductors forms a plurality of interstitial areas that are bounded by conductive surfaces of at least three of the plurality of uninsulated conductors, and wherein the structure comprises one of the plurality of interstitial areas.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the cable is a medium voltage transmission line.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one launcher includes a plurality of antennas within the one of the plurality of interstitial areas, the plurality of antennas configured to generate the first guided electromagnetic waves in response to the first communication signal.

4. The communication system of claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of guided wave modes includes a transverse electric mode, a transverse magnetic mode or a combination thereof.

5. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves are within a millimeter wave frequency band.

6. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of uninsulated conductors are stranded together by being helically wound.

7. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the at least one launcher is further configured to receive second guided electromagnetic waves and to generate a second communication signal in response thereto, wherein the second guided electromagnetic waves are guided by the structure within the cable and propagate within the cable without requiring return path.

8. The communication system of claim 1, wherein at least one other of the plurality of interstitial areas that is different from the one of the plurality of interstitial areas is configured to support propagation of second guided electromagnetic waves within the cable without requiring any electrical return path.

9. The communication system of claim 8, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves and the second guided electromagnetic waves are generated in accordance with one of a plurality of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) techniques.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving a communication signal conveying data; and

generating first guided electromagnetic waves in response to the communication signal, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves are guided by a structure within a cable and propagate within the cable via a plurality of guided wave modes without requiring any electrical return path;

wherein the cable is an electrical power transmission line that comprises a plurality of uninsulated conductors that are stranded together, wherein the plurality of uninsulated conductors forms a plurality of interstitial areas that are bounded by conductive surfaces of at least three of the plurality of uninsulated conductors, and wherein the structure comprises one of the plurality of interstitial areas.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the cable further utilizes an electrical return path to propagate a power signal of an electrical power utility.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the cable is a medium voltage transmission line.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves are generated via a plurality of antennas within the one of the plurality of interstitial areas.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein one of the plurality of guided wave modes includes a transverse electric mode, a transverse magnetic mode or a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves are within a millimeter wave frequency band.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of uninsulated conductors are stranded together by being helically wound.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving second guided electromagnetic waves, wherein the second guided electromagnetic waves are guided by the structure within the cable and propagate within the cable without requiring any electrical return path.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one other of the plurality of interstitial areas that is different from the one of the plurality of interstitial areas is configured to support propagation of second guided electromagnetic waves within the cable without requiring the electrical return path.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves and the second guided electromagnetic waves are generated in accordance with at least one of a plurality of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) techniques.

20. A communication system, comprising:

means for feeding a communication signal to an interior of a stranded cable; and

means for generating, within the interior of the stranded cable, guided electromagnetic waves in response to the communication signal, wherein the guided electromagnetic waves are guided by an interstice between uninsulated strands of the stranded cable and propagate within the stranded cable via a plurality of guided wave modes without requiring any electrical return path.