Guided wave communication system with resource allocation and methods for use therewith

• US 10,555,318 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2017
• Issued: 02/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2017
• 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: Willis, III, Thomas M., Vannucci, Giovanni, Henry, Paul Shala
• Primary Examiner(s): Ayotunde, Ayodeji O
• Application Number:
  US15/808,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20190141714A1
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: 455 631, 455 80, 455 81
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/181 the guides being hollow waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/52 Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/04 using two or more spaced independent antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/02 Details ; arrangements for supplying electrical power along data transmission lines systems for transmitting signals via power distribution lines H04B3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/022 of frequency response
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0232 by interpolation between sounding signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0236 using estimation of the other symbols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/26 Systems using multi-frequency codes H04L27/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0023 Time-frequency-space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0032 Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0044 allocation of payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0048 Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0094 Indication of how sub-channels of the path are allocated
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/14 Two-way operation using the same type of signal, i.e. duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0446 Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/541 using the level of interference

Abstract

In accordance with one or more embodiments, a transmission device includes a receiver configured to receive an interfering signal via an antenna. A controller is configured to generate interference data based on the interfering signal. A communications interface is configured to send the interference data to a network element of a network and further configured to receive an allocation of a plurality of guided electromagnetic wave resource blocks. A transmitter is configured to generate electromagnetic signals conveying data, in accordance with the allocation of the plurality of guided electromagnetic wave resource blocks. A coupler configured to generate guided electromagnetic waves in response to the electromagnetic signals, wherein the guided electromagnetic waves propagate, without requiring an electrical return path, along a surface of a transmission medium of a distributed antenna system.

Claims

1. A transmission device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive an interfering signal via an antenna;

a controller configured to generate interference data based on the interfering signal;

a communications interface configured to send the interference data to a network element of a network and further configured to receive an allocation of a plurality of guided electromagnetic wave resource blocks, wherein the plurality of guided electromagnetic wave resource blocks includes a plurality of frequency channels and wherein the allocation of the plurality of guided electromagnetic wave resource blocks mitigates interference to the transmission device by excluding at least one of the plurality of frequency channels corresponding to a frequency of the interfering signal and further mitigates interference by the transmission device by excluding another of the plurality of frequency channels that is determined, based on the frequency of the interfering signal and via a database of standard upstream and downstream frequency pairings;

a transmitter configured to generate electromagnetic signals conveying data, in accordance with the allocation of the plurality of guided electromagnetic wave resource blocks; and

a coupler configured to generate guided electromagnetic waves in response to the electromagnetic signals, wherein the guided electromagnetic waves propagate, without requiring an electrical return path, along a surface of a transmission medium of a distributed antenna system.

2. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein the interfering signal corresponds to a transmission by a mobile device to a base station of the network.

3. The transmission device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of frequency channels are formatted in accordance with the distributed antenna system.

4. The transmission device of claim 3, wherein the another of the plurality of frequency channels corresponds to a frequency of transmission by the base station to the mobile device.

5. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of guided electromagnetic wave resource blocks includes a plurality of time slots of the distributed antenna system.

6. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein the interfering signal corresponds to a transmission by a first mobile device to a first base station of the network and wherein the distributed antenna system is coupled to a second base station of the network.

7. The transmission device of claim 6, wherein the receiver and the antenna are further configured to facilitate communications between a second mobile device and the second base station via the distributed antenna system.

8. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein the guided electromagnetic waves are directed to another transmission device of the distributed antenna system, and wherein the another transmission device is configured to receive at least a portion of the guided electromagnetic waves via the transmission medium.

9. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium is a bare or insulated wire.

10. The transmission device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of guided electromagnetic wave resource blocks corresponds to a microwave frequency band and wherein the interfering signal has a frequency in a fourth generation wireless frequency band.

11. A method comprising:

wirelessly receiving an interfering signal via an antenna of a transmission device;

generating interference data, via the transmission device, based on the interfering signal;

sending, via the transmission device, the interference data to a network element of a network;

receiving, via the transmission device, an allocation of a plurality of guided electromagnetic wave resource blocks, wherein the plurality of guided electromagnetic wave resource blocks includes a plurality of frequency channels and wherein the allocation of the plurality of guided electromagnetic wave resource blocks mitigates interference to the transmission device by excluding at least one of the plurality of frequency channels corresponding to a frequency of the interfering signal and further mitigates interference by the transmission device by excluding another of the plurality of frequency channels that is determined, based on the frequency of the interfering signal and via a database of standard upstream and downstream frequency pairings;

generating, via the transmission device, electromagnetic signals conveying data, in accordance with the allocation of the plurality of guided electromagnetic wave resource blocks; and

generating, via the transmission device, guided electromagnetic waves in response to the electromagnetic signals, wherein the guided electromagnetic waves propagate along a surface of a transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the interfering signal corresponds to a transmission by a mobile device to a base station.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of frequency channels are formatted in accordance with a distributed antenna system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the another of the plurality of frequency channels corresponds to a frequency of transmission by the base station to the mobile device.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of guided electromagnetic wave resource blocks includes a plurality of time slots.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving communication signals conveying the data from a first base station of the network;

wherein the generating the electromagnetic signals is responsive to the communication signals; and

wherein the interfering signal corresponds to a transmission by a first mobile device to a second base station of the network.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

facilitating communications between a second mobile device and the first base station via the antenna.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the guided electromagnetic waves are directed to a transmission device of a distributed antenna system, and wherein the transmission device is configured to receive at least a portion of the guided electromagnetic waves via the transmission medium.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the transmission medium is a bare or insulated wire.

20. A transmission device comprising:

means for wirelessly receiving an interfering signal via an antenna;

means for generating interference data based on the interfering signal;

means for sending the interference data to a network element of a network;

means for receiving an allocation of a plurality of guided electromagnetic wave resource blocks, wherein the plurality of guided electromagnetic wave resource blocks includes a plurality of frequency channels and wherein the allocation of the plurality of guided electromagnetic wave resource blocks mitigates interference to the transmission device by excluding at least one of the plurality of frequency channels corresponding to a frequency of the interfering signal and further mitigates interference by the transmission device by excluding another of the plurality of frequency channels that is determined, based on the frequency of the interfering signal and via a database of standard upstream and downstream frequency pairings;

means for generating electromagnetic signals conveying data, in accordance with the subset of the plurality of guided electromagnetic wave resource blocks; and

means for generating guided electromagnetic waves in response to the electromagnetic signals, wherein the guided electromagnetic waves propagate along a surface of a transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path.