Apparatus and methods for launching guided waves via plural waveguide systems

• US 10,594,040 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2019
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2016
• 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, Bennett, Robert, Barzegar, Farhad, Gerszberg, Irwin, Barnickel, Donald J., Willis, III, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Magallanes, Ricardo I
• Application Number:
  US16/562,904
• Publication Number:
  US 20190393612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 193 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01C 3/12 lying in one plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/16 for mode selection, e.g. mode suppression or mode promotion; for mode conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/00 Waveguides; Transmission lines of the waveguide type
• 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 3/16 Dielectric waveguides, i.e. without a longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/00 Coupling devices of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/02 with invariable factor of coupling H01P5/12 takes precedence choke joints H01P1/04, H01P1/06
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/08 for linking dissimilar lines or devices H01P1/16, H01P5/04 take precedence; linking lines of the same kind but with different dimensions H01P5/02
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/087 Transitions to a dielectric waveguide
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/50 Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/02 Waveguide horns
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/06 Waveguide mouths horns H01Q13/02
• 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 13/20 Non-resonant leaky-waveguide or transmission-line antennas; Equivalent structures causing radiation along the transmission path of a guided wave
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/12 using mechanical relative movement between primary active elements and secondary devices of antennas or antenna systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/90 Non-optical transmission systems, e.g. transmission systems employing non-photonic corpuscular radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/52 Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/54 Systems for transmission via power distribution lines

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system having a first plurality of transmitters for launching according to a signal, first electromagnetic waves, and a second plurality of transmitters for launching, according to the signal, second electromagnetic waves. The first electromagnetic waves and the second electromagnetic waves combine at an interface of a transmission medium to induce a propagation of a third electromagnetic wave, the third electromagnetic wave having a non-fundamental wave mode and a non-optical operating frequency, and wherein the second plurality of transmitters are spaced apart from the first plurality of transmitters in a direction of propagation of the third electromagnetic wave. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

generating, by a first launcher having a first plurality of circuits, first electromagnetic waves in a wave direction along a longitudinal axis of a transmission medium; and

generating, by a second launcher having a second plurality of circuits, second electromagnetic waves in the wave direction along the longitudinal axis of the transmission medium, wherein the first electromagnetic waves and the second electromagnetic waves combine to induce a third electromagnetic wave in the wave direction along the longitudinal axis of the transmission medium, wherein the third electromagnetic wave propagates along an outer surface of the transmission medium without utilizing an electrical return path, and wherein the third electromagnetic wave has a non-optical operating frequency and a non-fundamental wave mode, a fundamental wave mode, or a combination thereof;

wherein the first launcher comprises a first hollow shell for directing the first electromagnetic waves to the outer surface of the transmission medium, wherein the first hollow shell surrounds the outer surface of the transmission medium, wherein the first plurality of circuits each includes one of a first plurality of antennas, wherein the first plurality of antennas is arranged within the first hollow shell, spaced apart from the transmission medium and arranged concentrically around the outer surface of the transmission medium in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the transmission medium; and

wherein the second launcher comprises a second hollow shell for directing the second electromagnetic waves to the outer surface of the transmission medium, and wherein the second plurality of circuits each includes one of a second plurality of antennas, wherein the second plurality of antennas is arranged within the second hollow shell, spaced apart from the transmission medium and arranged concentrically around the outer surface of the transmission medium in the plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the transmission medium.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting a distance between the first launcher and the second launcher to support the inducing of the propagation of the third electromagnetic wave via the non-fundamental wave mode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a first circuit and a second circuit of the first plurality of circuits are configured to generate the first electromagnetic waves with electric field orientations that are substantially aligned.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a first circuit and a second circuit of the second plurality of circuits are configured to generate the second electromagnetic waves with electric field orientations that are substantially aligned.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of circuits and the second plurality of circuits each comprises a plurality of microwave circuits.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first plurality of circuits and the second plurality of circuits each comprises a transmitter portion for transmitting the first electromagnetic waves and the second electromagnetic waves.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first plurality of circuits and the second plurality of circuits each further comprises a receiver portion for receiving the third electromagnetic wave.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of circuits includes a first plurality of radiating elements that is arranged concentrically about the transmission medium, and wherein the second plurality of circuits includes a second plurality of radiating elements that is arranged concentrically about the transmission medium at an angular offset from the first plurality of radiating elements.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-fundamental wave mode of the third electromagnetic wave has a spatial orientation based on positions of the first plurality of circuits and the second plurality of circuits.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first electromagnetic waves and the second electromagnetic waves are at least partially directed by configuring transmission phases of the first plurality of circuits and the second plurality of circuits.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second hollow shell has a cylindrical cross-section.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first hollow shell has a tapered cross-section.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first hollow shell has a cylindrical cross-section.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium comprises a core, and wherein the third electromagnetic wave is guided by an outer surface of the core.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium comprises an insulated conductor or uninsulated conductor for guiding the third electromagnetic wave.

16. A system, comprising:

a signal interface configured to receive a signal;

a first plurality of transmitters configured to launch, according to the signal, first electromagnetic waves in a wave direction along a longitudinal axis of a transmission medium;

a second plurality of transmitters configured to launch, according to the signal, second electromagnetic waves in the wave direction along the longitudinal axis of the transmission medium;

a first hollow shell for directing the first electromagnetic waves to an outer surface of the transmission medium, wherein the first hollow shell surrounds an outer surface of the transmission medium, wherein the first plurality of transmitters each includes one of a first plurality of antennas, wherein the first plurality of antennas is arranged within the first hollow shell, spaced apart from the transmission medium and arranged concentrically around the outer surface of the transmission medium in a plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the transmission medium; and

a second hollow shell, wherein the second plurality of transmitters each includes one of a second plurality of antennas, wherein the second plurality of antennas is arranged within the second hollow shell, spaced apart from the transmission medium and arranged concentrically around the outer surface of the transmission medium in the plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the transmission medium;

wherein the first electromagnetic waves and the second electromagnetic waves combine at the outer surface of the transmission medium to induce a propagation of a third electromagnetic wave in the wave direction along the longitudinal axis of the outer surface of the transmission medium, the third electromagnetic wave having a non-fundamental wave mode, a fundamental wave mode, or a combination thereof and a non-optical operating frequency, and wherein the second plurality of transmitters is spaced apart from the first plurality of transmitters along the longitudinal axis of the transmission medium.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein a distance in a direction of the propagation of the third electromagnetic wave between first radiating elements of the first plurality of transmitters and second radiating elements of the second plurality of transmitters facilitates the inducing of the propagation of the third electromagnetic wave via the non-fundamental wave mode.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising:

a conductive horn that surrounds the transmission medium and that directs the first electromagnetic waves and the second electromagnetic waves to the outer surface of the transmission medium.

19. A system, comprising:

first transmission means for generating first electromagnetic waves in a wave direction along a longitudinal axis of a transmission medium;

second transmission means for generating second electromagnetic waves in the wave direction along the longitudinal axis of the transmission medium; and

waveguide means for directing the first electromagnetic waves and the second electromagnetic waves to an outer surface of the transmission medium to induce a propagation of a third electromagnetic wave in the wave direction along the longitudinal axis of the outer surface of the transmission medium, the third electromagnetic wave having a non-optical frequency, wherein the first transmission means has a first plurality of radiating elements in a first plane that is perpendicular to the wave direction along the longitudinal axis of the transmission medium, the second transmission means has a second plurality of radiating elements in a second plane that is perpendicular to the wave direction along the longitudinal axis of the transmission medium, and wherein the first plane is parallel to, and a distance apart from, the second plane, and wherein the waveguide means includes;

a first hollow shell for directing the first electromagnetic waves to the outer surface of the transmission medium, wherein the first hollow shell surrounds the outer surface of the transmission medium, wherein the first plurality of radiating elements each includes one of a first plurality of antennas, wherein the first plurality of antennas is arranged within the first hollow shell, spaced apart from the transmission medium and arranged concentrically around the outer surface of the transmission medium in the first plane; and

a second hollow shell, wherein the second plurality of radiating elements each includes one of a second plurality of antennas, wherein the second plurality of antennas is arranged within the second hollow shell, spaced apart from the transmission medium and arranged concentrically around the outer surface of the transmission medium in the second plane.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the distance facilitates the inducing of the propagation of the third electromagnetic wave via a non-fundamental wave mode.