Modulation and demodulation of signals conveyed by electromagnetic waves and methods thereof

• US 10,616,056 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2018
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2018
• 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: Barzegar, Farhad, Vannucci, Giovanni, Henry, Paul Shala, Willis, III, Thomas M., Gerszberg, Irwin, Bennett, Robert, Barnickel, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Liu, Shuwang
• Assistant Examiner(s): McKie, Gina M
• Application Number:
  US15/937,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20190296948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/40 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/36 Repeater circuits H04B3/58 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/52 Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides
• 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 27/0002 analog front ends; means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line duplex arrangements H04L5/143
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/12 Modulator circuits; Transmitter circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/40 using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/22 using selective relaying for reaching a BTS [Base Transceiver Station] or an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, a system for receiving first electromagnetic waves that propagate along a transmission medium, where the first electromagnetic waves convey first data, generating first signals by frequency-shifting the first electromagnetic waves without demodulating the first electromagnetic waves, and providing the first signals to one or more modems that facilitate demodulation of the first signals to second signals, and distribution of a first portion of data conveyed by the second signals to an access point, a second portion of the data to a second waveguide system, or combinations thereof. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a first waveguide system, first electromagnetic waves that propagate along a transmission medium, wherein the transmission medium comprises an external surface, wherein the first electromagnetic waves propagate along the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein the first electromagnetic waves convey data;

generating, by the first waveguide system, first signals obtained from the first electromagnetic waves without demodulation, wherein the first signals are first digital signals obtained by an analog-to-digital conversion, wherein the first signals are baseband signals obtained by frequency conversion, and wherein the first signals include routing information; and

providing, by the first waveguide system, the first signals to a first modem that facilitates demodulating the first signals to generate second signals and third signals, wherein the second signals include a first portion of the data and the third signals include a second portion of the data, wherein the second signals are supplied to an access point according to the routing information, and wherein the third signals are supplied to a second waveguide system according to the routing information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second signals conform to an Ethernet protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second signals are baseband signals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first signals are provided to the first modem via a tethered interface.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the tethered interface comprises an optical fiber.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first signals are provided to the first modem via a wireless interface.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the access point facilitates generating, according to the second signals, a first wireless signal directed to a communication device within a communication range of the access point.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the access point facilitates generating, according to a second wireless signal generated by the communication device, fourth signals supplied to the first modem or a second modem, wherein the first modem facilitates modulating the fourth signals to generate fifth signals supplied to the first waveguide system to facilitate generating second electromagnetic waves according to the fifth signals, and wherein the second modem facilitates modulating the fourth signals to generate sixth signals supplied to the second waveguide system to facilitate generating third electromagnetic waves according to the sixth signals.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal conform to a 4G, 5G, or next generation signaling protocol.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first modem is coupled to a switch that enables routing of channels conveyed by the second signals to the access point.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the access point comprises a base station.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first waveguide system is coupled to a first span of the transmission medium, and wherein the second waveguide system is coupled to a second span of the transmission medium.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first electromagnetic waves propagate along the first span, wherein second electromagnetic waves propagate along the second span, and wherein the first electromagnetic waves propagating along the first span are substantially isolated from the second electromagnetic waves propagating along the second span.

14. A first waveguide system, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising;

receiving first electromagnetic waves that propagate along a transmission medium, wherein the transmission medium comprises an external surface, wherein the first electromagnetic waves propagate along the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein the first electromagnetic waves convey data;

generating first signals obtained from the first electromagnetic waves without demodulation, wherein the first signals are first digital signals obtained by an analog-to-digital conversion, wherein the first signals are baseband signals obtained by frequency conversion, and wherein the first signals include routing information; and

providing the first signals to one or more modems that facilitate distribution of a first portion of the data conveyed by the first signals to an access point according to the routing information and a second portion of the data to a second waveguide system according to the routing information.

15. The first waveguide system of claim 14, wherein the one or more modems facilitate the distribution by demodulating the first signals to generate second signals conveying the first portion of the data and third signals conveying the second portion of the data.

16. The first waveguide system of claim 14, wherein the access point facilitates generating, according to the first portion of the data, a first wireless signal directed to a communication device within a communication range of the access point.

17. The first waveguide system of claim 14, wherein the second waveguide system facilitates generating, according to the second portion of the data, second electromagnetic waves that propagate along the transmission medium.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system of a first waveguide system that includes a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:

receiving first electromagnetic waves that propagate along a transmission medium, wherein the transmission medium comprises an external surface, wherein the first electromagnetic waves propagate along the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein the first electromagnetic waves convey data;

generating first signals obtained from the first electromagnetic waves without demodulation, wherein the first signals are first digital signals obtained by an analog-to-digital conversion, wherein the first signals are baseband signals obtained by frequency conversion, and wherein the first signals include routing information; and

providing the first signals to one or more modems that facilitate demodulation of the first signals to second signals and third signals, and distribution of a first portion of the data conveyed by the second signals to an access point according to the routing information and a second portion of the data conveyed by the third signals to a second waveguide system according to the routing information.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the access point facilitates generating, according to the first portion of the data, a wireless signal directed to a communication device within a communication range of the access point, and wherein the second waveguide system facilitates generating, according to the second portion of the data, second electromagnetic waves that propagate along the transmission medium.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, by the processing system, the second electromagnetic waves.