Methods and apparatus to reduce distortion between electromagnetic wave transmissions

• US 10,623,033 B1
• Filed: 11/29/2018
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2018
• 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: Henry, Paul Shala, Vannucci, Giovanni, Willis, III, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Nguyen T
• Application Number:
  US16/204,733
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/10 Means associated with receiver for limiting or suppressing noise or interference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2027/0065 Frequency error detectors H04L2027/0067 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/14 Demodulator circuits; Receiver circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/16 Frequency regulation arrangements

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, a system for receiving first electromagnetic waves that propagate along a physical transmission medium. The first electromagnetic waves can convey first signals in a first frequency range and second signals in a second frequency range, whereby a first spectral location of the first frequency range exceeds a second spectral location of the second frequency range. The system can further perform frequency converting of the first signals in the first frequency range to a first updated frequency range, frequency converting the second signals in the second frequency range to a second updated frequency range and generating second electromagnetic waves that propagate along the physical transmission medium and that convey the first signals in the first updated frequency range and the second signals in the second updated frequency range. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. 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 first span of a physical transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the first electromagnetic waves convey first signals in a first frequency range and second signals in a second frequency range, and wherein a first spectral location of the first frequency range exceeds a second spectral location of the second frequency range;

reducing inter-band signal dispersion in a second span of the physical transmission medium by;

frequency shifting the first signals in the first frequency range to a first updated frequency range;

frequency shifting the second signals in the second frequency range to a second updated frequency range; and

generating second electromagnetic waves that propagate along a second span of the physical transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the second electromagnetic waves convey the first signals in the first updated frequency range and the second signals in the second updated frequency range, and wherein the second updated frequency range exceeds the first updated frequency range.

2. The first waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the second electromagnetic waves are directed to a second waveguide system, wherein the second waveguide system frequency-shifts the first signals in the first updated frequency range to the first frequency range, and wherein the second waveguide system frequency-shifts the second signals in the second updated frequency range to the second frequency range.

3. The first waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the first waveguide system comprises a first waveguide device and a second waveguide device.

4. The first waveguide system of claim 3, wherein the receiving the first electromagnetic waves comprises:

receiving, by the first waveguide device, the first electromagnetic waves; and

providing, by the first waveguide device to the second waveguide device, the first signals and the second signals, or a representation of the first electromagnetic waves conveying the first signals and the second signals.

5. The first waveguide system of claim 4, wherein the first signals and the second signals, or the representation of the first electromagnetic waves conveying the first signals and the second signals are provided to the second waveguide device via a wireless interface or a tethered interface communicatively coupling the first waveguide device to the second waveguide device.

6. The first waveguide system of claim 3, wherein the reducing inter-band signal dispersion comprises:

receiving, by the second waveguide device from the first waveguide device, the first signals and the second signals, or a representation of the first electromagnetic waves conveying the first signals and the second signals;

frequency shifting, by the second waveguide device, the first signals in the first frequency range to the first updated frequency range;

frequency shifting, by the second waveguide device, the second signals in the second frequency range to the second updated frequency range; and

generating, by the second waveguide device, the second electromagnetic waves that propagate along the second span of the physical transmission medium.

7. The first waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the physical transmission medium comprises a power line.

8. The first waveguide system of claim 7, further comprising an inductive power supply that obtains energy from the power line without making direct electrical connection to supply power to components of the first waveguide system.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a first waveguide system, first electromagnetic waves that propagate along a physical transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the first electromagnetic waves convey first signals in a first frequency range and second signals in a second frequency range, and wherein a first spectral location of the first frequency range exceeds a second spectral location of the second frequency range;

reducing signal distortion by;

frequency converting, by the first waveguide system, the first signals in the first frequency range to a first updated frequency range;

frequency converting, by the first waveguide system, the second signals in the second frequency range to a second updated frequency range; and

generating, by the first waveguide system, second electromagnetic waves that propagate along the physical transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the second electromagnetic waves convey the first signals in the first updated frequency range and the second signals in the second updated frequency range.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second electromagnetic waves are directed to a second waveguide system.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second waveguide system frequency-converts the first signals in the first updated frequency range to the first frequency range, and wherein the second waveguide system frequency-converts the second signals in the second updated frequency range to the second frequency range.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first waveguide system comprises a first waveguide device and a second waveguide device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiving the first electromagnetic waves comprises:

receiving, by the first waveguide device, the first electromagnetic waves; and

providing, by the first waveguide device to the second waveguide device, the first signals and the second signals, or a representation of the first electromagnetic waves conveying the first signals and the second signals.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first signals and the second signals, or the representation of the first electromagnetic waves conveying the first signals and the second signals are provided to the second waveguide device via a wireless interface or a tethered interface communicatively coupling the first waveguide device to the second waveguide device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the reducing signal distortion comprises:

receiving, by the second waveguide device from the first waveguide device, the first signals and the second signals, or a representation of the first electromagnetic waves conveying the first signals and the second signals;

frequency converting, by the second waveguide device, the first signals in the first frequency range to the first updated frequency range;

frequency converting, by the second waveguide device, the second signals in the second frequency range to the second updated frequency range; and

generating, by the second waveguide device, the second electromagnetic waves that propagate along the physical transmission medium.

16. 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 physical transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the first electromagnetic waves conveys first signals in a first frequency range and second signals in a second frequency range, and wherein a first spectral location of the first frequency range exceeds a second spectral location of the second frequency range;

frequency converting the first signals in the first frequency range to a first updated frequency range;

frequency converting the second signals in the second frequency range to a second updated frequency range; and

generating second electromagnetic waves that propagate along the physical transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, wherein the second electromagnetic waves convey the first signals in the first updated frequency range and the second signals in the second updated frequency range.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the second electromagnetic waves are directed to a second waveguide system, wherein the second waveguide system frequency-converts the first signals in the first updated frequency range to the first frequency range, and wherein the second waveguide system frequency-converts the second signals in the second updated frequency range to the second frequency range.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first waveguide system comprises a first waveguide device and a second waveguide device.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the receiving the first electromagnetic waves comprises:

receiving, by the first waveguide device, the first electromagnetic waves; and

providing, by the first waveguide device to the second waveguide device, the first signals and the second signals, or a representation of the first electromagnetic waves conveying the first signals and the second signals.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the first signals and the second signals, or the representation of the first electromagnetic waves conveying the first signals and the second signals is provided to the second waveguide device via a wireless interface or a tethered interface communicatively coupling the first waveguide device to the second waveguide device.