Apparatus and methods for transmitting or receiving electromagnetic waves

• US 10,631,176 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2019
• Issued: 04/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2018
• 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, Gerszberg, Irwin, Willis, III, Thomas M., Vannucci, Giovanni, Bennett, Robert, Barnickel, Donald J., Barzegar, Farhad
• Primary Examiner(s): Ajayi, Joel
• Application Number:
  US16/516,627
• Publication Number:
  US 20200084641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 277 Days
• Field of Search: 4555621
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 19/18 having two or more spaced reflecting surfaces H01Q19/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0469 taking special antenna structures, e.g. cross polarized antennas into account
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/20 for indoor coverage or short range network deployment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 using beam steering

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, a system for generating electromagnetic signals that resonate in a cavity having a plurality of reflectors resulting in resonating electromagnetic signals and combining the resonating electromagnetic signals to form an electromagnetic wave that traverses a reflector and couples onto a physical transmission medium. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a first reflector;

a second reflector;

a third reflector;

one or more transmitters coupled to the third reflector;

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;

configuring the one or more transmitters to generate one or more electromagnetic signals that convey data; and

generating, by the one or more transmitters, the one or more electromagnetic signals, wherein at least a portion of the one or more electromagnetic signals resonate in a cavity between the first reflector, the second reflector, and the third reflector resulting in resonating electromagnetic signals, wherein the first reflector is at least partially translucent, wherein the second reflector and the third reflector are in whole or in part non-translucent, wherein the resonating electromagnetic signals combine to form one or more electromagnetic waves that convey the data, wherein the one or more electromagnetic waves traverse at least in part the first reflector, and wherein the one or more electromagnetic waves propagate along a physical transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first reflector is adapted to reflect a first component of the resonating electromagnetic signals and enable a second component of the resonating electromagnetic signals to traverse the first reflector, wherein the second component of the resonating electromagnetic signals comprises the one or more electromagnetic waves.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the first reflector is polarized to facilitate reflecting the first component of the resonating electromagnetic signals from the first reflector and to enable the second component of the resonating electromagnetic signals to propagate through the first reflector.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more electromagnetic waves has an electromagnetic field configuration that reduces leakage of the one or more electromagnetic waves as the one or more electromagnetic waves propagate along the physical transmission medium.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the one or more electromagnetic waves has a depth of focus that reduces the leakage of the one or more electromagnetic waves.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein a structure of an aperture of the first reflector configures the depth of focus of the one or more electromagnetic waves.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the depth of focus of the one or more electromagnetic waves is configurable according to a configurable distance of the cavity, a configurable phase of each of the one or more electromagnetic signals, a configurable amplitude of each of the one or more electromagnetic signals, a configurable radial distance between the one or more transmitters, or any combinations thereof.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more electromagnetic waves approximates a Bessel-shaped waveform.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the second reflector comprises one or more first portions that in whole or in part absorb the resonating electromagnetic signals, and one or more second portions that in whole or in part reflect the resonating electromagnetic signals.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the one or more first portions of the second reflector and the one or more second portions of the second reflector collectively configure the resonating electromagnetic signals to have a first electromagnetic field configuration with a first intensity and a second electromagnetic field configuration with a second intensity, wherein the first intensity of the first electromagnetic field configuration is greater than the second intensity of the second electromagnetic field configuration.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the second electromagnetic field configuration is in closer proximity to an outer surface of the physical transmission medium than the first electromagnetic field configuration.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more electromagnetic waves have an electromagnetic field configuration that increases in intensity radially away from an outer surface of the physical transmission medium.

13. A device, comprising:

a housing assembly;

a first reflector contained within the housing assembly;

a second reflector contained within the housing assembly;

a third reflector contained with the housing assembly;

one or more receivers coupled to the second reflector;

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;

configuring the one or more receivers to process resonating electromagnetic signals within a cavity formed by the housing assembly of the device; and

generating, by the one or more receivers, from the resonating electromagnetic signals, a signal that conveys data, wherein the resonating electromagnetic signals are formed by one or more electromagnetic signals resonating in the cavity within the housing assembly between the first reflector, the second reflector and the third reflector, wherein the one or more electromagnetic signals are generated by one or more electromagnetic waves that traverse an aperture of the first reflector, wherein the one or more electromagnetic waves propagate along a physical transmission medium towards the aperture of the first reflector without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein the one or more electromagnetic waves convey the data.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the first reflector is adapted to enable the one or more electromagnetic waves to traverse in whole or in part the first reflector to generate the one or more electromagnetic signals that thereby form the resonating electromagnetic signals.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the first reflector is polarized.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the one or more electromagnetic waves has an electromagnetic field configuration that reduces leakage of the one or more electromagnetic waves as the one or more electromagnetic waves propagate along the physical transmission medium.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein the one or more electromagnetic waves have an electromagnetic field configuration that increases in intensity radially away from an outer surface of the physical transmission medium.

18. A method, comprising:

generating by a plurality of transmitters, one or more electromagnetic signals;

generating, according to the one or more electromagnetic signals, resonating electromagnetic signals, wherein at least a portion of the one or more electromagnetic signals resonate in a cavity between a first reflector, a second reflector, and a third reflector, wherein the first reflector is at least partially translucent, wherein the second reflector and the third reflector are in whole or in part non-translucent; and

combining the resonating electromagnetic signals to form one or more electromagnetic waves that convey data, wherein the one or more electromagnetic waves traverse the first reflector and couple onto a physical transmission medium, and wherein the one or more electromagnetic waves propagate along the physical transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising configuring a depth of focus of the one or more electromagnetic waves to reduce leakage of the one or more electromagnetic waves.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising configuring the depth of focus of the one or more electromagnetic waves according to a configurable distance of the cavity, a configurable phase of each of the one or more electromagnetic signals, a configurable amplitude of each of the one or more electromagnetic signals, a configurable radial distance between the plurality of transmitters, or any combinations thereof.