Method and apparatus for launching a wave mode that mitigates interference

• US 10,804,585 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2019
• Issued: 10/13/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2015
• 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): Outten, Samuel S
• Application Number:
  US16/255,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20190157736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/06 Coaxial lines
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/127 with a circular, elliptic, or parabolic cross-section
• 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: 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 that performs operations including receiving first electromagnetic waves on an outer surface of a transmission medium, detecting a degradation of a signal quality of the first electromagnetic waves due to first electric fields of the first electromagnetic waves inducing first currents in an obstruction disposed on the outer surface of the transmission medium, and generating second electromagnetic waves having second electric fields that induce second currents in the obstruction that are lower in magnitude than the first currents, the electromagnetic waves having a cutoff frequency. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A waveguide system, comprising:

a launcher that facilitates generation of electromagnetic waves; and

a processor coupled to the launcher, wherein the processor facilitates performance of operations, the operations comprising;

determining a type of an obstruction on or near an outer surface of a transmission medium;

obtaining one or more parameters according to the type of the obstruction for configuring the launcher to generate electromagnetic waves having electric fields in which a portion thereof are occupied by the obstruction disposed on the outer surface of the transmission medium, thereby mitigating interference caused by the obstruction, wherein the electromagnetic waves operate at a non-optical frequency; and

launching, by the launcher, the electromagnetic waves according to the one or more parameters to induce propagation of the electromagnetic waves guided by the transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic waves are directed by a waveguide structure to the transmission medium.

2. The waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic waves have a transverse wave mode.

3. The waveguide system of claim 2, wherein the transverse wave mode comprises a transverse electric wave mode, a transverse magnetic wave mode, a transverse electromagnetic wave mode, or any combinations thereof.

4. The waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the portion of the electric fields is approximately perpendicular to the obstruction.

5. The waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the launcher comprises a slotted waveguide.

6. The waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the launcher comprises a plurality of microwave circuits, each having a radiating element.

7. The waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the obtaining comprises obtaining the one or more parameters from a look-up table, the look-up table comprising sets of parameters for each of a plurality of electromagnetic waveforms launchable by the launcher.

8. The waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the obstruction is disposed on the outer surface of the transmission medium at one portion of the transmission medium and not at another different portion of the transmission medium.

9. The waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium does not comprise an optical fiber for guiding the electromagnetic waves.

10. The waveguide system of claim 1, wherein as a frequency of the electromagnetic waves approaches a cutoff frequency, a propagation loss of the electromagnetic waves is reduced, and wherein the cutoff frequency is greater than zero.

11. The waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the transmission medium is insulated.

12. The waveguide system of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed computing environment.

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

determining a type of an obstruction at least near an outer surface of a transmission medium;

obtaining one or more parameters according to the type of the obstruction for configuring a launcher of the waveguide system to generate electromagnetic waves having at least a portion of electric fields aligned to mitigate interference caused by the obstruction disposed on the outer surface of the transmission medium; and

launching, by the launcher of the waveguide system, the electromagnetic waves according to the one or more parameters to induce propagation of the electromagnetic waves guided by the transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic waves are directed by a waveguide structure to the transmission medium.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the electromagnetic waves have a transverse wave mode.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the transverse wave mode comprises a transverse electric wave mode, a transverse magnetic wave mode, or a transverse electromagnetic wave mode.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed computing environment.

17. A method comprising:

determining, by a waveguide system, a type of an obstruction on or at least near an outer surface of a transmission medium;

obtaining, by the waveguide system, one or more parameters according to the type of the obstruction for configuring a launcher to generate electromagnetic waves having electric fields in which a fraction thereof are occupied by an obstruction, thereby mitigating interference caused by the obstruction, wherein the obstruction is disposed on an outer surface of a transmission medium; and

launching, by the launcher of the waveguide system, the electromagnetic waves according to the one or more parameters to induce propagation of the electromagnetic waves guided by the transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic waves are directed by a waveguide structure to the transmission medium.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein a portion of the electric fields is approximately perpendicular to the obstruction.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the obtaining comprises obtaining the one or more parameters from a look-up table, the look-up table comprising sets of parameters for each of a plurality of electromagnetic waveforms launchable by the launcher.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the obstruction is disposed on the outer surface of the transmission medium at one portion of the transmission medium and not at another different portion of the transmission medium.