METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING AN ELECTROMAGNETIC WAVE THAT COUPLES ONTO A TRANSMISSION MEDIUM

• US 20190074878A1
• Filed: 09/06/2017
• Published: 03/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2017
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 10,608,312 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/10 Wire waveguides, i.e. with a single solid longitudinal conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/022 Transitions between lines of the same kind and shape, but with different dimensions
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/087 Transitions to a dielectric waveguide
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/422 comprising two or more layers of dielectric material H01Q1/425 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/066 Combined feedback for a number of channels, e.g. over several subcarriers like in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing [OFDM]

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, a system that can be configured for generating an electromagnetic wave and coupling the electromagnetic wave to a transmission medium with a reduced loss of radiation of the electromagnetic wave into free space. The system can also be configured to receive an electromagnetic waves form the transmission medium with a reduced loss of radiation of the electromagnetic wave into free space. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a transmitter that facilitates generation of an electromagnetic wave;

a dielectric material; and

a coupler,

wherein the dielectric material is disposed on a first portion of a surface of a transmission medium,

wherein a tapered region of the dielectric material has a variable dielectric constant,

wherein the coupler is coupled to a portion of the dielectric material,

wherein the coupler facilitates guiding the electromagnetic wave to the tapered region, and

wherein the variable dielectric constant of the tapered region facilitates reducing a radiation of the electromagnetic wave as the electromagnetic wave propagates to a second portion of the surface of the transmission medium.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the coupler is conductive.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the coupler is non-conductive.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium comprises an uninsulated conductor, an insulated conductor, or a dielectric core.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the tapered region has a plurality of cross-sections of the dielectric material, wherein each cross-section has a different dielectric constant, wherein a first cross-section of the plurality of cross-sections has a first diameter and a first dielectric constant that is higher than a second dielectric constant of a second cross-section of the plurality of cross-sections having a second diameter, and wherein the first diameter is larger than the second diameter.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the variable dielectric constant comprises a dielectric constant that decreases as a diameter of the tapered region decreases.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the transmitter facilitates generation of the electromagnetic wave according to a communication signal, and wherein the communication signal operates in a first spectral segment, and wherein the electromagnetic wave operates in a second spectral segment that differs from the first spectral segment.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the communication signal conforms to a signaling protocol, and wherein the electromagnetic wave conveys the communication signal in the second spectral segment without modifying the signaling protocol.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising a receiver coupled to the coupler, wherein the receiver facilitates receiving another electromagnetic wave that propagates from the second portion of the surface of the transmission medium to the coupler via the tapered region.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the receiver further facilitates obtaining a communication signal conveyed by the another electromagnetic wave, wherein the communication signal operates in a first spectral segment, wherein the another electromagnetic wave operates in a second spectral segment that differs from the first spectral segment, and wherein the another electromagnetic wave is generated by another device without modifying a signaling protocol of the communication signal.

11. A method, comprising:

generating, by a system including a transmitter, an electromagnetic wave; and

coupling, by a coupler, the electromagnetic wave to a dielectric material disposed on a first portion of a surface of a transmission medium, wherein the dielectric material includes a tapered region having a variable dielectric constant, wherein the coupler surrounds a portion of the dielectric material that does not include the tapered region, and wherein the variable dielectric constant of the tapered region facilitates reducing a radiation of the electromagnetic wave as the electromagnetic wave propagates to a second portion of the surface of the transmission medium.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the coupler is conductive.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the coupler is non-conductive.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the variable dielectric constant comprises a dielectric constant that decreases as a diameter of the tapered region decreases.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the tapered region has a plurality of cross-sections of the dielectric material, wherein each cross-section has a different dielectric constant, wherein a first cross-section of the plurality of cross-sections has a first diameter and a first dielectric constant that is higher than a second dielectric constant of a second cross-section of the plurality of cross-sections having a second diameter, and wherein the first diameter is larger than the second diameter.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the system includes a receiver coupled to the coupler, and wherein the method further comprises receiving, by the system, another electromagnetic wave that propagates from the second portion of the surface of the transmission medium to the coupler via the tapered region.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising obtaining, by the system, a communication signal conveyed by the another electromagnetic wave, wherein the communication signal operates in a first spectral segment, wherein the another electromagnetic wave operates in a second spectral segment that differs from the first spectral segment, and wherein the another electromagnetic wave is generated by another system without modifying a signaling protocol of the communication signal.

18. A device, comprising:

a receiver;

a dielectric material including a tapered region having a variable dielectric constant; and

a coupler,

wherein the dielectric material is disposed on a first portion of a surface of a transmission medium,

wherein the coupler is coupled to a portion of the dielectric material not including the tapered region,

wherein the coupler facilitates guiding an electromagnetic wave to the tapered region, and

wherein the variable dielectric constant of the tapered region facilitates reducing a radiation of the electromagnetic wave as the electromagnetic wave propagates to a second portion of the surface of the transmission medium.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the transmission medium comprises an uninsulated conductor, an insulated conductor, or a dielectric core.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the variable dielectric constant comprises a dielectric constant that decreases as a diameter of the tapered region decreases.