Communication system having a coupler for guiding electromagnetic waves through interstitial areas formed by a plurality of stranded uninsulated conductors and method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10505252-B2
Application number	US-201715803046-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2017
Priority date	Nov 20, 2014
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

In accordance with one or more embodiments, a communication system, includes a first coupler configured to guide a first communication signal conveying first data to an interior of a cable, wherein the first coupler is further configured to generate first guided electromagnetic waves in response to the first communication signal, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves are guided by a structure within the cable and propagate within the cable without requiring an electrical return path; wherein the cable comprises a plurality of uninsulated conductors that are stranded together, wherein the plurality of uninsulated conductors form a plurality of interstitial areas that are bounded by conductive surfaces of at least three of the plurality of uninsulated conductors, and wherein the structure comprises one of the plurality of interstitial areas.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication system, comprising:
a first coupler configured to guide a first communication signal conveying first data to an interior of a cable, wherein the first coupler is further configured to generate first guided electromagnetic waves in response to the first communication signal, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves are guided by a structure within the cable and propagate within the cable without requiring any electrical return path;
wherein the cable comprises a plurality of uninsulated conductors that are stranded together, wherein the plurality of uninsulated conductors forms a plurality of interstitial areas that is bounded by conductive surfaces of at least three of the plurality of uninsulated conductors, and wherein the structure comprises one of the plurality of interstitial areas.

2. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the cable is a medium voltage transmission line.

3. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first coupler comprises a conductorless dielectric waveguide having an end within the one of the plurality of interstitial areas, wherein the end of the conductorless dielectric waveguide launches the first guided electromagnetic waves in response to the first communication signal.

4. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the one of the plurality of interstitial areas is configured to support the propagation of the first guided electromagnetic waves within the cable via total internal reflection.

5. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves are within a millimeter wave frequency band.

6. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of uninsulated conductors are stranded together by being helically wound around a conductive core.

7. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first coupler is further configured to receive second guided electromagnetic waves and to generate a second communication signal in response thereto, wherein the second guided electromagnetic waves are guided by the structure within the cable and propagate within the cable without requiring any electrical return path.

8. The communication system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second coupler configured to guide a second communication signal conveying second data to the interior of the cable, wherein the second coupler is further configured to generate second guided electromagnetic waves in response to the second communication signal, wherein the second guided electromagnetic waves are guided by another one of the plurality of interstitial areas within the cable and propagate within the another one of the plurality of interstitial areas without requiring any electrical return path.

9. The communication system of claim 8 , wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves and the second guided electromagnetic waves are generated in accordance with at least one of a plurality of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) techniques.

10. A method, comprising:
guiding a first communication signal conveying first data to an interior of a cable; and
generating first guided electromagnetic waves in response to the first communication signal, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves are guided by a structure within the cable and propagate within the cable without requiring any electrical return path;
wherein the cable is an electrical power transmission line that comprises a plurality of uninsulated conductors that are stranded together, wherein the plurality of uninsulated conductors forms a plurality of interstitial areas that is bounded by conductive surfaces of at least three of the plurality of uninsulated conductors, and wherein the structure comprises one of the plurality of interstitial areas.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the cable further utilizes an electrical return path to propagate a power signal of an electrical power utility.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the cable is a medium voltage transmission line.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves are generated via an end of a conductorless dielectric waveguide within the one of the plurality of interstitial areas.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one of the plurality of interstitial areas is configured to support the propagation of the first guided electromagnetic waves within the cable via total internal reflection.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves are within a millimeter wave frequency band.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of uninsulated conductors are stranded together by being helically wound around a conductive core.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving second guided electromagnetic waves, wherein the second guided electromagnetic waves are guided by the structure within the cable and propagate within the cable without requiring any electrical return path.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
guiding a second communication signal conveying second data to the interior of the cable; and
generating second guided electromagnetic waves in response to the second communication signal, wherein the second guided electromagnetic waves are guided by another one of the plurality of interstitial areas within the cable and propagate within the another one of the plurality of interstitial areas without requiring any electrical return path.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves and the second guided electromagnetic waves are generated in accordance with at least one of a plurality of multi-input multi-output (MIMO) techniques.

20. A communication system, comprising:
a conductorless dielectric waveguide configured to guide a communication signal to an interior of a stranded cable; and
means for generating, within the interior of the stranded cable, guided electromagnetic waves in response to the communication signal, wherein the guided electromagnetic waves are guided by an interstice between uninsulated strands of the stranded cable and propagate within the stranded cable without requiring any electrical return path.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Stuckman Bruce E
• Henry Paul Shala
• Vannucci Giovanni
• Willis Iii Thomas M
• Bennett Robert
• Gerszberg Irwin
• Barzegar Farhad
• Barnickel Donald J
• Birk Martin
• Johnson Shikik

Classifications

• H02J13/1313

  using pulsed signals · CPC title

• H01P3/06

  Coaxial lines · CPC title

• H04B3/52

  Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides · CPC title

• H01P5/087 Primary

  Transitions to a dielectric waveguide · CPC title

• H04B2203/5483

  using coupling circuits · CPC title