Flared dielectric coupling system and methods for use therewith

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11018401-B2
Application number	US-201916433066-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2019
Priority date	Sep 5, 2017
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

In accordance with one or more embodiments, a dielectric coupler includes a neck portion configured to receive a first electromagnetic wave from a hollow waveguide. A flared portion is configured to generate, responsive to the first electromagnetic wave, a second electromagnetic wave along a surface of a transmission medium, wherein the flared portion at least partially surrounds the transmission medium, wherein the second electromagnetic wave propagates along the surface of the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path. A tapered portion is configured to interface the neck portion to the flared portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A coupling system comprising:
a waveguide configured to guide a first electromagnetic wave conveying data from a transmitter; and
a dielectric coupler configured to receive the first electromagnetic wave from the waveguide via a neck portion of the dielectric coupler, and further configured to generate, responsive to the first electromagnetic wave, a second electromagnetic wave along a surface of a transmission medium via a flared portion of the dielectric coupler that at least partially surrounds the transmission medium, wherein the second electromagnetic wave propagates along the surface of the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path.

2. The coupling system of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric coupler is conductorless.

3. The coupling system of claim 1 , wherein the neck portion of the dielectric coupler has a cross-section that mates with a hollow inner portion of the waveguide.

4. The coupling system of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric coupler includes a tapered portion that interfaces the neck portion to the flared portion.

5. The coupling system of claim 1 , wherein the flared portion surrounds greater than 180 degrees of an azimuthal cross-section of the transmission medium.

6. The coupling system of claim 1 , wherein the flared portion is configured to clip onto the transmission medium to secure the dielectric coupler to the transmission medium.

7. The coupling system of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric coupler consists of a single piece of plastic material.

8. The coupling system of claim 1 , wherein the neck portion of the dielectric coupler includes an end configured to receive the first electromagnetic wave within the waveguide.

9. The coupling system of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric coupler is further configured to receive, via the flared portion, a third electromagnetic wave propagating along the surface of the transmission medium and to generate, responsive to the third electromagnetic wave, a fourth electromagnetic wave in the waveguide; and
wherein the waveguide is further configured to guide the fourth electromagnetic wave to a receiver.

10. The coupling system of claim 1 , wherein the transmission medium is a bare wire, and the second electromagnetic wave propagates via a fundamental transverse magnetic mode.

11. A dielectric coupler comprising:
a neck portion configured to receive a first electromagnetic wave from a waveguide;
a flared portion configured to generate, responsive to the first electromagnetic wave, a second electromagnetic wave along a surface of a transmission medium, wherein the flared portion at least partially surrounds the transmission medium, wherein the second electromagnetic wave propagates along the surface of the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path; and
a tapered portion configured to interface the neck portion to the flared portion.

12. The dielectric coupler of claim 11 , wherein the neck portion, the flared portion and the tapered portion are each conductorless.

13. The dielectric coupler of claim 11 , wherein the neck portion has a cross-section that mates with a hollow inner portion of the waveguide.

14. The dielectric coupler of claim 11 , wherein the flared portion is further configured to receive a third electromagnetic wave propagating along the surface of the transmission medium; and
wherein the neck portion is further configured to generate, responsive to the third electromagnetic wave, a fourth electromagnetic wave in the waveguide for transmission to a receiver.

15. The dielectric coupler of claim 11 , wherein the flared portion surrounds greater than 180 degrees of an azimuthal cross-section of the transmission medium.

16. The dielectric coupler of claim 11 , wherein the flared portion is configured to clip onto the transmission medium to secure the dielectric coupler to the transmission medium.

17. The dielectric coupler of claim 11 , wherein the neck portion, the flared portion and the tapered portion are individual portions of a single piece of plastic material.

18. The dielectric coupler of claim 11 , wherein the neck portion includes an end configured to receive the first electromagnetic wave within the waveguide.

19. The dielectric coupler of claim 11 , wherein the transmission medium is a bare wire, and the second electromagnetic wave propagates via a fundamental transverse magnetic mode.

20. A method comprising:
receiving, via a neck portion of a conductorless dielectric coupler, a first electromagnetic wave from a waveguide; and
generating, via a flared portion of the conductorless dielectric coupler and responsive to the first electromagnetic wave, a second electromagnetic wave along a surface of a transmission medium, wherein the flared portion at least partially surrounds the transmission medium, wherein the second electromagnetic wave propagates along the surface of the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Henry Paul Shala
• Vannucci Giovanni
• Willis Iii Thomas M

Classifications

• H04B3/52 Primary

  Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides · CPC title

• H01P5/181

  the guides being hollow waveguides · CPC title

• H01P5/107

  Hollow-waveguide/strip-line transitions · CPC title

• H01P5/1022

  Transitions to dielectric waveguide · CPC title

• H01P3/10 Primary

  Wire waveguides, i.e. with a single solid longitudinal conductor · CPC title