Transmission device with mode division multiplexing and methods for use therewith

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017063430-A1
Application number	US-201615350709-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 14, 2016
Priority date	Nov 20, 2014
Publication date	Mar 2, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a transmission device that includes at least one transceiver configured to modulate data to generate a plurality of first electromagnetic waves. A plurality of couplers are configured to couple at least a portion of the plurality of first electromagnetic waves to a transmission medium, wherein the plurality of couplers generate a plurality of mode division multiplexed second electromagnetic waves that propagate along the outer surface of the transmission medium. Other embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An antenna system comprising:
at least one transceiver that facilitates modulation of signals conveying data to generate a plurality of first electromagnetic waves; and a plurality of couplers that facilitates coupling at least a portion of the plurality of first electromagnetic waves to a transmission medium, wherein the plurality of first electromagnetic waves facilitates wireless network connectivity via at least one antenna, wherein the plurality of couplers generates a plurality of second electromagnetic waves that propagates on the transmission medium via differing ones of a plurality of guided wave modes in accordance with a mode division multiplexing of the data.

2 . The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of guided wave modes includes a first non-fundamental mode and a second non-fundamental mode.

3 . The antenna system of claim 2 , wherein the first non-fundamental mode has a first electromagnetic field pattern that includes a first lobe at a first azimuthal orientation to a longitudinal axis of the transmission medium and the second non-fundamental mode has a second electromagnetic field pattern that includes a second lobe at a second azimuthal orientation to the longitudinal axis of the transmission medium, and wherein the first azimuthal orientation differs from the second azimuthal orientation.

4 . The antenna system of claim 2 , wherein the first non-fundamental mode has a first electromagnetic field strength that varies helically along a longitudinal axis of the transmission medium and the second non-fundamental mode has a second electromagnetic field strength that varies helically along the longitudinal axis of the transmission medium.

5 . The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the plurality of first electromagnetic waves propagates within the plurality of couplers and a second portion of the plurality of first electromagnetic waves propagates outside the plurality of couplers.

6 . The antenna system of claim 5 , wherein a first portion of the plurality of second electromagnetic waves propagates within the transmission medium and a second portion of the plurality of second electromagnetic waves propagates outside the transmission medium.

7 . The antenna system of claim 1 , wherein the transmission medium facilitates the wireless network connectivity to a mobile device.

8 . A method, comprising:
modulating signals to convey data, by at least one transceiver, to generate a plurality of first electromagnetic waves; and coupling, by a plurality of couplers, at least a portion of each of the plurality of first electromagnetic waves onto a transmission medium that is coupled to an antenna, wherein the plurality of couplers induces a plurality of second electromagnetic waves that propagates along the transmission medium, wherein the plurality of second electromagnetic waves propagates via differing ones of a plurality of guided wave modes in accordance with a mode division multiplexing of the data.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of guided wave modes includes a first non-fundamental mode and a second non-fundamental mode.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first non-fundamental mode has a first electromagnetic field strength that varies with an azimuthal orientation to a longitudinal axis of the transmission medium and the second non-fundamental mode has a second electromagnetic field strength that varies with the azimuthal orientation to the longitudinal axis of the transmission medium.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first non-fundamental mode has a first electromagnetic field pattern that includes a first lobe at a first azimuthal orientation to a longitudinal axis of the transmission medium and the second non-fundamental mode has a second electromagnetic field pattern that includes a second lobe at a second azimuthal orientation to the longitudinal axis of the transmission medium, and wherein the first azimuthal orientation differs from the second azimuthal orientation.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein a first portion of the first electromagnetic field pattern is within the transmission medium and a second portion of the first electromagnetic field pattern is outside the transmission medium.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first non-fundamental mode has a first electromagnetic field strength that varies helically along a longitudinal axis of the transmission medium and the second non-fundamental mode has a second electromagnetic field strength that varies helically along the longitudinal axis of the transmission medium.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the antenna provides wireless network connectivity.

15 . A transmission device comprising:
transceiver means for modulating signals in accordance with data to generate a plurality of first electromagnetic waves; and coupling means for coupling at least a portion of the plurality of first electromagnetic waves to a transmission medium that facilitates wireless network connectivity via a distributed antenna system, wherein the coupling means generates a plurality of mode division multiplexed second electromagnetic waves that propagates along the transmission medium.

16 . The transmission device of claim 15 , wherein one of the plurality of mode division multiplexed second electromagnetic waves propagates along the transmission medium via a first non-fundamental mode and another of the plurality of mode division multiplexed second electromagnetic waves propagates along the transmission medium via a second non-fundamental mode.

17 . The transmission device of claim 16 , wherein the first non-fundamental mode has a first electromagnetic field strength that varies with an azimuthal orientation to a longitudinal axis of the transmission medium and the second non-fundamental mode has a second electromagnetic field strength that varies with the azimuthal orientation to the longitudinal axis of the transmission medium.

18 . The transmission device of claim 16 , wherein the first non-fundamental mode has a first electromagnetic field pattern that includes a first lobe at a first azimuthal orientation to a longitudinal axis of the transmission medium and the second non-fundamental mode has a second electromagnetic field pattern that includes a second lobe at a second azimuthal orientation to the longitudinal axis of the transmission medium, and wherein the first azimuthal orientation differs from the second azimuthal orientation.

19 . The transmission device of claim 15 , wherein free space wireless signals provide the wireless network connectivity.

20 . The transmission device of claim 15 , wherein the transmission medium comprises a dielectric.

21 . The transmission device of claim 15 , wherein free space wireless signals provide the wireless network connectivity to a mobile device.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Henry Paul Shala
• Bennett Robert
• Gerszberg Irwin
• Barzegar Farhad
• Barnickel Donald J
• Willis Iii Thomas M

Classifications

• H04B3/52 Primary

  Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides · CPC title

• H04B10/40

  Transceivers · CPC title

• H04B1/40

  Circuits · CPC title

• H04B3/54

  Systems for transmission via power distribution lines · CPC title

• H04B10/2581

  Multimode transmission · CPC title