US 10,555,249 B2Granted

Access point and methods for communicating resource blocks with guided electromagnetic waves

AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.

InventorsFarhad Barzegar, Irwin Gerszberg, Giovanni Vannucci, Peter Wolniansky, Paul Shala Henry

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Abstract

In accordance with one or more embodiments, an access point includes a first communication interface that receives, first guided electromagnetic waves from a first waveguide system wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves convey a first plurality of resource blocks containing first data. A data switch selects first selected portions of the first data corresponding to a first subset of the first plurality of resource blocks for transmission to at least one communication device in proximity to the access point and select second selected portions of the first data corresponding to a second subset of the first plurality of resource blocks by omitting the first subset from the first plurality of resource blocks. A second communication interface generates second guided electromagnetic waves conveying the second selected portions of the first data to facilitate reuse of the first subset of the first plurality of resource blocks by a second waveguide system.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An access point comprising:

a first communication interface that includes:
a first coupler configured to receive, via a first transmission medium, first guided electromagnetic waves from a first waveguide system of a distributed antenna system, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the first transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path;
and
a first receiver configured to receive a first plurality of resource blocks containing first data from the first guided electromagnetic waves;
a data switch configured to:
select first selected portions of the first data corresponding to a first subset of the first plurality of resource blocks for transmission to at least one communication device in proximity to the access point;
and
select second selected portions of the first data corresponding to a second subset of the first plurality of resource blocks by omitting the first subset from the first plurality of resource blocks;
and
a second communication interface that includes:
a second coupler configured to transmit, via a second transmission medium and in response to electromagnetic signals, second guided electromagnetic waves to a second waveguide system of the distributed antenna system, wherein the second guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the second transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path, wherein the second coupler is further configured to receive, via the second transmission medium, third guided electromagnetic waves from the second waveguide system of the distributed antenna system, wherein the third guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the second transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path;
a first transmitter configured to generate the electromagnetic signals in response to the second selected portions of the first data to facilitate reuse of the first subset of the first plurality of resource blocks by the second waveguide system;
and
a second receiver configured to receive a second plurality of resource blocks containing second data from the third guided electromagnetic waves;
wherein the data switch is further configured to receive third data from the at least one communication device in proximity to the access point;
wherein the first coupler is further configured to transmit, via the first transmission medium and in response to additional electromagnetic signals, fourth guided electromagnetic waves to the first waveguide system of the distributed antenna system, wherein the fourth guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the first transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path;
and
wherein the first communication interface further includes a second transmitter configured to generate the additional electromagnetic signals to convey the second data and the third data by inserting the third data in at least one unused resource block of the second plurality of resource blocks.

15 more elements

A method comprising:

receiving, via a first transmission medium, first guided electromagnetic waves from a first waveguide system of a distributed antenna system, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the first transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path and wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves contain a first plurality of resource blocks conveying first data;
selecting first selected portions of the first data corresponding to a first subset of the first plurality of resource blocks for transmission to at least one communication device in proximity to an access point;
selecting second selected portions of the first data corresponding to a second subset of the first plurality of resource blocks by omitting the first subset from the first plurality of resource blocks;
generating electromagnetic signals in response to the second selected portions of the first data to facilitate reuse of the first subset of the first plurality of resource blocks by a second waveguide system;
transmitting, via a second transmission medium and in response to the electromagnetic signals, second guided electromagnetic waves to the second waveguide system of the distributed antenna system, wherein the second guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the second transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path;
receiving, via the second transmission medium, third guided electromagnetic waves from the second waveguide system of the distributed antenna system, wherein the third guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the second transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path, wherein the third guided electromagnetic waves contain a second plurality of resource blocks conveying second data;
receiving third data from the at least one communication device in proximity to the access point;
generating additional electromagnetic signals to convey the second data and the third data by inserting the third data in at least one unused resource block of the second plurality of resource blocks;
and
transmitting, via the first transmission medium and in response to the additional electromagnetic signals, fourth guided electromagnetic waves to the first waveguide system of the distributed antenna system, wherein the fourth guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the first transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path.

7 more elements

An access point comprising:

means for receiving, via a first transmission medium, first guided electromagnetic waves from a first waveguide system of a distributed antenna system, wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the first transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path and wherein the first guided electromagnetic waves contain a first plurality of resource blocks conveying data;
means for selecting first selected portions of the data corresponding to a first subset of the first plurality of resource blocks for transmission to at least one communication device in proximity to the access point;
means for selecting second selected portions of the data corresponding to a second subset of the first plurality of resource blocks by omitting the first subset from the first plurality of resource blocks;
means for generating electromagnetic signals in response to the second selected portions of the data to facilitate reuse of the first subset of the first plurality of resource blocks by a second waveguide system;
means for transmitting, via a second transmission medium and in response to the electromagnetic signals, second guided electromagnetic waves to the second waveguide system of the distributed antenna system, wherein the second guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the second transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path;
means for receiving, via the second transmission medium, third guided electromagnetic waves from the second waveguide system of the distributed antenna system, wherein the third guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the second transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path, wherein the third guided electromagnetic waves contain a second plurality of resource blocks conveying second data;
means for receiving third data from the at least one communication device in proximity to the access point;
means for generating additional electromagnetic signals to convey the second data and the third data by inserting the third data in at least one unused resource block of the second plurality of resource blocks;
and
means for transmitting, via the first transmission medium and in response to the additional electromagnetic signals, fourth guided electromagnetic waves to the first waveguide system of the distributed antenna system, wherein the fourth guided electromagnetic waves propagate along the first transmission medium without requiring the electrical return path.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/813,704Filed 15 Nov 2017
Published: US 2019/0150072 A116 May 2019
Granted: 4 Feb 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

H04W 48/16
Access restriction ; Network selection; Access point selection: discovering, processing access restriction or access information
H02P 29/40
Arrangements for regulating or controlling electric motors, appropriate for both AC and DC motors: regulating or controlling the amount of current…
H04B 3/52
Line transmission systems: systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides
H04W 24/02
Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements: arrangements for optimising operational condition