Method and apparatus for providing power to a waveguide system
AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
InventorsFarhad Barzegar, Irwin Gerszberg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, providing, by a power supply of a communication device, energy to a transmitter of the communication device, wherein the power supply directly obtains the energy from a transmission medium via a capacitive divider and a DC converter, and wherein the communication device includes an insulator that electrically insulates the transmission medium from a utility structure supporting the communication device; generating, by the transmitter of the communication device, a signal; and inducing according to the signal, by a coupler of the communication device, an electromagnetic wave that propagates along the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path. Other embodiments are disclosed.
Claims20
A device comprising:
- a housing that supports a transmission medium and that is connectable to a utility structure, the housing comprising an insulator that electrically insulates the transmission medium from the utility structure;
- a coupler supported by the housing, the coupler facilitating inducing an electromagnetic wave that propagates along the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path;
- a transmitter that is supported by the housing and that is connected to the coupler;
- and
- a power circuit that is supported by the housing, the power circuit including a capacitive divider and a Direct Current (DC) converter,
- wherein the power circuit, via the capacitive divider and the DC converter, provides DC power at a step down voltage to the transmitter when the power circuit is directly connected to the transmission medium and is directly connected to a ground or a neutral line,
- wherein the power circuit does not obtain energy inductively from the transmission medium, and
- wherein the transmitter facilitates generating a signal that enables the coupler to induce the electromagnetic wave that propagates along the transmission medium.
A device comprising:
- a housing that supports a power line and that is connectable to a utility structure, the housing comprising an insulator that electrically insulates the power line from the utility structure;
- a coupler supported by the housing, the coupler facilitating inducing or receiving an electromagnetic wave that propagates along the power line without requiring an electrical return path;
- a transceiver that is supported by the housing and that is connected to the coupler;
- and
- a power circuit that is supported by the housing, the power circuit including first and second capacitors and a DC converter, the first and second capacitors having different capacitance values that are in a target ratio,
- wherein the power circuit, via the first and second capacitors and the DC converter, provides DC power at a step down voltage to the transceiver when the power circuit is directly connected to the power line and is directly connected to a ground or a neutral line, and
- wherein the transceiver facilitates generating a signal that enables the coupler to induce the electromagnetic wave that propagates along the power line or facilitates receiving the signal via the coupler from the electromagnetic wave that propagates along the power line.
A method, comprising:
- providing, by a power supply of a communication device, energy to a transmitter of the communication device, wherein the power supply directly obtains the energy from a transmission medium via a capacitive divider and a DC converter, and wherein the communication device includes an insulator that electrically insulates the transmission medium from a utility structure supporting the communication device;
- generating, by the transmitter of the communication device, a signal;
- and
- inducing according to the signal, by a coupler of the communication device, an electromagnetic wave that propagates along the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.