Directional coupling device and methods for use therewith
AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
InventorsPaul Shala Henry, Robert Bennett, Irwin Gerszberg, Farhad Barzegar, Donald J Barnickel, Thomas M. Willis, III
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Abstract
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a coupling device including a first antenna that radiates a first RF signal conveying first data; and a second antenna that radiates a second RF signal conveying the first data from the at least one transmitting device. The first RF signal and second RF signal form a combined RF signal that is bound by an outer surface of a transmission medium to propagate as a guided electromagnetic wave substantially in a single longitudinal direction along the transmission medium. Other embodiments are disclosed.
Claims18
A coupling device comprising:
- a first antenna that radiates a first radio frequency (RF) signal conveying data;
- and
- a second antenna that radiates a second RF signal conveying the data;
- wherein the first antenna and the second antenna are configured such that the first RF signal and second RF signal form a combined RF signal that is guided by an outer surface of a transmission medium to propagate as a guided electromagnetic wave in substantially a single longitudinal direction along the transmission medium and wherein the first RF signal and the second RF signal add constructively in the single longitudinal direction and cancel at least in part in a direction opposite to the single longitudinal direction.
A coupling device comprising:
- a first antenna that radiates a first radio frequency (RF) signal conveying data;
- and
- a second antenna that radiates a second RF signal conveying the data;
- wherein the first RF signal and second RF signal form a combined RF signal that is bound by an outer surface of a transmission medium to propagate as a guided electromagnetic wave substantially in a first selected one of a plurality of longitudinal directions along the transmission medium, wherein the first antenna and second antenna are spaced a distance apart and wherein the first RF signal and the second RF signal have a common wavelength and a first phase difference.
A method comprising:
- generating a first radio frequency (RF) signal;
- generating second RF signal;
- and
- radiating, via an antenna array, the first RF signal and the second RF signal as a combined RF signal, wherein the combined RF signal is bound by an outer surface of a transmission medium to propagate as a guided electromagnetic wave substantially in a single longitudinal direction along the transmission medium and wherein the first RF signal and the second RF signal add constructively in the single longitudinal direction and cancel at least in part in a direction opposite to the single longitudinal direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.