Plurality of cables having different cross-sectional shapes which are bundled together to form a transmission medium
AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
InventorsPaul Shala Henry, William Scott Taylor, Robert Bennett, Farhad Barzegar, Irwin Gerszberg, Donald J. Barnickel, Thomas M. Willis, III
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a transmission medium for propagating electromagnetic waves. The transmission medium can include a plurality of cores for selectively guiding an electromagnetic wave of a plurality of electromagnetic waves longitudinally along each core, and a shell surrounding at least a portion of each core for reducing exposure of the electromagnetic wave of each core. Other embodiments are disclosed.
Claims25
A transmission medium, comprising:
- a plurality of cables bundled together in the transmission medium, each cable comprising a core, wherein a structure of each core in the plurality of cables varies in shape to reduce cross-talk between the plurality of cables;
- and
- a dielectric layer surrounding at least a portion of each core of the plurality of cables, wherein each core is configured to enable an electromagnetic wave having a non-optical frequency range to be bound to the core rather than the dielectric layer without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein the dielectric layer reduces exposure of the electromagnetic wave to an adverse environment, wherein the core of each cable comprises a conductor having an insulation layer disposed between the conductor and the dielectric layer, wherein the insulation layer has a first dielectric constant, wherein the dielectric layer has a second dielectric constant, and wherein the first dielectric constant exceeds the second dielectric constant.
A multi-guide cable, comprising:
- a plurality of cores, each core having no electrical return path;
- and
- a respective cladding surrounding at least a portion of each core, wherein each core is configured to enable respective ones of a plurality of electromagnetic waves having a non-optical frequency range to be bound to each respective core, wherein each core is configured to have a reduced propagation loss for electromagnetic waves having the non-optical frequency range, wherein the plurality of cores have respective core structures that vary in shape to reduce cross-talk between the plurality of cores, and wherein a respective cladding reduces exposure of the respective ones of the plurality of electromagnetic waves.
A method, comprising:
- receiving, by a transmission medium, a plurality of signals supplied by a plurality of launchers, wherein each signal of the plurality of signals conveys different data, and wherein the transmission medium comprises a plurality of cores without requiring an electrical return path, each core surrounded at least in part by a respective cladding;
- selectively coupling, by the transmission medium, to each signal of the plurality of signals to generate guided electromagnetic waves at each of the plurality of cores, wherein the respective cladding of a corresponding core reduces exposure of the guided electromagnetic waves of the corresponding core, and wherein the guided electromagnetic waves have a non-optical frequency range;
- and
- polarizing, by selective cores of the transmission medium, the guided electromagnetic waves to reduce cross-talk between the plurality of cores.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.