Patent · US Active

Quasi-optical coupler

US9209902B2 · kind B2 · utility

578Cited by
737References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 10, 2013
Grant dateDec 8, 2015
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 6, 2034

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04B2203/5483
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A quasi-optical coupling system launches and extracts surface wave communication transmissions from a wire. At millimeter-wave frequencies, where the wavelength is small compared to the macroscopic size of the equipment, the millimeter-wave transmissions can be transported from one place to another and diverted via lenses and reflectors, much like visible light. Transmitters and receivers can be positioned near telephone and power lines and reflectors placed on or near the cables can reflect transmissions onto or off of the cables. The lenses on the transmitters are focused, and the reflectors positioned such that the reflected transmissions are guided waves on the surface of the cables. The reflectors can be polarization sensitive, where one or more of a set of guided wave modes can be reflected off the wire based on the polarization of the guided wave modes and polarization and orientation of the reflector.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.