Guided Wave Utilities Management via Couplers and Transceivers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wireless infrastructure faces challenges in providing sufficient bandwidth to meet increasing data demands, particularly in areas served by macrocells, and existing technologies struggle to efficiently manage broadband access networks for reliable communication and utility management.
Innovation Solution
A guided wave communication system that utilizes electromagnetic waves bound to transmission media such as wires or dielectric materials, allowing for efficient data transmission without the need for an electrical circuit, using couplers and transceivers to launch and extract guided waves at millimeter-wave frequencies, and repeaters to enhance communication over long distances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If traditional wireless infrastructure (macrocells) is used to provide broadband access, then coverage area is large, but bandwidth capability is insufficient to meet increasing data demands
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the wireless coverage area by deploying small cell base stations (microcells and picocells) that provide coverage for much smaller areas than traditional macrocells. This segmentation allows the network to achieve high bandwidth capability in specific high-demand areas while maintaining broad coverage through the distributed architecture of multiple small cells working together.
2Productivity
If small cell deployment is pursued to provide additional mobile bandwidth, then bandwidth capability increases, but infrastructure complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs small cell base stations that can function as both wireless communication nodes and guided wave communication nodes. This multi-functionality allows the same infrastructure to provide both traditional wireless service and high-bandwidth guided wave communication, reducing overall infrastructure complexity while maintaining high bandwidth capability.
3Reliability
If guided wave communication is used for utilities management, then data transmission reliability improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses existing utility infrastructure (power lines, communication cables) as intermediaries for guided wave communication. By leveraging these already-deployed structures, the system achieves reliable data transmission for utilities management without requiring entirely new infrastructure, thus limiting the increase in system complexity.
4Ease of manufacture
If existing wireless infrastructure is used, then deployment is straightforward, but it struggles to efficiently manage broadband access networks for reliable communication
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional wireless electromagnetic wave transmission with guided wave communication that uses physical transmission media (power lines, cables). This substitution provides more reliable and controlled data transmission for utilities management while leveraging existing infrastructure, thus maintaining deployment ease while improving communication reliability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables reliable and efficient data transmission with reduced propagation loss, allowing for the management of utilities and communication networks, particularly in areas with high data demand, by leveraging guided electromagnetic waves that propagate along transmission media without requiring an electrical return path.
Implementation Method 1
A guided wave communication system that utilizes electromagnetic waves bound to transmission media such as wires or dielectric materials
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a utilities management system operable to receive via a guided wave transceiver a plurality of utility status signals from a plurality of utility sensors located at a plurality of supervised sites. Utility control data is generated based on the plurality of utility status signals. At least one control signal is generated for transmission via the guided wave transceiver to at least one of the plurality of supervised sites, and the at least one control signal includes at least one utility deployment instruction based on the utility control data. Other embodiments are disclosed.