Surface wave transmission device with rf housing and methods for use therewith

Abstract

A transmission device includes a coupler configured to convert a transmit signal to transmitted guided electromagnetic waves that propagate along a surface of a transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, the coupler further configured to convert to a receive signal, received guided electromagnetic waves that propagate along the surface of the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path. A housing is configured to provide environmental protection to the coupler. The housing includes an aperture section configured to pass the transmitted guided electromagnetic waves from the coupler through an aperture side of the housing, the aperture section further configured to pass the received guided electromagnetic waves to the coupler through the aperture side of the housing. The housing also includes a non-aperture section configured to absorb radio frequency (RF) signals in a frequency range of the transmit signal and a frequency range the receive signal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A transmission device comprising:
 a coupler configured to convert to a receive signal, received first guided electromagnetic waves from a remote device that propagate along a surface of a transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path;   a housing comprising:
 an aperture section configured to pass first guided electromagnetic waves including the received first guided electromagnetic waves through an aperture side of the housing; and 
 a non-aperture section configured to absorb radio frequency (RF) signals in a frequency range of the receive signal, wherein the aperture section and the non-aperture section of the housing are integrally constructed; and 
   an isolator configured to suppress reception, by the coupler, of received second guided electromagnetic waves on a non-aperture side of the housing, the isolator including one or more first absorbing elements configured to suppress the received second guided electromagnetic waves, the coupler including one or more conductive isolators configured to reflect the received second guided electromagnetic waves on the non-aperture side of the housing.   
     
     
         2 . The transmission device of  claim 1 , wherein the coupler is configured to receive a transmit signal and to convert the transmit signal to transmitted first guided electromagnetic waves that propagate along a surface of a transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, and wherein the isolator is further configured to suppress transmission, by the coupler, of transmitted second guided electromagnetic waves on a non-aperture side of the housing. 
     
     
         3 . The transmission device of  claim 2 , wherein the isolator includes one or more first conductive isolators configured to reflect the transmitted second guided electromagnetic waves away from the non-aperture side of the housing. 
     
     
         4 . The transmission device of  claim 3 , wherein the one or more first conductive isolators are further configured to reflect the received second guided electromagnetic waves on the non-aperture side of the housing away from the coupler. 
     
     
         5 . The transmission device of  claim 4 , wherein the coupler includes one or more second conductive isolators configured to reflect the transmitted second guided electromagnetic waves away from the non-aperture side of the housing. 
     
     
         6 . The transmission device of  claim 1 , wherein the aperture section comprises an RF-transparent material and the non-aperture section comprises an RF absorbing material. 
     
     
         7 . The transmission device of  claim 6 , wherein the aperture section and the non-aperture section are integrally constructed of a radio-frequency (RF) transparent material and wherein the RF-transparent material of the non-aperture section is layered with an RF absorbing material. 
     
     
         8 . The transmission device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more first absorbing elements include absorbing discs that substantially surround, and are aligned perpendicular to, the transmission medium. 
     
     
         9 . The transmission device of  claim 1 , wherein the coupler comprises a planar launcher and wherein the one or more first absorbing elements comprise planar pads aligned in a plane with the planar launcher. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 converting to a receive signal, via a coupler, received first guided electromagnetic waves from a remote device that propagate along a surface of a transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path, the coupler contained within a housing;   passing, via an aperture section of the housing, the received first guided electromagnetic waves to the coupler through an aperture side of the housing, the aperture side of the housing defining an aperture that is transparent to the received first guided electromagnetic waves;   absorbing, via a non-aperture section of the housing, radio frequency (RF) signals in a frequency range of the receive signal;   suppressing, via one or more first absorbing elements, transmissions, by the coupler, of transmitted second guided electromagnetic waves on a non-aperture side of the housing; and   reflecting, via one or more conductive isolators of the coupler, received second guided transmission waves on the non-aperture side of the housing.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 converting, via a coupler, a transmit signal to transmitted first guided electromagnetic waves that propagate along the surface of the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path; and   passing, via the aperture section of the housing, the transmitted first guided electromagnetic waves from the coupler through the aperture side of the housing.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 absorbing, via a non-aperture section of the housing, radio frequency (RF) signals in a frequency range of the transmit signal; and   suppressing reception, by the coupler, of received second guided transmission waves on the non-aperture side of the housing.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the passing the received first guided electromagnetic waves to the coupler through an aperture side of the housing comprises passing the received first guided electromagnetic wave through an RF-transparent material of the aperture section. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the absorbing RF signals in a frequency range of the receive signal comprises passing the received first guided electromagnetic wave through an RF absorbing material of the non-aperture section. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the absorbing RF signals in a frequency range of the receive signal comprises passing the received first guided electromagnetic wave through an RF absorbing material layered on an RF-transparent material of the housing. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 suppressing, via an isolator, transmissions, by the coupler, of transmitted second guided electromagnetic waves on the non-aperture side of the housing; and   suppressing, via the isolator, reception, by the coupler, of received second guided electromagnetic waves on the non-aperture side of the housing, wherein the isolator comprises one or more absorbing discs that substantially surround, and are aligned perpendicular to, the transmission medium.   
     
     
         17 . A device comprising:
 a coupler operable to detect received guided electromagnetic waves from a remote device that propagate along a surface of a transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path and to convert the received guided electromagnetic waves to a receive signal;   a housing configured to provide environmental protection to the coupler, the housing including:
 an aperture section configured to pass the received guided electromagnetic waves to the coupler through an aperture side of the housing; 
 a non-aperture section configured to absorb radio frequency (RF) signals in a frequency range of the receive signal; and 
   an isolator configured to suppress reception by the coupler of the received second guided electromagnetic waves on a non-aperture side of the housing, the isolator including one or more first absorbing planar pads configured to suppress reception of received second guided electromagnetic waves, the coupler including one or more conductive isolators configured to reflect the received second guided electromagnetic waves on the non-aperture side of the housing.   
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the coupler is further operable to detect a transmit signal and to convert the transmit signal to transmitted guided electromagnetic waves that propagate along the surface of the transmission medium without requiring an electrical return path. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the coupler further includes one or more second absorbing planar pads configured to suppress transmission, by the coupler, of transmitted second guided electromagnetic waves and further configured to suppress reception, by the coupler, of received second guided electromagnetic waves. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein the aperture section and the non-aperture section of the housing are integrally constructed of a radio-frequency transparent material and wherein the non-aperture section is layered with a radio-frequency absorbing material.