|AA TAI LAUS009838078B2 UN MINUM MEITEN (12 ) United States Patent ( 10 ) Patent No. : US 9 , 838 ,078 B2 Bennett et al. (45 ) Date of Patent: * Dec. 5 , 2017 ( 54 ) METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR (58 ) Field of Classification Search EXCHANGING COMMUNICATION SIGNALS CPC .. .. H04L 25/ 0266 ; H04L 25 /0272 ; H04L 25 /0292 ; H04B 1 /38 ; H04B 3 /54 ; (71 ) Applicant : AT & T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I , L . P . , Atlanta, GA (US ) (Continued ) ( 72 ) Inventors : Robert Bennett , Southold , NY (US ) ; (56 ) References Cited Paul Shala Henry , Holmdel , NJ (US ) ; Farhad Barzegar, Branchburg, NJ U . S . PATENT DOCUMENTS (US ) ; Irwin Gerszberg , Kendall Park , 395 ,814 A 1/ 1889 Henry et al. NJ (US ) ; Donald J Barnickel, 529 ,290 A 11/ 1894 Harry et al. Flemington , NJ (US ) ; Thomas M . ( Continued ) Willis , III , Tinton Falls , NJ (US ) FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS ( 73 ) Assignee : AT & T Intellectual Property I , L . P . , AU 565039 B2 9 / 1987 Atlanta , GA (US ) AU 582630 B2 4 / 1989 ( * ) Notice : Subject to any disclaimer , the term of this ( Continued ) patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U . S . C . 154 ( b ) by 0 days . OTHER PUBLICATIONS This patent is subject to a terminal dis International Search Report and Written Opinion in PCT /US2016 / claimer . 028417 , dated Jul . 5 , 2016 , 13 pages , Authorized officer Brigitte Bettiol . ( 21 ) Appl . No . : 15 / 250 , 345 (Continued ) (22 ) Filed : Aug . 29 , 2016 Primary Examiner — Khanh C Tran ( 74 ) Attorney , Agent, or Firm — Guntin & Gust, PLC ; (65 ) Prior Publication Data Douglas Schnabel US 2017 / 0033835 A1 Feb . 2 , 2017 ( 57 ) ABSTRACT Related U . S . Application Data Aspects of the subject disclosure may include , for example , (63 ) Continuation of application No. 14 /815 ,019 , filed on receiving , by each of a plurality of receivers , one of a Jul. 31 , 2015 , now Pat. No . 9 , 461, 706 . plurality of electromagnetic waves , each electromagnetic wave of the plurality of electromagnetic waves guided by a (51 ) Int . Ci. different one of a plurality of twin -lead transmission lines , H04B 3 / 00 ( 2006 . 01 ) each twin -lead transmission line sharing a wire , and each H04B 3 /54 ( 2006 .01 ) electromagnetic wave of the plurality of electromagnetic (Continued ) waves including a different one of a plurality of communi ( 52 ) U . S . Cl. cation signals , and obtaining, by each of the plurality of CPC .. H04B 3 /54 ( 2013 . 01 ) ; H04B 3 / 50 receivers , one of the plurality of communication signals . ( 2013 .01 ) ; H04B 3 /52 (2013 .01 ) ; H04B Other embodiments are disclosed . 2203/ 5466 (2013 . 01 ) ; H04B 2203/ 5483 (2013 . 01 ) 20 Claims, 24 Drawing Sheets Communistians Communications signal( * ) 110 signals ) 112 Guided waves 120 ee Transakssion Tr38x33 issian Trusmaxim Dejsce to Malium 125 Devik * 102 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Guilled sves 32 100 US 9 ,838 , 078 B2 Page 2 (51 ) Int. Cl. 2 ,810 , 111 A 10 / 1957 Cohn H04B 3 /50 2 , 819 , 451 A 1 / 1958 Sims et al . ( 2006 .01 ) 2 , 820 , 083 A 1 / 1958 Hendrix H04B 3 / 52 ( 2006 . 01 ) 2 , 825 , 060 A 2 / 1958 Ruze et al . ( 58 ) Field of Classification Search 2 , 835 , 871 A 5 / 1958 Raabe 2 , 851, 686 A 9 / 1958 Hagaman et al . CPC . .. .. HO4B 3 / 542 ; H04B 3 /56 ; H04B 5 /0025 ; 2 , 867 ,776 A 1 / 1959 Wilkinson , Jr. HO4B 5 / 0018 2 , 883 , 135 A 4 / 1959 Smalley et al . USPC .. 375 /211 , 219 – 220 , 257, 259, 285 , 295 , 2 , 883 , 136 A 4 / 1959 Smalley et al. 375 /316 2 , 900 , 558 A 8 / 1959 Watkins et al. See application file for complete search history. 2 , 910 , 261 A 10 / 1959 Ward et al . 2 , 912 ,695 A 11/ 1959 Cutler 2 ,914 , 741 A 11 / 1959 Unger ( 56 ) References Cited 2 , 915 ,270 A 12 / 1959 Gladsden et al. 2 , 921, 277 A 1 / 1960 Goubau U . S . 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