US 11,750,242 B2
Surface wave based wireless connection to an electronic device
Karthik Yogeeswaran, San Francisco, CA (US); and Apoorva Sharma, Sammamish, WA (US)
Assigned to Meta Platforms, Inc., Menlo Park, CA (US)
Filed by Meta Platforms, Inc., Menlo Park, CA (US)
Filed on May 23, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/750,464.
Application 17/750,464 is a continuation of application No. 16/658,038, filed on Oct. 19, 2019, granted, now 11,374,618.
Prior Publication US 2022/0286160 A1, Sep. 8, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04B 3/52 (2006.01); H04B 5/02 (2006.01); H01P 3/16 (2006.01); H01P 3/10 (2006.01); H02J 50/20 (2016.01)
CPC H04B 3/52 (2013.01) [H01P 3/10 (2013.01); H01P 3/16 (2013.01); H02J 50/20 (2016.02); H04B 5/02 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising:
a surface waveguide configured to support propagation of a plurality of electro-magnetic waves over a two-dimensional conductive surface of the surface waveguide, wherein the two-dimensional conductive surface is treated to increase a surface reactance of the two-dimensional conductive surface over a frequency range of the plurality of electro-magnetic waves, while maintaining an insertion loss of the surface waveguide below a first threshold;
a first mode converter configured to couple first electro-magnetic waves of a first mode to the two-dimensional conductive surface, wherein second electro-magnetic waves of a second mode propagate across the two-dimensional conductive surface of the surface waveguide as a result of the coupling of the first electro-magnetic waves;
wherein a height of a field extent of the second electro-magnetic waves is maintained below a second threshold, wherein the height of the field extent of the plurality of electro-magnetic waves comprises a height at which at least a certain amount of energy is below a height above the two-dimensional conductive surface of the surface waveguide; and
wherein at least a portion of the second electro-magnetic waves propagating across the two-dimensional conductive surface are coupled to an electronic device through a second mode converter of the electronic device.