Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, a system that facilitates receiving a first electromagnetic wave propagating along a transmission medium, detecting, according to the first electromagnetic wave, an obstruction on a first portion of an outer surface of the transmission medium, responsive to the detecting the obstruction, configuring a material to have similar properties to the obstruction, the material being positioned along a second portion of the outer surface of the transmission medium, and generating a second electromagnetic wave that propagates along the transmission medium without relying on an electrical return path to facilitate propagation of the second electromagnetic wave along the transmission medium, the material facilitating propagation of the second electromagnetic wave from the second portion of the outer surface of the transmission medium to the first portion of the transmission medium affected by the obstruction. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, a system that facilitates receiving a first electromagnetic wave propagating along a transmission medium, detecting, according to the first electromagnetic wave, an obstruction on a first portion of an outer surface of the transmission medium, responsive to the detecting the obstruction, configuring a material to have similar properties to the obstruction, the material being positioned along a second portion of the outer surface of the transmission medium, and generating a second electromagnetic wave that propagates along the transmission medium without relying on an electrical return path to facilitate propagation of the second electromagnetic wave along the transmission medium, the material facilitating propagation of the second electromagnetic wave from the second portion of the outer surface of the transmission medium to the first portion of the transmission medium affected by the obstruction. Other embodiments are disclosed.

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.

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.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving, by a feed point of a dielectric antenna, electromagnetic waves from a dielectric core coupled to the feed point without an electrical return path, where at least a portion of the dielectric antenna comprises a conductive surface, directing, by the feed point, the electromagnetic waves to a proximal portion of the dielectric antenna, and radiating, via an aperture of the dielectric antenna, a wireless signal responsive to the electromagnetic waves being received at the aperture. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving, by a feed point of a dielectric antenna, electromagnetic waves from a dielectric core coupled to the feed point without an electrical return path, where at least a portion of the dielectric antenna comprises a conductive surface, directing, by the feed point, the electromagnetic waves to a proximal portion of the dielectric antenna, and radiating, via an aperture of the dielectric antenna, a wireless signal responsive to the electromagnetic waves being received at the aperture. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a node device includes an interface configured to receive first signals. A plurality of coupling devices are configured to launch the first signals on a transmission medium as a plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves at corresponding plurality of non-optical carrier frequencies, wherein the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves are bound to a physical structure of the transmission medium. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a node device includes an interface configured to receive first signals. A plurality of coupling devices are configured to launch the first signals on a transmission medium as a plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves at corresponding plurality of non-optical carrier frequencies, wherein the plurality of first guided electromagnetic waves are bound to a physical structure of the transmission medium. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A control method and device for bidirectional communication are provided. A handshake between the master and slave communication units is realized by sending the training sequence. The master communication unit is controlled to obtain control information from the ECU. The control information is packaged into the custom package, and the custom package is encoded. The master communication unit is controlled to send the custom package to the slave communication unit. The slave communication unit decodes, verifies and corrects the custom package. The slave communication unit feeds back the correct message to the master communication unit if the custom package is verified to be correct, else feeds back the error message to the master communication unit. The master communication unit resends the custom package to the slave communication unit if it receives the error information or does not receive any feedback information within the preset time period.

A control method and device for bidirectional communication are provided. A handshake between the master and slave communication units is realized by sending the training sequence. The master communication unit is controlled to obtain control information from the ECU. The control information is packaged into the custom package, and the custom package is encoded. The master communication unit is controlled to send the custom package to the slave communication unit. The slave communication unit decodes, verifies and corrects the custom package. The slave communication unit feeds back the correct message to the master communication unit if the custom package is verified to be correct, else feeds back the error message to the master communication unit. The master communication unit resends the custom package to the slave communication unit if it receives the error information or does not receive any feedback information within the preset time period.