Geolocation with guided surface waves
First Claim
1. A system, comprising:
- a first guided surface waveguide probe comprising a first charge terminal elevated over a first lossy conducting medium configured to generate at least one resultant field that synthesizes a first wave front incident at a first complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ
i,B) of the first lossy conducting medium;
circuitry communicatively coupled to the first guided surface waveguide probe, wherein the circuitry coupled to the first guided surface waveguide probe is configured to at least launch a first guided surface wave with a first frequency via the first guided surface waveguide probe;
a second guided surface waveguide probe comprising a second charge terminal elevated over a second lossy conducting medium configured to generate at least one resultant field that synthesizes a second wave front at a second complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ
i,B) of the second lossy conducting medium;
circuitry communicatively coupled to the second guided surface waveguide probe, wherein the circuitry communicatively coupled to the second guided surface waveguide probe is configured to at least launch a second guided surface wave with a second frequency via the second guided surface waveguide probe;
a third guided surface waveguide probe comprising a third charge terminal elevated over a third lossy conducting medium configured to generate at least one resultant field that synthesizes a third wave front at a second complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ
i,B) of the third lossy conducting medium; and
circuitry communicatively coupled to the third guided surface waveguide probe, wherein the circuitry communicatively coupled to the third guided surface waveguide probe is configured to at least launch a third guided surface wave with a third frequency via the third guided surface waveguide probe.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed are various embodiments for fixing a navigational position using guided surface waves launched from guided surface wave waveguide probes at various ground stations. A navigation unit may fix its position by determining the travel time of guided surface waves from the ground stations to the navigation unit. In another embodiment, the navigation unit may also fix its position by determining the change in intensity of the guided surface waves after travelling from the ground stations to the navigation unit. In other embodiments, the navigation unit may also fix its position by determining the difference in phases of phase-locked guided surface waves as they travel from the ground stations to the navigation unit.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A system, comprising:
-
a first guided surface waveguide probe comprising a first charge terminal elevated over a first lossy conducting medium configured to generate at least one resultant field that synthesizes a first wave front incident at a first complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ
i,B) of the first lossy conducting medium;circuitry communicatively coupled to the first guided surface waveguide probe, wherein the circuitry coupled to the first guided surface waveguide probe is configured to at least launch a first guided surface wave with a first frequency via the first guided surface waveguide probe; a second guided surface waveguide probe comprising a second charge terminal elevated over a second lossy conducting medium configured to generate at least one resultant field that synthesizes a second wave front at a second complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ
i,B) of the second lossy conducting medium;circuitry communicatively coupled to the second guided surface waveguide probe, wherein the circuitry communicatively coupled to the second guided surface waveguide probe is configured to at least launch a second guided surface wave with a second frequency via the second guided surface waveguide probe; a third guided surface waveguide probe comprising a third charge terminal elevated over a third lossy conducting medium configured to generate at least one resultant field that synthesizes a third wave front at a second complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ
i,B) of the third lossy conducting medium; andcircuitry communicatively coupled to the third guided surface waveguide probe, wherein the circuitry communicatively coupled to the third guided surface waveguide probe is configured to at least launch a third guided surface wave with a third frequency via the third guided surface waveguide probe. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. An apparatus, comprising:
-
a guided surface wave receive structure configured to obtain electrical energy from a guided surface wave traveling along a terrestrial medium; an electrical load coupled to the guided surface wave receive structure, the electrical load being experienced as a load at an excitation source coupled to a guided surface wave waveguide probe that generates the guided surface wave; a processor; a memory; and an application comprising a set of instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to; calculate a distance traveled by the guided surface wave from the guided surface wave waveguide probe to a location of the guided surface wave receive structure; and determine a set of coordinates for the location based at least in part on the distance traveled by the guided surface wave from the guided surface wave waveguide probe to the guided surface wave receive structure. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method, comprising:
-
receiving, with a guided surface wave receive structure, a guided surface wave travelling along a terrestrial medium, the guided surface wave having been launched from a guided surface wave waveguide probe, the guided surface wave receive structure configured to obtain electrical energy from the guided surface wave traveling along the terrestrial medium, and the guided surface wave receive structure having an electrical load coupled to the guided surface wave receive structure, the electrical load being experienced as a load at an excitation source coupled to the guided surface wave waveguide probe that generates the guided surface wave; calculating a distance traveled by the guided surface wave along the terrestrial medium from the guided surface wave waveguide probe to a location of the guided surface wave receive structure; and determining a set of coordinates for the location based at least in part on the distance traveled by the guided surface wave from the guided surface wave waveguide probe to the guided surface wave receive structure. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification