Geolocation using guided surface waves

• US 10,175,048 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2016
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quantum Wave LLC (Mad Energy)
• Original Assignee: Cpg Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Corum, James F., Corum, Kenneth L., Lilly, James D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Soofi, Yazan A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martinez Borrero, Luis A
• Application Number:
  US15/239,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20170167879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 701 1, 701 15, 701 36, 701400, 701532, 701445
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/188 for accumulated errors, e.g. by coupling inertial systems with absolute positioning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/0428 Signal details
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/08 Systems for determining direction or position line
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/70 using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0244 Accuracy or reliability of position solution or of measurements contributing thereto
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/02585 at least one of the measurements being a non-radio measurement
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/10 Position of receiver fixed by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements , e.g. omega or decca systemsG01S5/12 takes precedence ; beacons and receivers cooperating therewith G01S1/306, G01S1/308
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/10 Wire waveguides, i.e. with a single solid longitudinal conductor

Abstract

Disclosed are various approaches for determining positions of a navigation unit and correcting for errors. The navigation unit can receive a guided surface wave using a guided surface wave receive structure. The navigation unit can then determine a potential location of the guided surface wave receive structure. Finally, the navigation unit can determine an accuracy of the potential location based at least in part on a secondary data source.

Claims

1. A navigation unit, comprising:

a guided surface wave receive structure configured to obtain electrical energy from a guided surface wave traveling along a terrestrial medium, the guided surface wave having a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle of the terrestrial medium;

a processor;

a memory;

an application comprising machine readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the navigation unit to at least;

identify when the guided surface wave is received by the guided surface wave receive structure;

determine a current location of the navigation unit based at least in part on the guided surface wave; and

determine an accuracy of the current location based at least in part on a secondary data source.

2. The navigation unit of claim 1, wherein the secondary data source comprises inertial data stored in the memory, wherein the inertial data comprises navigational data representing a current speed, a current altitude, a current heading, an initial location, a past speed and corresponding past heading, and a past altitude of the navigation unit.

3. The navigation unit of claim 2, wherein the application further comprises machine readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the navigation unit to at least:

calculate an estimated location of the navigation unit based at least in part on the inertial data; and

determine whether the estimated location is within a predefined acceptable margin of error to determine the accuracy of the current location.

4. The navigation unit of claim 1, wherein the application further comprises machine readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the navigation unit to at least:

identify when a signal is received from a correction station, wherein the signal carries the secondary data source and the secondary data source comprises a position of the correction station;

determine a distance of the navigation unit from the correction station based at least in part on the position of the correction station; and

compare the distance of the navigation unit from the correction station to the current location of the navigation unit to determine the accuracy of the current location.

5. The navigation unit of claim 1 wherein the application further comprises machine readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the navigation unit to at least correct the current location of the navigation unit in response to a determination that the accuracy of the current location fails to fall within a previously defined acceptable margin of error.

6. The navigation unit of claim 5, wherein the application further comprises machine readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the navigation unit to at least to at least adjust a circumference of a circle centered on a ground station that generated the guided surface wave to correct the current location of the navigation unit.

7. The navigation unit of claim 6, wherein the application further comprises machine readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the navigation unit to at least recalculate the current location of the navigation unit based at least in part on the adjusted circumference of the circle centered on the ground station.

8. A navigation unit, comprising:

a charge terminal elevated over a lossy conducting medium;

a receiver network coupled between the charge terminal and the lossy conducting medium, the receiver network having a phase delay (Φ

) that matches a wave tilt angle (Ψ

) associated with a guided surface wave, the wave tilt angle (Ψ

) based at least in part upon characteristics of the lossy conducting medium in a vicinity of a receiving structure, and the guided surface wave having a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle of the terrestrial medium;

a processor;

a memory;

an application comprising machine readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the navigation unit to at least;

identify when the guided surface wave is received by the receiver network;

determine a current location of the navigation unit based at least in part on the guided surface wave; and

determine an accuracy of the current location based at least in part on a secondary data source.

9. The navigation unit of claim 8, wherein the charge terminal is height adjustable such that a change in a height of the charge terminal causes a change in the phase delay (Φ

).

10. The navigation unit of claim 8, wherein the secondary data source comprises inertial data stored in the memory, wherein the inertial data comprises navigational data representing a current speed, a current altitude, a current heading, an initial location, a past speed and corresponding past heading, and a past altitude of the navigation unit.

11. The navigation unit of claim 10, wherein the application further comprises machine readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the navigation unit to at least:

calculate an estimated location of the navigation unit based at least in part on the inertial data; and

determine whether the estimated location is within a predefined acceptable margin of error to determine the accuracy of the current location.

12. The navigation unit of claim 8, wherein the application further comprises machine readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the navigation unit to at least:

identify when a signal is received from a correction station, wherein the signal carries the secondary data source and the secondary data source comprises a position of the correction station;

determine a distance of the navigation unit from the correction station based at least in part on the position of the correction station; and

compare the distance of the navigation unit from the correction station to the current location of the navigation unit to determine the accuracy of the current location.

13. The navigation unit of claim 8, wherein the application further comprises machine readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the navigation unit to at least correct the current location of the navigation unit in response to a determination that the accuracy of the current location fails to fall within a previously defined acceptable margin of error.

14. The navigation unit of claim 13, wherein the application further comprises machine readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the navigation unit to at least:

adjust a circumference of a circle centered on a ground station that generated the guided surface wave to correct the current location of the navigation unit;

recalculate the current location of the navigation unit based at least in part on the adjusted circumference of the circle centered on the ground station.

15. A method for determining a geographic location, comprising:

receiving a guided surface wave traversing a terrestrial medium using a guided surface wave receive structure, the guided surface wave having a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle of the terrestrial medium;

determining a current location of the guided surface wave receive structure; and

determining an accuracy of the current location based at least in part on a secondary data source.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the secondary data source comprises inertial data that represents a current speed, a current altitude, a current heading, an initial location, a past speed and corresponding past heading, and a past altitude and further comprising:

calculating an estimated location based at least in part on the inertial data; and

determining whether the estimated location is within a predefined acceptable margin of error to determine the accuracy of the current location.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

identifying when a signal is received from a correction station, wherein the signal carries the secondary data source and the secondary data source comprises a position of the correction station;

determining a distance from the correction station based at least in part on the position of the correction station; and

comparing the distance of from the correction station to the current location to determine the accuracy of the current location.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising correcting the current location in response to a determination that the accuracy of the current location fails to fall within a previously defined acceptable margin of error.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising adjusting a circumference of a circle centered on a ground station that generated the guided surface wave to correct the current location.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising recalculating the current location based at least in part on the adjusted circumference of the circle centered on the ground station.