Geolocation using guided surface waves

• US 10,396,566 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2015
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quantum Wave LLC
• Original Assignee: Cpg Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Corum, James F., Corum, Kenneth L., Lilly, James D., D'Aurelio, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thienvu V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baxter, Brian K
• Application Number:
  US14/850,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20170077716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,447 Days
• Field of Search: 307104
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/38 Electronic maps specially adapted for navigation; Updating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/00 Beacons or beacon systems transmitting signals having a characteristic or characteristics capable of being detected by non-directional receivers and defining directions, positions, or position lines fixed relatively to the beacon transmitters; Receivers co-operating therewith position fixing by co-ordinating a plurality of determinations of direction or position lines G01S5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/042 Transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/08 Systems for determining direction or position line
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/00 Systems for determining distance or velocity not using reflection or reradiation position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations G01S5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/00 Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more direction or position line determinations; Position-fixing by co-ordinating two or more distance determinations using active systems G01S13/00, G01S15/00, G01S17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/14 Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

Disclosed are various approaches for determining a location using guided surface waves. A guided surface wave is received. A field strength of a guided surface wave is identified. A phase of the guided surface wave is identified. A distance from a guided surface waveguide probe that launched the guided surface wave is calculated. A location is determined based at least in part on the distance from the guided surface waveguide probe.

Claims

1. An apparatus, 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 having a wavefront incident at a complex Brewster angle of the lossy conducting medium, the wave tilt angle (Ψ

) based at least in part upon characteristics of the lossy conducting medium in a vicinity of a guided surface wave receive structure;

a processor;

a memory; and

an application stored in the memory and executable by the processor, wherein the application causes the apparatus to perform at least the following actions when executed by the processor;

identify a field strength of the guided surface wave received by the receiver network;

identify a phase of the guided surface wave;

calculate a distance of the receiver network from a guided surface waveguide probe that launched the guided surface wave; and

determine a location of the receiver network based at least in part on the distance of the receiver network from the guided surface waveguide probe.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the application, when executed by the processor, further causes the apparatus to at least:

identify a second field strength of a second guided surface wave received by the receiver network;

identify a second phase of the second guided surface wave;

calculate a second distance of the receiver network from a second guided surface waveguide probe that launched the second guided surface wave; and

wherein causing the apparatus to determine the location of the receiver network is further based at least in part on the second distance of the receiver network from the second guided surface waveguide probe.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guided surface wave traverses the Earth.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the application, when executed by the processor, further causes the apparatus to at least disambiguate the location of the receiving structure from a plurality of potential locations based at least in part on inertial data associated with the apparatus, wherein the inertial data is stored in the memory of the apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the application, when executed by the processor, further causes the apparatus to at least disambiguate the location of the receiving structure from a plurality of potential locations based at least in part on an identity of a cellular network tower within range of the receiver network.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the application, when executed by the processor, further causes the apparatus to at least disambiguate the location of the receiving structure from a plurality of potential locations based at least in part on an identity of a radio transmission tower within range of the receiver network.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, 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

).

8. A method, comprising:

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

identifying a field strength of the guided surface wave;

identifying a phase of the guided surface wave;

calculating a distance from a guided surface waveguide probe that launched the guided surface wave; and

determining a location based at least in part on the distance from the guided surface waveguide probe.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a second guided surface wave with the guided surface wave receive structure;

identify a second field strength of the second guided surface wave;

identify a second phase of the second guided surface wave;

calculate a second distance from a second guided surface waveguide probe that launched the second guided surface wave; and

wherein determining the location is further based at least in part on the second distance from the second guided surface waveguide probe.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the guided surface wave traverses the Earth.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the current location is further based at least in part on inertial data.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the current location is further based at least in part on identifying a cellular network tower.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a broadcast transmission;

disambiguating the current location from a plurality of potential locations based at least in part on an identity of the broadcast transmission.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a signal from a wireless network;

identifying a media access control (MAC) address associated with an access point for the wireless network;

identifying an approximate position based at least in part on the MAC address; and

wherein determining the current location is further based at least in part on the approximate position.

15. A system, 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; and

an application stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, causes the apparatus to at least;

identify a field strength of the guided surface wave received by the guided surface wave receive structure;

identify a phase of the guided surface wave;

calculate a distance of the guided surface wave receive structure from a guided surface waveguide probe that launched the guided surface wave; and

determine a current location of the guided surface wave receive structure based at least in part on the distance of the guided surface wave receive structure from the guided surface waveguide probe.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the application, when executed by the processor, further causes the system to at least:

identify a second field strength of a second guided surface wave received by the guided surface wave receive structure;

identify a second phase of the second guided surface wave;

calculate a second distance of the guided surface wave receive structure from a second guided surface waveguide probe that launched the second guided surface wave; and

wherein causing the apparatus to determine the current location of the guided surface wave receive structure is further based at least in part on the second distance of the guided surface wave receive structure from the second guided surface waveguide probe.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the guided surface wave traverses the Earth.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the application, when executed by the processor, further causes the system to at least disambiguate the current location of the guided surface wave receive structure from a plurality of potential locations of the guided surface wave receive structure based at least in part on inertial data associated with the system, wherein the inertial data is stored in the memory of the system.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the application, when executed by the processor, further causes the system to at least disambiguate the current location of the guided surface wave receive structure from a plurality of potential locations of the guided surface wave receive structure based at least in part on an identity of a cellular network tower in range of the guided surface wave receive structure.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the application, when executed by the processor, further causes the system to at least disambiguate the current location of the guided surface wave receive structure from a plurality of potential locations of the guided surface wave receive structure based at least in part on an identity of a radio transmission tower within range of the guided surface wave receive structure.