Measuring and reporting power received from guided surface waves

• US 10,401,404 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2018
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quantum Wave LLC
• Original Assignee: Cpg Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Corum, James F., Corum, Kenneth L., Pinzone, Joseph F., Lilly, James D., Miller, Michael W., Wilson, Stephen W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zweizig, Jeffery S
• Application Number:
  US16/152,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20190041438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 333 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/1335 Tariff switching circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 dummy group

Abstract

Disclosed are various approaches for measuring and reporting the amount of electrical power consumed by an electrical load attached to a guided surface wave receive structure. A guided surface wave receive structure is configured to obtain electrical energy from a guided surface wave traveling along a terrestrial medium. An electrical load is 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 waveguide probe generating the guided surface wave. An electric power meter coupled to the electrical load and configured to measure the electrical load.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first receive structure configured to obtain electrical energy from a first Zenneck surface wave traveling along a lossy conducting medium;

a second receive structure configured to obtain electrical energy from a second Zenneck surface wave traveling along the lossy conducting medium;

an electrical load coupled to a switch configured to connect the first receive structure to the electrical load or connect the second receive structure to the electrical load, the electrical load being experienced as a load by a first excitation source coupled to a first guided surface waveguide probe generating the first Zenneck surface wave when connected the first receive structure or by a second excitation source coupled to a second guided surface waveguide probe generating the second Zenneck surface wave when connected the first receive structure;

a processor;

a memory; and

machine readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to at least;

identify a first provider associated with the first Zenneck surface wave;

identify a second provider associated with the second Zenneck surface wave;

evaluate a profile to determine that the second provider is a currently preferred provider based at least in part on a preference in the profile; and

cause the switch to disconnect the first receive structure from the electrical load and connect the second receive structure to the electrical load based at least in part on a determination that the second provider is the currently preferred provider.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the machine readable instructions that cause the processor to evaluate the profile to determine that the second provider is a currently preferred provider based at least in part on the preference in the profile further cause the apparatus to:

query provider information stored in the memory to determine a first power source associated with the first provider and a second power source associated with the second provider; and

determine that the second power source is specified in the profile as a preferred power source with respect to the first power source.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the machine readable instructions that cause the processor to evaluate the profile to determine that the second provider is a currently preferred provider based at least in part on the preference in the profile further cause the apparatus to:

query provider information stored in the memory to determine a first power source associated with the first provider and a second power source associated with the second provider; and

determine that the first power source is specified in the profile as a prohibited power source.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the machine readable instructions that cause the processor to evaluate the profile to determine that the second provider is a currently preferred provider based at least in part on the preference in the profile further cause the apparatus to:

determine a first cost of power currently charged by the first provider;

determine a second cost of power currently charged by the second provider;

compare the first cost of power to the second cost of power to determine that the second cost of power is less than the first cost of power; and

evaluate the profile to determine that the preferred provider is a lower cost provider of power.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, the first Zenneck surface wave having a first wavefront incident at a first complex Brewster angle of incidence with the lossy conducting medium and the second Zenneck surface wave having a second wavefront incident at a second complex Brewster angle of incidence with the lossy conducting medium.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first receive structure or the second receive structure comprises:

a charge terminal elevated over the lossy conducting medium; and

a receiver network coupled between the charge terminal and the lossy conducting medium, the receiver network having a phase delay that matches a wave tilt angle associated with a respective one of the first Zenneck surface wave or the second Zenneck surface wave, the wave tilt angle based at least in part upon characteristics of the lossy conducting medium in a vicinity of the receive structure.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an electric power meter;

a network interface; and

wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the apparatus to;

retrieve from the electric power meter a measure of electric power consumed;

generate a message comprising the measure of electric power consumed, a unique identifier associated with the electric power meter, and a time stamp indicating a time at which the message is created; and

send the message through the network interface to a current power provider.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

an impedance matching network electrically coupled between an receive structure and an electrical load, the impedance matching network being tunable to individual frequencies within a range of frequencies of which the Zenneck surface wave travels along the lossy conducting medium;

the receive structure being configured to obtain electrical energy from a first Zenneck surface wave traveling along a lossy conducting medium with a first frequency within the range of frequencies or a second Zenneck surface wave travelling along the lossy conducting medium with a second frequency within the range of frequencies;

the electrical load being experienced as a first load at a first excitation source coupled to a first guided surface waveguide probe generating the first Zenneck surface wave or a second load at a second excitation source coupled to a second guided surface waveguide probe generating the second Zenneck surface wave;

a processor;

a memory; and

machine readable instructions stored in the memory that, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to at least;

identify a first provider associated with the first Zenneck surface wave;

identify a second provider associated with the second Zenneck surface wave;

evaluate a profile to determine that the second provider is a currently preferred provider based at least in part on a preference in the profile; and

cause the impedance matching network to tune from the first frequency in the range of frequencies to the second frequency in the range of frequencies.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the machine readable instructions that cause the processor to evaluate the profile to determine that the second provider is a currently preferred provider based at least in part on the preference in the profile further cause the apparatus to:

query provider information stored in the memory to determine a first power source associated with the first provider and a second power source associated with the second provider; and

determine that the second power source is specified in the profile as a preferred power source with respect to the first power source.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the machine readable instructions that cause the processor to evaluate the profile to determine that the second provider is a currently preferred provider based at least in part on the preference in the profile further cause the apparatus to:

query provider information stored in the memory to determine a first power source associated with the first provider and a second power source associated with the second provider; and

determine that the first power source is specified in the profile as a prohibited power source.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the machine readable instructions that cause the processor to evaluate the profile to determine that the second provider is a currently preferred provider based at least in part on the preference in the profile further cause the apparatus to:

determine a first cost of power currently charged by the first provider;

determine a second cost of power currently charged by the second provider;

compare the first cost of power to the second cost of power to determine that the second cost of power is less than the first cost of power; and

evaluate the profile to determine that the preferred provider is a lower cost provider of power.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, the first Zenneck surface wave having a first wavefront incident at a first complex Brewster angle of incidence with the lossy conducting medium and the second Zenneck surface wave having a second wavefront incident at a second complex Brewster angle of incidence with the lossy conducting medium.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the receive structure further comprises:

a charge terminal elevated over the lossy conducting medium; and

a receiver network coupled between the charge terminal and the lossy conducting medium, the receiver network having a phase delay that matches a wave tilt angle associated with a respective one of the first Zenneck surface wave or the second Zenneck surface wave, the wave tilt angle based at least in part upon characteristics of the lossy conducting medium in a vicinity of the receive structure.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

an electric power meter;

a network interface; and

wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the apparatus to;

retrieve from the electric power meter a measure of electric power consumed;

generate a message comprising the measure of electric power consumed, a unique identifier associated with the electric power meter, and a time stamp indicating a time at which the message is created; and

send the message through the network interface to a current power provider.

15. A method, comprising:

identifying, with a computing device, a first provider associated with a first Zenneck surface wave;

identifying, with the computing device, a second provider associated with a second Zenneck surface wave;

evaluating, with the computing device, a profile to determine that the second provider is a currently preferred provider based at least in part on a preference in the profile; and

sending an instruction, with the computing device, to an impedance matching network electrically coupled between a guided surface wave receive structure and an electrical load to tune from a first frequency of the first guided surface wave to a second frequency of the second guided surface wave, the electrical load being experienced as a first load at a first excitation source coupled to a first guided surface waveguide probe generating the first Zenneck surface wave or a second load at a second excitation source coupled to a second guided surface waveguide probe generating the second Zenneck surface wave.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein evaluating the profile to determine that the second provider is the currently preferred provider further comprises:

querying, with the computing device, provider information stored in the memory to determine a first power source associated with the first provider and a second power source associated with the second provider; and

determining, with the computing device, that the second power source is specified in the profile as a preferred power source with respect to the first power source.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein evaluating the profile to determine that the second provider is the currently preferred provider further comprises:

querying, with the computing device, provider information stored in the memory to determine a first power source associated with the first provider and a second power source associated with the second provider; and

determining, with the computing device, that the first power source is specified in the profile as a prohibited power source.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein evaluating the profile to determine that the second provider is the currently preferred provider further comprises:

determining, with the computing device, a first cost of power currently charged by the first provider;

determining, with the computing device, a second cost of power currently charged by the second provider;

comparing, with the computing device, the first cost of power to the second cost of power to determine that the second cost of power is less than the first cost of power; and

evaluating, with the computing device, the profile to determine that the preferred provider is a lower cost provider of power.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

retrieving, with the computing device, from an electric power meter electrically coupled to the electrical load a measure of electric power consumed;

generating, with the computing device, a message comprising the measure of electric power consumed, a unique identifier associated with the electric power meter, and a time stamp indicating a time at which the message is created; and

sending, with the computing device, the message to a current power provider.

20. The method of claim 15, the first Zenneck surface wave having a first wavefront incident at a first complex Brewster angle of incidence with the lossy conducting medium and the second Zenneck surface wave having a second wavefront incident at a second complex Brewster angle of incidence with the lossy conducting medium.