EMBEDDING DATA ON A POWER SIGNAL

• US 20160079921A1
• Filed: 09/08/2015
• Published: 03/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cpg Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Cpg Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Lilly, James D., Pinzone, Jr., Basil F., Pinzone, Joseph F., Corum, James F., Corum, Kenneth L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,079,573 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/00 Waveguides; Transmission lines of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 5/00 Coupling devices of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/00 Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas arrangements for varying orientation of directional pattern H01Q3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/40 using two or more transmitting or receiving devices H02J50/50 takes precedence
• 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: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H03C 7/02 in transmission lines, waveguides, cavity resonators or radiation fields of antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/52 Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for embedding data on a guided surface wave. A guided surface waveguide probe emits power as a guided surface wave received by a guided surface wave receive structure circuit. An aggregate electric load of the receiver circuit is modulated with reference to a data signal. A current at the guided surface waveguide probe is monitored. A data signal is recaptured at the guided surface waveguide probe.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a guided surface wave receive structure configured to obtain electrical energy from a guided surface wave traveling along a lossy conducting medium, wherein the guided surface wave is launched by a guided surface waveguide probe; and

modulation circuitry configured to modulate an aggregate electric load coupled to the guided surface wave receive structure with reference to a data signal.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a variable control load coupled to the guided surface wave receiving structure, the aggregate electrical load being presented by at least the variable control load, the aggregate electrical load experienced as a load at an excitation source coupled to the guided surface waveguide probe generating the guided surface wave.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the modulation circuitry is configured to modulate an impedance of the variable control load.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the modulation circuitry is configured to modulate a circuit drawing the variable control load between an open state and a closed state.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the aggregate electrical load is presented by the variable control load and an electrical load consuming power delivered by the guided surface wave.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a current detection circuitry configured to detect a modulation in current of the guided surface waveguide probe.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the current detection circuitry is configured to sample the current to obtain an embedded symbol.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the current is sampled to detect different current levels that correspond to different binary digits of the embedded symbol.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the current detection circuitry comprises an ammeter coupled to the guided surface waveguide probe.

10. The system of claim 6, further comprising a filter accepting an output of the current detection circuitry.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the guided surface wave receive structure comprises at least one of a linear probe, a tuned resonator, or a magnetic coil.

12. A method comprising:

receiving electrical energy in a form of a guided surface wave using a guided surface wave receive structure;

supplying electrical energy to an electrical load coupled to the guided surface wave receive structure; and

modulating an aggregate electric load coupled to the guided surface wave receive structure with reference to a data signal, wherein the aggregate electric load is presented by the electrical load and a variable control load.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising detecting a modulation in a current of a guided surface waveguide probe generating the guided surface wave.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining a symbol corresponding to at least a portion of the data signal, wherein the electrical load is modulated to effect a current state embodying the symbol.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the current state comprises an amplitude state.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the guided surface wave receive structure comprises at least one of a linear probe, a tuned resonator, or a magnetic coil.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein modulating the aggregate electrical load comprises modulating an impedance of the variable control load.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the modulating of the aggregate electrical load comprises modulating a circuit drawing the variable control load between an open state and a closed state.

19. A method comprising:

transmitting electrical energy in a form of a guided surface wave using a guided surface waveguide probe;

detecting a modulation in current of the guided surface waveguide probe; and

sampling the current to obtain an embedded symbol.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the current is sampled to detect different current levels that correspond to different binary digits of the embedded symbol.