Variable frequency receivers for guided surface wave transmissions

• US 9,887,587 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2015
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cpg Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Cpg Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Corum, James F., Corum, Kenneth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zweizig, Jeffrey
• Application Number:
  US14/847,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20160079809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/30 with feed to end of elongated active element, e.g. unipole H01Q9/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/20 using microwaves or radio frequency waves
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/40 Automatic matching of load impedance to source impedance

Abstract

Disclosed herein are various embodiments for a guided surface wave receiver, comprising circuitry that identifies at least one frequency from a plurality of available frequencies associated with a transmission of a plurality of guided surface waves along a terrestrial medium; and circuitry that adjusts a frequency at which the guided surface wave receiver receives the transmission to the at least one frequency via the terrestrial medium.

Claims

1. 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 waveguide probe generating the guided surface wave;

processing circuitry that identifies at least one frequency from a plurality of available frequencies associated with a transmission of the guided surface wave traveling along the terrestrial medium; and

processing circuitry that adjusts a frequency at which the guided surface wave receive structure receives the transmission to the at least one frequency via the terrestrial medium.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry that adjusts the frequency at which the guided surface wave receive structure receives the transmission further comprises processing circuitry that adjusts a capacitance of a variable capacitor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry that adjusts the frequency at which the guided surface wave receive structure receives the transmission further comprises processing circuitry that adjusts an inductance of a variable inductor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a field sensor configured to identify at least the at least one frequency among the plurality of available frequencies.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the guided surface wave receive structure further comprises at least one of:

a linear probe, a tuned resonator, and a magnetic coil.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a spectrum analyzer configured to identify at least the at least one frequency among the plurality of available frequencies.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein adjusting the frequency at which the guided surface wave receive structure receives the transmission is performed programmatically by the processing circuitry.

8. A method, comprising:

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

identifying at least one frequency from a plurality of available frequencies associated with a transmission of a plurality of guided surface waves along a terrestrial medium;

adjusting, by the guided surface wave receiver, a frequency at which the guided surface wave receive structure receives the transmission to the at least one frequency via the terrestrial medium; and

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

9. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting the frequency at which the guided surface wave receive structure receives the transmission further comprises adjusting a capacitance of a variable capacitor.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting the frequency at which the guided surface wave receive structure receives the transmission further comprises adjusting an inductance of a variable inductor.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the guided surface wave receive structure further comprises identifying the at least one frequency among the plurality of available frequencies.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the guided surface wave receive structure further comprises at least one of:

a linear probe, a tuned resonator, and a magnetic coil.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting the frequency at which the guided surface wave receive structure receives the transmission is performed programmatically by the processing circuitry.

14. A system, comprising:

means for obtaining electrical energy from a guided surface wave traveling along a terrestrial medium and providing the electrical energy to an electrical load, the electrical load being experienced as a load at an excitation source coupled to a guided surface waveguide probe generating the guided surface wave;

means for identifying at least one frequency from a plurality of available frequencies associated with a transmission of the guided surface wave traveling along the terrestrial medium; and

means for adjusting a frequency at which the system receives the transmission to the at least one frequency via the terrestrial medium.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for adjusting the frequency at which the system receives the transmission further comprises means for adjusting a capacitance of a variable capacitor.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for adjusting the frequency at which the system receives the transmission further comprises means for adjusting an impedance of a variable inductor.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising means for identifying the at least one frequency from the plurality of available frequencies.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the means for identifying the at least one frequency from the plurality of available frequencies further comprises a field meter or a spectrum analyzer.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for obtaining the electrical energy from the guided surface wave further comprises at least one of:

a linear probe, a tuned resonator, and a magnetic coil.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for adjusting the frequency at which the system receives the transmission further comprises processing circuitry being configured adjusting the frequency programmatically.