Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of load shedding techniques for a guided surface wave power delivery system. In one embodiment, among others, a guided surface wave receive structure is configured to obtain electrical energy from a guided surface wave traveling along a lossy conducting medium. A user device is coupled to the guided surface wave receive structure as an electrical load, where a load shedding application of the user device is configured to receive load shedding instructions from a controller device coupled to the guided surface waveguide probe and is configured to regulate user device consumption of the electrical energy provided by the guided surface wave.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for fixing a navigational position using guided surface waves launched from guided surface wave waveguide probes at various ground stations. A navigation unit may fix its position by determining the travel time of guided surface waves from the ground stations to the navigation unit. In another embodiment, the navigation unit may also fix its position by determining the change in intensity of the guided surface waves after travelling from the ground stations to the navigation unit. In other embodiments, the navigation unit may also fix its position by determining the difference in phases of phase-locked guided surface waves as they travel from the ground stations to the navigation unit.

Abstract: Disclosed is a disaster warning device with a guided surface wave receive structure, an impedance matching network, a power circuit, a data processing circuit, and a warning output. The power circuit and the data processing circuit may be coupled to the guided surface wave receive structure. The power circuit may supply electrical energy to power to the data processing circuit and warning output. The power circuit may receive power from a guided surface wave. The data processing circuitry may receive data communications from a guided surface wave.

Abstract: An object identification system includes a guided surface waveguide probe that produces a guided surface wave from which object identification tags obtain electrical power to operate, each tag associated with an object; and a plurality of receivers deployed at strategic locations to receive return signals from one or more of the tags as the tags move with the associated objects during a lifecycle of the objects.

Abstract: Aspects of a guided surface waveguide probe site and the preparation thereof are described. In various embodiments, the guided surface waveguide probe site may include a propagation interface including a first region and a second region, and a guided surface waveguide probe configured to launch a guided surface wave along the propagation interface. In one aspect of the embodiments, at least a portion of the first region may be prepared to more efficiently launch or propagate the guided surface wave. Among embodiments, the portion of the first region, which may be composed of the Earth, may be treated or mixed with salt, gypsum, sand, or gravel, for example, among other compositions of matter. In other embodiments, the portion of the first region may be covered, insulated, irrigated, or temperature-controlled, for example. By preparing the site, a guided surface wave may be more efficiently launched and/or propagated.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for transmitting energy conveyed in the form of a guided surface-waveguide mode along the surface of a lossy medium such as, e.g., a terrestrial medium by exciting a guided surface waveguide probe.

Abstract: An object identification system includes a guided surface waveguide probe that produces a guided surface wave that has a frequency-dependent illumination area in which one or more object identification tags are powered by the guided surface wave and outside of which other object identification tags are not powered by the guided surface wave; and a receiver at the illumination area, the receiver receiving return signals from the one or more object identification tags located in the illumination area, the return signals emitted by the object identification tags as an automated response to being powered by the guided surface wave.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for field strength monitoring of electromagnetic fields generated by a guided surface waveguide probe. A field meter measures the field strength of the electromagnetic field. The field meter communicates the measured field strength to a probe control system coupled to the guided surface waveguide probe. Adjustments can be made to one or more operational parameters of the guided surface waveguide probe according to the measured field strength.

Abstract: Various power processing systems are described that employ a multiply-connected velocity inhibiting circuit. At least one delay active circuit and at least one variable capacitance are configured to cause an alternating current (AC) power signal to propagate in a single direction in the multiply-connected velocity inhibiting circuit.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for transmitting and receiving energy conveyed in the form of a guided surface-waveguide mode along the surface of a lossy medium such as, e.g., a terrestrial medium excited by a guided surface waveguide probe.

Abstract: A method of managing objects in a site includes producing a guided surface wave with a guided surface waveguide probe, the guided surface wave having sufficient energy density to power object identification tags in an entirety of a site; receiving reply signals from the object identification tags, each object identification tag associated with an object; and identifying geolocation of one or more the objects according to received reply signals from the object identification tags that are associated with the one or more of the objects.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments systems and methods for transmission and reception of electrical energy along a surface of a terrestrial medium. A polyphase waveguide probe that transmits electrical energy in the form of a guided surface wave along a surface of a terrestrial medium. A receive circuit is used to receive the electrical energy.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for transmitting energy conveyed in the form of a guided surface-waveguide mode along the surface of a terrestrial medium by exciting a polyphase waveguide probe.

Abstract: Various examples are provided for global electrical power multiplication. In one example, a global power multiplier includes first and second guided surface waveguide probes separated by a distance equal to a quarter wavelength of a defined frequency and configured to launch synchronized guided surface waves along a surface of a lossy conducting medium at the defined frequency; and at least one excitation source configured to excite the first and second guided surface waveguide probes at the defined frequency, where the excitation of the second guided surface waveguide probe at the defined frequency is 90 degrees out of phase with respect to the excitation of the first guided surface waveguide probe. In another example, a method includes launching synchronized guided surface waves along a surface of a lossy conducting medium by exciting first and second guided surface waveguide probes to produce a traveling wave propagating along the surface.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for superposition of guided surface wave launched along the surface of a lossy medium such as, e.g., a terrestrial medium by exciting a guided surface waveguide probe. In one example, among others, a system includes an array of guided surface waveguide probes configured to launch guided surface waves along a surface of a lossy conducting medium and an array control system configured to control operation of waveguide probes in the array via one or more feed networks. The array control circuit can control operation of the guided surface waveguide probes to maintain a predefined radiation pattern produced by the guided surface waves. In another example, a method includes providing voltage excitation to first and second guided surface waveguide probes to launch guided surface waves with the voltage excitation provided to the second guided surface waveguide probe delayed by a defined phase delay.

Abstract: Various examples are provided for enhanced guided surface waveguide probes, systems and methods. In one example, a guided surface waveguide probe includes a charge terminal comprising a upper terminal portion coupled to a lower terminal portion through a variable capacitance. In another example, a method includes positioning the charge terminal at a defined height over a lossy conducting medium; adjusting a phase delay (?) of a feed network connected to the charge a terminal to match a wave tilt angle (?) corresponding to a complex Brewster angle of incidence (?i,B) associated with the lossy conducting medium; adjusting the variable capacitance based upon an image ground plane impedance (Zin) associated with the lossy conducting medium; and exciting the charge terminal with an excitation voltage via the feed network. The excitation voltage can establish an electric field that couples into a guided surface waveguide mode along a surface of the lossy conducting medium.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of a guided surface waveguide transmit system. One embodiment of the guided surface waveguide transmit system includes a guided surface waveguide probe configured to transmit a guided surface wave along a lossy conducting medium. The system further includes a controller device configured to receive load status data and signal for the guided surface waveguide probe to adjust transmission of the guided surface wave based at least in part on the load status data.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for transmitting energy conveyed in the form of a guided surface waveguide mode along the surface of a lossy conducting medium such as, e.g., a terrestrial medium by exciting a guided surface waveguide probe. In one embodiment, compensation is provided to elevate isolated capacitance of a terminal of the waveguide probe in the form of mounted charge devices.

Abstract: Aspects of detecting the unauthorized consumption of electrical energy are described. In some embodiments, a system includes a guided surface waveguide probe that launches a guided surface wave along a surface of a terrestrial medium. The system further includes metering systems that are distributed within a geographical region associated with the guided surface waveguide probe. The system also includes at least one computing device and memory storing computer instructions that cause the at least one computing device to generate an energy flow map using data obtained from the metering systems.

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.