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.

Abstract: Disclosed are various approaches for determining positions of a navigation unit and correcting for errors. The navigation unit can receive a guided surface wave using a guided surface wave receive structure. The navigation unit can then determine a potential location of the guided surface wave receive structure. Finally, the navigation unit can determine an accuracy of the potential location based at least in part on a secondary data source.

Abstract: Disclosed are various approaches for determining a location using guided surface waves. A wavelength and a phase of a base guided surface wave launched from a ground station and received by the guided surface wave receive structure are identified. A range of an overlaid guided surface wave launched from the ground station and received by the guided surface wave receive structure are identified., wherein the range of the overlaid guided surface wave is measured as a number of wavelengths of the base guided surface wave. A distance of the guided surface wave receive structure from the ground station based at least in part on the phase of the base guided surface wave and the range of the overlaid guided surface wave is calculated. Finally, a 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 ground station is determined.

Abstract: Aspects of magnetic coils having cores with relatively high magnetic permeability are described. In some embodiments, a system includes a guided surface wave receive structure configured to obtain electrical energy from a guided surface wave traveling across a terrestrial medium. The guided surface wave receive structure includes a magnetic coil and a core disposed in the magnetic coil. The core in some embodiments has a relative magnetic permeability greater than about 10 and less than about 1,000,000. An electrical load is coupled to the guided surface wave receive structure, with the electrical load being experienced as a load at an excitation source coupled to a guided surface waveguide probe generating the guided surface wave.

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.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of systems and methods for transmitting guided surface waves that illuminate a defined region. In one embodiment, such a method comprises installing a plurality of guided surface waveguide probes across a defined region having set boundaries, and setting respective frequency values of operation for the plurality of guided surface waveguide probes that allow for respective service areas to be defined that in the aggregate cover the defined region with guided surface waves.

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 guided surface wave is received using a guided surface wave receive structure. A reflection of the guided surface wave is received using the guided surface wave receive structure. An amount of time that has elapsed between receiving the guided surface wave and receiving the reflection of guided surface wave is calculated. A location of the guided surface wave receive structure is determined based at least in part on the amount of time elapsed between receiving the guided surface wave and receiving the reflection of guided surface wave.

Abstract: Disclosed are various approaches for navigation identifying one's current position. A navigation device receives a guided surface wave using a guided surface wave receive structure. The navigation device then receives a reflection of the guided surface wave using the guided surface wave receive structure. The navigation device calculates an amount of time elapsed between receiving the guided surface wave and receiving the reflection of guided surface wave. The navigation device then measures an angle between a wave front of the guided surface wave and a polar axis of the Earth. Finally the navigation device determines a location of the guided surface wave receive structure based at least in part on the angle between the wave front of the guided surface wave and the polar axis of the Earth the amount of time elapsed between receiving the guided surface wave and receiving the reflection of guided surface wave.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments for establishing bidirectional exchanges of electrical energy between power systems. The various embodiments can be configured to as a network of power systems that ensure that excess power in one or more power systems can be directed to power systems in a power deficit state.

Abstract: Disclosed, in one example, is an energy consumption node. The node includes a guided surface wave receive structure configured to obtain electrical energy from a guided surface wave traveling along a terrestrial medium. The node also includes a distribution system coupled to the guided surface wave receive structure and configured to distribute the obtained electrical energy to an electrical load coupleable to the distribution system.

Abstract: Various embodiments for deterring theft in wireless power systems are disclosed. In one embodiment, an electrical device, comprise a guided surface wave receive structure configured to obtain electrical energy from a guided surface wave traveling along a terrestrial medium, and 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 of the electrical device may be configured to monitor the electrical load to determine whether a power consumption of the electrical load has exceeded a predefined amount of permitted power consumption and disable the wireless power receiver or the electrical load coupled to the wireless power receive structure in response to the electrical load exceeding the predefined amount of permitted power consumption.

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 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: 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.

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: The present invention is drawn a transmission line transformer that uses specifically displaced beads of impedance increasing material on the coaxial transmission lines. The beads of impedance increasing material greatly reduce induced back currents on the outer surfaces of the coaxial transmission lines, which reduces losses and improves performance. The specific displacement of the beads enables the coaxial transmission lines to be compactly disposed within a heat sink.

Abstract: The present invention is drawn a transmission line transformer that uses specifically displaced beads of impedance increasing material on the coaxial transmission lines. The beads of impedance increasing material greatly reduce induced back currents on the outer surfaces of the coaxial transmission lines, which reduces losses and improves performance. The specific displacement of the beads enables the coaxial transmission lines to be compactly disposed within a heat sink.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of a guided surface wave transmitter/receiver configured to transmit a guided surface wave at a first frequency and to receive guided surface waves at a second frequency, concurrently with the transmission of guided surface waves at the first frequency. The various embodiments can be configured to retransmit received power and applied the received power to an electrical load. The various embodiments of the guided surface wave transmitter/receiver also can be configured as an amplitude modulation (AM) repeater.

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: Disclosed are various receive circuits by which to receive a plurality of guided surface waves transmitted by a plurality of guided surface waveguide probes over a surface of a terrestrial medium according to various embodiments.