Modulated guided surface waves

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10084223-B2
Application number	US-201514838852-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2015
Priority date	Sep 11, 2014
Publication date	Sep 25, 2018
Grant date	Sep 25, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed are various systems and methods directed to the launching of a guided surface wave embodying a modulated signal using a guided surface waveguide probe. A modulated signal is generated and coupled to a guided surface waveguide probe. A resulting guided surface wave is launched that decays exponentially as a function of distance.

First claim

Therefore, the following is claimed:

1. A system, comprising:
a guided surface waveguide probe;
a modulation circuitry coupled to the guided surface waveguide probe, the modulation circuitry being configured to generate a modulated signal, the modulated signal being applied to the guided surface waveguide probe; and
the guided surface waveguide probe being adjusted to launch a guided surface wave along a terrestrial medium, the guided surface wave embodying the modulated signal.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the modulation circuitry further comprises an amplitude modulation circuitry, and the modulated signal further comprises an amplitude modulation signal.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the guided surface waveguide probe is a polyphase waveguide probe having at least two charge terminals.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the guided surface waveguide probe comprises a charge terminal elevated over the terrestrial medium configured to generate at least one resultant field that synthesizes a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ i,B ) of the terrestrial medium at a vicinity of the guided surface waveguide probe.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the guided surface waveguide probe is a single phase probe having a single charge terminal.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the guided surface waveguide probe further comprises a feed network electrically coupled to the single charge terminal, the feed network providing a phase delay (Φ) that matches a wave tilt angle (W) associated with a complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ i,B ) associated with the terrestrial medium in a vicinity of the guided surface waveguide probe.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the guided surface waveguide probe further comprises a compensation terminal.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the guided surface wave decays exponentially as a function of a distance from the guided surface waveguide probe.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the guided surface waveguide probe further comprises an anti-skywave structure.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the modulation circuitry is directly coupled to a circuit component of the guided surface waveguide probe.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the modulation circuitry is inductively coupled to a circuit component of the guided surface waveguide probe.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the modulation circuitry further comprises amplitude modulation circuitry, and a modulation type performed by the amplitude modulation circuitry is taken from a group consisting of a double-sideband full carrier, a single-sideband reduced-carrier, a single-sideband full-carrier, single-sideband suppressed-carrier, an independent-sideband emission, a vestigial-sideband, or a linked compressor and expander.

13. A method, comprising:
coupling an amplitude modulated signal to a guided surface waveguide probe; and
launching a guided surface wave embodying the amplitude modulated signal via the guided surface waveguide probe, wherein the guided surface wave decays exponentially as a function of a distance from the guided surface waveguide probe.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the guided surface wave is launched while minimizing creation of a skywave.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the guided surface wave propagates along an interface of an atmospheric medium and a terrestrial medium.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the guided surface waveguide probe further comprises a single phase waveguide probe having a charge terminal and a feed network electrically coupled to the charge terminal, and the step of launching the guided surface wave via the guided surface waveguide probe further comprises the step of generating a resultant field that matches a wave tilt angle (Ψ) associated with a complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ i,B ) associated with a terrestrial medium in a vicinity of the guided surface waveguide probe.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the guided surface waveguide probe comprises at least one charge terminal elevated over a terrestrial medium, and the step of launching the guided surface wave via the guided surface waveguide probe along the terrestrial medium further comprises the step of generating at least one resultant field that synthesizes a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ i,B ) of the terrestrial medium at a vicinity of the guided surface waveguide probe.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising generating the amplitude modulated signal.

19. A system, comprising:
means for generating a modulated signal; and
means for launching a guided surface wave embodying the modulated signal along an interface of an atmospheric medium and a terrestrial medium, wherein the guided surface wave decays exponentially as a function of a distance from said means for generating modulated signal.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the means for launching the guided surface wave generates a resultant field that matches a wave tilt angle (Ψ) associated with a complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ i,B ) associated with the terrestrial medium in a vicinity of a site of the launching of the guided surface wave.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the means for launching the guided surface wave generates at least one resultant field that synthesizes a wave front incident at a complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ i,B ) of the terrestrial medium at a vicinity of a site of the launching of the guided surface wave.

22. An apparatus, comprising:
a guided surface waveguide probe having a charge terminal and a feed network coupled to the charge terminal, the feed network including a phase delay circuit positioned adjacent to the charge terminal;
modulation circuitry coupled to the guided surface waveguide probe, the modulation circuitry being configured to generate a modulated signal, the modulated signal being applied to the guided surface waveguide probe; and
the guided surface waveguide probe being adjusted to launch a guided surface wave along a terrestrial medium, the guided surface wave embodying the modulated signal.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the feed network further comprises a conductor, a first end of the conductor being coupled to the phase delay circuit, and a second end of the conductor being coupled to an output of the modulation circuitry.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the feed network further comprises a feed line coupling the phase delay circuit to the charge terminal.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the phase delay circuit further comprises a coil, and the conductor is coupled to a tap on the coil.

26. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the phase delay circuit further comprises a coil, and the conductor is coupled to an end of the coil.

27. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein:
the feed network further comprises a conductor, a first end of the conductor being coupled to a ground stake, and a second end of the conductor being coupled to the modulation circuitry; and
an output of the modulation circuitry is coupled to the phase delay circuit.

28. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the phase delay circuit further comprises a reactive component.

Assignees

• Cpg Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Corum James F
• Corum Kenneth L

Classifications

• H04B3/52

  Systems for transmission between fixed stations via waveguides · CPC title

• H01Q1/00

  Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas (arrangements for varying orientation of directional pattern H01Q3/00) · CPC title

• H01P3/00 Primary

  Waveguides; Transmission lines of the waveguide type · CPC title

• H01P5/00

  Coupling devices of the waveguide type · CPC title

• H01P1/182 Primary

  Waveguide phase-shifters (H01P1/181, H01P1/185, H01P1/19 take precedence) · CPC title