Guided Surface Waveguide Probe for Wireless Power Theft Deterrence
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies lack efficient structures for launching open surface guided waves over planar or spherical surfaces of lossy, homogeneous media, with no practical methods existing for accomplishing this with significant efficiency.
Innovation Solution
Guided surface waveguide probes are configured to excite electric fields that couple into a guided surface wave mode along the surface of a lossy conducting medium, substantially mode-matched in magnitude and phase to a Zenneck waveguide mode, launching a guided electromagnetic field in the form of a guided surface wave along the surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional antenna structures are used to transmit signals by radio waves, then radiation fields can be launched, but efficient launching of open surface guided waves over lossy media is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a specialized probe structure as an intermediary device that couples energy into guided surface wave modes. The probe includes specific components (conductive element, dielectric material, resonant structure) that act as a mediator between the power source and the lossy conducting medium, enabling efficient energy transfer through guided waves rather than direct radiation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs resonant frequency tuning and impedance matching as parameter changes to optimize energy coupling. By adjusting the resonant parameters of the probe structure and matching the impedance between the source and the guided wave mode, the system achieves maximum power transfer efficiency while minimizing losses in the lossy medium.
2Productivity
If no practical methods exist for launching guided surface waves with significant efficiency, then energy transmission can occur, but the efficiency is insufficient for practical applications
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring the probe structure with specific geometric parameters, dielectric materials, and resonant characteristics before operation. The system performs preliminary impedance matching and resonance tuning to ensure optimal coupling conditions are established before power transmission begins, thereby ensuring both high efficiency and reliable operation.
3Loss of energy
If guided surface wave modes are not mode-matched, then energy can be transmitted, but significant efficiency is not achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves mode matching through careful selection and adjustment of physical parameters including the probe's geometric dimensions, dielectric constant values, resonant frequency, and impedance characteristics. By optimizing these parameters, the probe's electromagnetic field distribution is matched to the guided surface wave mode, minimizing energy loss due to mode mismatch while maintaining manufacturability through standard fabrication techniques.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables the efficient launch of guided surface waves along lossy conducting media, such as the Earth, with the waves being mode-matched to a Zenneck waveguide mode, overcoming the inefficiencies of previous methods.
Implementation Method 1
excite electric fields that couple into a guided surface wave mode along the surface of a lossy conducting medium
Implementation Method 2
substantially mode-matched in magnitude and phase to a Zenneck waveguide mode on the terrestrial medium
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5A
AI summary
Various embodiments for deterring theft in wireless power systems are disclosed. In one embodiment, an electrical device includes 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 is 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.