Geolocation 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 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.

Therefore, the following is claimed: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 a first guided surface waveguide probe configured to launch a first guided surface wave comprising a first wave front incident at a first complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ i,B ) of a lossy conducting medium;   a second guided surface waveguide probe configured to launch a second guided surface wave comprising a second wave front at a second complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ i,B ) of the lossy conducting medium; and   a third guided surface waveguide probe configured to launch a third guided surface wave that comprises a third wave front at a third complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ i,B ) of the third lossy conducting medium.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a guided surface wave receiver connected to the second guided surface waveguide probe, wherein the second guided surface waveguide probe is configured to launch the second guided surface wave in response to receipt of the first guided surface wave by the guided surface wave receiver. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a guided surface wave receiver connected to the third guided surface waveguide probe, wherein the third guided surface waveguide probe is configured to launch the third guided surface wave in response to receipt of the third guided surface wave by the guided surface wave receiver. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first guided surface wave, the second guided surface wave, or the third guided surface wave comprises a carrier wave for transmitting data, the data comprising a transmission packet that comprises:
 a time stamp representing a transmission time of the transmission packet; and   a location of the first guided surface waveguide probe, the second guided surface waveguide probe, or the third guided surface waveguide probe.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first guided surface wave, the second guided surface wave, and the third guided surface wave are launched at different frequencies. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second guided surface is phase locked to the first guided surface wave. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the third guided surface wave is phase locked to the first guided surface wave. 
     
     
         8 . A method, comprising:
 launching a first guided surface wave, the first guided surface wave having a first frequency and a first wave front incident at a first complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ i,B ) of a lossy conducting medium;   launching a second guided that is phase locked with the first guided surface wave, the second guided surface wave having a second frequency and a second wave front incident at a second complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ i,B ) of the lossy conducting medium; and   launching a third guided surface wave that is phased locked with the first guided surface wave, the third guided surface wave having a third frequency and a third wave front incident at a third complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ i,B ) of the lossy conducting medium.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first frequency, the second frequency, and the third frequency are a harmonic of a base frequency. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the second frequency and the third frequency are a harmonic of the first frequency. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the first guided surface wave is a continuously generated wave. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the second guided surface wave is a continuously generated wave. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the third guided surface wave is a continuously generated wave. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first guided surface wave, the second guided surface wave, or the third guided surface wave is amplitude modulated to carry a transmission packet comprising an initial phase of the first guided surface wave. 
     
     
         15 . A system, comprising:
 a first guided surface waveguide probe configured to launch a first guided surface wave, the first guided surface wave having a first frequency and a first wave front incident at a first complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ i,B ) of a lossy conducting medium;   a second guided surface waveguide probe configured to launch second guided that is phase locked with the first guided surface wave, the second guided surface wave having a second frequency and a second wave front incident at a second complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ i,B ) of the lossy conducting medium; and   a third guided surface waveguide probe configured to launch a third guided surface wave that is phased locked with the first guided surface wave, the third guided surface wave having a third frequency and a third wave front incident at a third complex Brewster angle of incidence (θ i,B ) of the lossy conducting medium.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the first frequency, the second frequency, and the third frequency are a harmonic of a base frequency. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the second frequency and the third frequency are a harmonic of the first frequency. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the first guided surface wave comprises a continuously generated wave. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the second guided surface wave or the third guided surface wave comprises a continuously generated wave. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the first guided surface wave, the second guided surface wave, or the third guided surface wave is amplitude modulated to carry a transmission packet comprising an initial phase of the first guided surface wave.