Deterring theft in wireless power systems

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.

Therefore, the following is claimed: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a guided surface wave receive structure configured to obtain electrical energy from a guided surface wave traveling along a terrestrial medium;   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; and   processing circuitry comprising memory and at least one hardware processor that directs the apparatus to:
 authenticate the apparatus by communicating with a remote computing device over a network; 
 access an allotted power consumption for the apparatus; and 
 selectively control access to power consumed by the electrical load from at least one of an auxiliary power source or the guided surface wave receive structure, wherein access to the power provided to the electrical load is selectively controlled based at least in part on the allotted power consumption. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an impedance matching network that generates a current optimized for the electrical load. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the memory comprises memory of a media interface, the allotted power consumption being accessed from the memory of the media interface. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the apparatus is further directed to:
 access an identifier from the memory of the media interface that uniquely identifies the media interface; and   wherein the apparatus is authenticated by communicating the identifier to the remote computing device over the network for authentication by the remote computing device.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the guided surface wave comprises one of a plurality of guided surface waves;   the guided surface waveguide probe comprises one of a plurality of guided surface waveguide probes, each of the plurality of guided surface waves being generated by a respective one of the plurality of guided surface waveguide probes at a different frequency;   the apparatus is further directed to:
 identify a sequence of a plurality of predefined frequencies from the memory of the media interface; and 
 tune the guided surface wave receive structure to match at least one of the plurality of predefined frequencies in accordance with the sequence to obtain the electrical energy from the guided surface wave. 
   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary power source further comprises a battery or a wired power connection. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the allotted power consumption is received by the apparatus from the remote computing device, the remote computing device being configured to determine the allotted power consumption using the identifier. 
     
     
         8 . A method, comprising:
 receiving an authentication request from an electronic device having an electrical load, wherein the electronic device is configured to receive electrical energy in the form of a guided surface wave using a guided surface wave receive structure;   authenticating the electronic device based at least in part on an identifier received in the authentication request; and   in response to the electronic device being authenticated, directing the electronic device to selectively control access to power consumed by the electrical load from at least one of an auxiliary power source or the guided surface wave receive structure, wherein access to the power provided to the electrical load is selectively controlled based at least in part on an allotted power consumption.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the identifier is accessed by the electronic device upon a connection of a media interface made in association with the electronic device, the identifier uniquely identifying the media interface. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the media interface comprises a removable media interface. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 monitoring a power consumption of the electrical load; and   in response to the power consumption of the electrical load meeting or exceeding the allotted power consumption, perform a predetermined task.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the predetermined task comprises directing the electronic device to perform at least one of: disabling receiver circuitry by grounding a portion of the receiver circuitry, disabling a latch, disabling the electrical load coupled to the receiver circuitry. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising, after the predetermined task is performed by the electronic device, directing the electronic device to supply power to the electrical load using an auxiliary power source. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the auxiliary power source is a battery or a wired power connection. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the guided surface wave comprises one of a plurality of guided surface waves;   the guided surface waveguide probe comprises one of a plurality of guided surface waveguide probes, each of the plurality of guided surface waves being generated by a respective one of the plurality of guided surface waveguide probes at a different one of a plurality of predefined frequencies; and   further comprising directing the electrical device to tune the guided surface wave receive structure to match at least one of the plurality of predefined frequencies in accordance with a predetermined sequence to obtain the electrical energy from the guided surface wave.   
     
     
         16 . An electrical device, comprising:
 a guided surface wave receive structure configured to obtain electrical energy from a guided surface wave traveling along a terrestrial medium;   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;   means for authenticating the electrical device by communicating with a remote computing device over a network;   means for accessing an allotted power consumption for the electrical device; and   means for selectively controlling access to power consumed by the electrical load from at least one of an auxiliary power source or the guided surface wave receive structure, wherein access to the power provided to the electrical load is selectively controlled based at least in part on the allotted power consumption.   
     
     
         17 . The electrical device of  claim 16 , further comprising an impedance matching network that generates a current optimized for the electrical load. 
     
     
         18 . The electrical device of  claim 16 , wherein the allotted power consumption is accessed from memory of a media interface, the allotted power consumption being accessed from the memory of the media interface. 
     
     
         19 . The electrical device of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 means for accessing an identifier from the memory of the media interface that uniquely identifies the media interface; and   wherein the electrical device is authenticated by communicating the identifier to the remote computing device over the network for authentication by the remote computing device.   
     
     
         20 . The electrical device of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the guided surface wave comprises one of a plurality of guided surface waves;   the guided surface waveguide probe comprises one of a plurality of guided surface waveguide probes, each of the plurality of guided surface waves being generated by a respective one of the plurality of guided surface waveguide probes at a different frequency;   the electrical device further comprises:
 means for identifying a sequence of a plurality of predefined frequencies from the memory of the media interface; and 
 means for tuning the guided surface wave receive structure to match at least one of the plurality of predefined frequencies in accordance with the sequence to obtain the electrical energy from the guided surface wave.