Buried object locator system employing automated virtual depth event detection and signaling
US8248056B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 31, 2008 |
| Grant date | Aug 21, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 22, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01R29/0878
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A human-portable utility locator system for locating and tracing a buried utility line characterized by an electromagnetic field emission. The locator may include a horizontal spaced sensor pair for detecting the horizontal field asymmetry of the emitted field in one or more independent frequency bands, which is employed to assist in determining an accurate “virtual depth” measurement for producing detection events. An event detector may be disposed to detect events corresponding to extremum in the B-field gradient with respect to time and a user interface (UI) coupled to the event detector signals the detected event to a user. In a preferred embodiment, one pair of spaced-apart 3D magnetic sensor arrays is disposed substantially orthogonal to another intermediate spaced-apart pair of sensors.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.