Method and apparatus to minimize gradient errors in buried utility depth measurements
US8878537B1 · kind B1 · utility
1Cited by
12References
20Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 3, 2011 |
| Grant date | Nov 4, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 3, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01V3/104
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A buried utility locator uses the “gradient method” to determine the depth of a buried, current-carrying utility. The method and corresponding apparatus used in said locator, to minimize field gradient measurement errors, includes first and second antennas. Both the first and second antennas are mounted along a common vertical axis inside the locator's housing. The first antenna is a gradiometer formed by two vertically spaced-apart magnetic field sensors connected in a differential configuration. The second antenna provides a secondary field measurement along the direction of the gradient sensor axes.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.