Keyed current signal utility locating systems and methods
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A transmitter system for use with a buried utility locator, comprising:
- a utility locator transmitter including;
a signal generation module and data encoding module for generating ones of a plurality of different keyed signals, wherein the keyed signals include data defining a utility type or designator;
an output current signal generator module for receiving the plurality of different keyed signals and generating one or more current output signals for coupling to a buried utility; and
a utility current coupling element comprising a utility designator, the utility current coupling element operatively coupled to the utility locator transmitter for providing a signal to the signal generation module representing a utility type or designator on which the current output signal from the transmitter is coupled to.
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Abstract
Utility locating systems using keyed magnetic field signaling are disclosed. the systems include a utility locating transmitter for generating and outputting one or more different keyed current output signals, where the keyed signals include data defining a utility type or designator a locator sub-system, and corresponding utility locators for receiving keyed magnetic field signals resulting from flow of the keyed output current signals in the utilities and determining locate information and utility type information from the received magnetic field signals.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A transmitter system for use with a buried utility locator, comprising:
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a utility locator transmitter including; a signal generation module and data encoding module for generating ones of a plurality of different keyed signals, wherein the keyed signals include data defining a utility type or designator; an output current signal generator module for receiving the plurality of different keyed signals and generating one or more current output signals for coupling to a buried utility; and a utility current coupling element comprising a utility designator, the utility current coupling element operatively coupled to the utility locator transmitter for providing a signal to the signal generation module representing a utility type or designator on which the current output signal from the transmitter is coupled to. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A transmitter system for use with a buried utility locator, comprising:
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a utility locator transmitter including; a signal generation module and data encoding module for generating ones of a plurality of different keyed signals, wherein the keyed signals include data defining a utility type or designator; and an output current signal generator module for receiving the plurality of different keyed signals and generating one or more current output signals for coupling to a buried utility; wherein a signal is provided to the signal generation module representing a utility type based on a user input to a user interface/control module of the transmitter.
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5. A transmitter system for use with a buried utility locator, comprising:
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a utility locator transmitter including; a signal generation module and data encoding module for generating ones of a plurality of different keyed signals, wherein the keyed signals include data defining a utility type or designator; an output current signal generator module for receiving the plurality of different keyed signals and generating one or more current output signals for coupling to a buried utility; and a magnetic field dipole data sonde, wherein a magnetic field signal provided from the data sonde includes data representing one or both of a ground stake or clamp and a utility designator. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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7. A utility locator, comprising:
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a locator housing; a magnetic field antenna array for receiving a keyed magnetic field signal; a locator receiver module coupled to an output of the magnetic field antenna array for determining locate information associated with one or more buried utilities based on the keyed magnetic field signal received at the magnetic field antenna array; an interpretation/decoding module to decode a utility type associated with the keying imposed on the magnetic field signal received at the magnetic field antenna array; and a processing element and non-transitory memory for associating the locate information and the utility type data and storing the associated locate information and utility type data in the non-transitory memory. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A utility locating system using keyed magnetic field signaling, comprising:
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a transmitter sub-system comprising; a utility locator transmitter including; a signal generation module and data encoding module for generating ones of a plurality of different keyed signals, wherein the keyed signals include data defining a utility type or designator; and an output current signal generator module for receiving the plurality of different keyed signals and generating one or more current output signals for coupling to a buried utility; and a locator sub-system, comprising; a locator housing; a magnetic field antenna array for receiving the one or more keyed magnetic field signals provided from the transmitter; a locator receiver module coupled to an output of the magnetic field antenna array for determining locate information associated with one or more buried utilities based on the one or more keyed magnetic field signals received at the magnetic field antenna array, where the keyed magnetic field signals are is-generated by flow of one or more of the current output signals in the buried utility; an interpretation/decoding module to decode a utility type associated with the keying imposed on the magnetic field signal received at the magnetic field antenna array; and a processing element and non-transitory memory for associating the locate information and the utility type data and storing the associated locate information and utility type data in the non-transitory memory. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of locating buried utilities and identifying utility types, comprising:
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generating, in a utility locator transmitter, ones of a plurality of different keyed signals, wherein the keyed signals include data defining a utility type or designator; and receiving, in the utility locator transmitter, the plurality of different keyed signals; generating one or more current output signals based on the plurality of different keyed signals; providing the one or more current output signals to a coupling element for coupling the one or more current signals to a buried utilities; receiving, in a utility locator, a keyed magnetic field signal emitted from the buried utility based in flow of one or more of the keyed current signals in the buried utility; determining locate information associated with the buried utilities based on the keyed magnetic field signal; decoding a utility type associated with keying imposed on a magnetic field signal received at the magnetic field antenna array; associating the locate information and the utility type data; and storing the associated locate information and utility type data in the non-transitory memory. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification