Trackable dipole devices, methods, and systems for use with marking paint sticks
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A paint marking stick for use with a utility locating and marking system, comprising:
- an elongate paint marking stick body having a proximal end and a distal end;
a handle coupled at or near the proximal end of the marking stick body;
a paint dispenser assembly coupled at or near the distal end of the marking stick body for dispensing paint;
a trackable magnetic field dipole device including a body, a power supply, an alternating current (AC) signal generator, and a magnetic field dipole antenna operatively coupled to the AC signal generator for generating a magnetic field dipole signal at the AC frequency, the dipole device coupled at or near the distal end of the body;
an actuator; and
an actuation apparatus operatively coupled to the actuator for deploying paint from the paint dispenser assembly and initiating generation of the magnetic field dipole signal from the trackable dipole device;
wherein the magnetic field dipole signal is generated in conjunction with deployment of paint from the paint dispenser assembly.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Location systems and methods for locating paint and other markings on a surface are disclosed. A paint marking stick may include a magnetic field sonde that is actuated in conjunction with dispensing of paint or other markers, where the sonde generates a magnetic field signal in conjunction with dispensing of paint or placement of a marker. A corresponding utility locator may receive the sonde magnetic field dipole signal and determine and store positional information and type information associated with the paint or other marker.
66 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A paint marking stick for use with a utility locating and marking system, comprising:
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an elongate paint marking stick body having a proximal end and a distal end; a handle coupled at or near the proximal end of the marking stick body; a paint dispenser assembly coupled at or near the distal end of the marking stick body for dispensing paint; a trackable magnetic field dipole device including a body, a power supply, an alternating current (AC) signal generator, and a magnetic field dipole antenna operatively coupled to the AC signal generator for generating a magnetic field dipole signal at the AC frequency, the dipole device coupled at or near the distal end of the body; an actuator; and an actuation apparatus operatively coupled to the actuator for deploying paint from the paint dispenser assembly and initiating generation of the magnetic field dipole signal from the trackable dipole device; wherein the magnetic field dipole signal is generated in conjunction with deployment of paint from the paint dispenser assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A trackable dipole attachment for use with a paint marking stick in a utility locating and marking system, comprising:
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a body including an attachment mechanism to removably coupled the trackable dipole attachment to the paint marking stick; an alternating current (AC) signal generator; a magnetic field dipole antenna operatively coupled to an output of the AC signal generator, the dipole antenna positioned at or near the distal end of the body; and an actuation apparatus for deploying paint from the paint dispenser assembly and initiating generation of a magnetic field dipole signal in conjunction with dispensing of marking paint from the paint stick. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A utility locating and marking system, comprising:
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a utility locator for sensing magnetic fields, including one or more magnetic field antenna arrays and a processing element for processing received magnetic field signals; and paint stick, comprising; an elongate paint stick body having a proximal end and a distal end; a handle coupled at or near the proximal end of the body; a paint dispenser assembly coupled at or near the distal end of the body for dispensing paint; a trackable dipole device, including a body, an alternating current (AC) signal generator, and a magnetic field dipole antenna, coupled at or near the distal end of the body; an actuator; and an actuation apparatus coupled to the actuator to; deploy paint from the paint dispenser assembly to generate a mark; and initiate generation of an electromagnetic dipole signal from the trackable dipole device; wherein the electromagnetic dipole signal is generated in conjunction with deployment of paint from the paint dispenser assembly and wherein information associated with a position of the trackable dipole device is determined in the processing element of the utility locator based on receiving and processing the electromagnetic dipole signal in the one or more utility locator antenna arrays. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification