Buried asset detection simulator using retrofitted electromagnetic locate device

• US 10,304,351 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2017
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UTTO Incorporated
• Original Assignee: IPEG Corporation
• Inventors: Haddy, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Neel D
• Application Number:
  US15/617,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20170323580A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/081 the magnetic field is produced by the objects or geological structures characterised by the method of magnetic field measurement G01R33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/15 specially adapted for use during transport, e.g. by a person, vehicle or boat
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/17 operating with electromagnetic waves operating with millimetre waves G01V8/005
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/006 for locating or ranging of objects

Abstract

A printed circuit card assembly (PCBA) configured for retrofitting a conventional electromagnetic locator device (ELD) for a simulator system is provided. The PCBA includes a printed circuit board (PCB), data connectors, each data connector configured for communicatively coupling with a separate one of antenna amplifiers on the conventional ELD, a low-power radio frequency (RF) receiver for receiving emulated electromagnetic (EM) field data, a processor for reading the emulated EM field data that includes constituent parts, wherein each constituent part corresponds to EM field data for a specific one of the antenna amplifiers on the conventional ELD, disassembling the emulated EM field data into its constituent parts, and transmitting to the antenna amplifiers, via the data connectors, the constituent part of the emulated EM field data that corresponds to said antenna amplifier, thereby emulating an EM field on the conventional ELD.

Claims

1. A printed circuit card assembly (PCBA) configured for retrofitting a conventional electromagnetic locator device (ELD) for a simulator system, the PCBA comprising:

a printed circuit board (PCB) including a plurality of electrical components;

at least one orifice in the PCB configured for fastening to the conventional ELD;

a first communications bus for transferring data;

a first power network for distributing power;

a power connector configured for conductively coupling the first power network with a power network on the conventional ELD;

at least three data connectors, each data connector configured for communicatively coupling with a separate one of at least three antenna amplifiers on the conventional ELD;

a low-power radio frequency (RF) receiver communicatively coupled with the first communications bus and conductively coupled with the first power network, the RF receiver configured for receiving, over RF, emulated electromagnetic (EM) field data;

a processor communicatively coupled with the first communications bus and conductively coupled with the first power network, the processor configured for;

a) reading the emulated EM field data received by the RF receiver, which comprises at least three constituent parts, wherein each constituent part corresponds to EM field data for a specific one of the at least three antenna amplifiers on the conventional ELD;

b) disassembling the emulated EM field data into said at least three constituent parts;

c) transmitting to each one of the at least three antenna amplifiers on the conventional ELD, via the at least three data connectors, the constituent part of the emulated EM field data that corresponds to said antenna amplifier, thereby emulating an EM field on the conventional ELD.

2. A system for simulating a buried asset locate procedure, the system comprising:

a conventional electromagnetic locator device (ELD);

a printed circuit card assembly (PCBA) configured for outfitting the conventional ELD, the PCBA comprising;

a printed circuit board (PCB) including a plurality of electrical components;

at least one orifice in the PCB configured for fastening to the conventional ELD;

a first communications bus for transferring data;

a first power network for distributing power;

a power connector configured for conductively coupling the first power network with a power network on the conventional ELD;

at least three data connectors, each data connector configured for communicatively coupling with a separate one of at least three antenna amplifiers on the conventional ELD;

a low-power radio frequency (RF) receiver communicatively coupled with the first communications bus and conductively coupled with the first power network, the RF receiver configured for receiving, over RF, emulated electromagnetic (EM) field data;

a processor communicatively coupled with the first communications bus and conductively coupled with the first power network, the processor configured for;

a) reading the emulated EM field data received by the RF receiver, which comprises at least three constituent parts, wherein each constituent part corresponds to EM field data for a specific one of the at least three antenna amplifiers on the conventional ELD;

b) disassembling the emulated EM field data into said at least three constituent parts;

c) transmitting to each one of the at least three antenna amplifiers on the conventional ELD, via the at least three data connectors, the constituent part of the emulated EM field data that corresponds to said antenna amplifier, thereby emulating an EM field on the conventional ELD.

3. A system for simulating a buried asset locate procedure, the system comprising:

a conventional electromagnetic locator device (ELD);

a computing system configured for;

     1) loading a field training scenario comprising a description of one or more buried assets,

     2) wirelessly receiving a current position and orientation of the ELD within a predefined area,

     3) calculating emulated electromagnetic (EM) field data based on the current position and orientation of the ELD, and

     4) wirelessly transmitting said emulated EM field data;

a computing device coupled to the ELD, the computing device configured for determining a current position and orientation of the ELD, and wirelessly transmitting said current position and orientation of the ELD to the computing system;

a printed circuit card assembly (PCBA) configured for modernizing the conventional ELD, the PCBA comprising;

a printed circuit board (PCB) including a plurality of electrical components;

at least one orifice in the PCB configured for fastening to the conventional ELD;

a first communications bus for transferring data;

a first power network for distributing power;

a power connector configured for conductively coupling the first power network with a power network on the conventional ELD;

at least three data connectors, each data connector configured for communicatively coupling with a separate one of at least three antenna amplifiers on the conventional ELD;

a low-power radio frequency (RF) receiver communicatively coupled with the first communications bus and conductively coupled with the first power network, the RF receiver configured for receiving, over RF, the emulated EM field data from the computing system;

a processor communicatively coupled with the first communications bus and conductively coupled with the first power network, the processor configured for;

a) reading the emulated EM field data received by the RF receiver, which comprises at least three constituent parts, wherein each constituent part corresponds to EM field data for a specific one of the at least three antenna amplifiers on the conventional ELD;

b) disassembling the emulated EM field data into said at least three constituent parts;

c) transmitting to each one of the at least three antenna amplifiers on the conventional ELD, via the at least three data connectors, the constituent part of the emulated EM field data that corresponds to said antenna amplifier, thereby emulating an EM field on the conventional ELD.