Dual antenna systems with variable polarization

• US 10,608,348 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2013
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seescan, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Seescan, Inc.
• Inventors: Bench, Stephanie M., Olsson, Mark S., Merewether, Ray, Levin, Ryan B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Magloire, Vladimir
• Assistant Examiner(s): Seraydaryan, Helena H
• Application Number:
  US13/851,951
• Publication Number:
  US 20140111376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,561 Days
• Field of Search: 34235751
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/13 Receivers
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/22 Multipath-related issues
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/36 relating to the receiver frond end
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/021 Calibration, monitoring or correction G01S5/0252 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0284 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/26 Turnstile or like antennas comprising arrangements of three or more elongated elements disposed radially and symmetrically in a horizontal plane about a common centre
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 25/001 Crossed polarisation dual antennas orthomode horns H01Q13/0258; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; orthomode transducers H01P1/161
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/44 with a plurality of divergent straight elements, e.g. V-dipole, X-antenna; with a plurality of elements having mutually inclined substantially straight portions combinations of two or more active elements H01Q21/00; turnstile antennas H01Q21/26

Abstract

Antenna systems for receiving transmitted signals comprising at least a first tuned antenna disposed in a known relationship spatially with a second antenna, with the first tuned antenna electrically connected to the second antenna, are disclosed. The antenna system may be configured to allow the antennas to reliably discriminate between left-hand and right-hand polarized circular signals.

Claims

1. A buried utility locating system, comprising:

an electronic locating receiver for locating a buried utility based on sensing and processing magnetic field signals emitted from the buried utility;

a GPS antenna array including a left hand polarized antenna structure including a left vane and left ramp for receiving a left hand circularly polarized GPS signal and a right hand polarized antenna structure including a right vane and a right ramp for receiving a right hand circularly polarized GPS signal;

a GPS receiver module coupled to GPS antenna array outputs for providing information associated with a position of the electronic locating receiver; and

a transmitting sonde beacon positioned coaxially with a center point of the GPS antenna array;

wherein the sonde beacon transmits a magnetic field signal for detection by the electronic locating receiver and the electronic locating receiver determines a distance from the GPS antenna array to the locator and a distance from the locator to the buried utility and combines the two depth calculations to determine an offset from the GPS antenna position.

3. The locating system of claim 1, wherein the locator includes at least one flashing light configured as a safety warning device.

4. The locating system in claim 1, further including a mast configured to support the GPS antenna.

5. The locating system of claim 4, wherein the mast includes at least one flashing light configured as a safety warning device.

9. The locating system of claim 1, wherein the GPS antenna provides to the receiver:

a first output signal responsive to the right hand circularly polarized GPS signal; and

a second output signal responsive to the left hand circularly polarized GPS signal; and

wherein the information associated with a position of the locating receiver is based on both the first output signal and the second output signal.

10. The locating system of claim 9, wherein the first left hand polarized antenna structure and the right hand polarized antenna structure are co-located.

11. The locating system of claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a sonde beacon.

12. The locating system of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the GPS antenna array comprises:

a molded support form including the ramped vane structures;

a ground plane attached to the support form;

a plurality of conductive wires positioned on the ramps of the vane structures and electrically connected to a plurality of coaxial conductors.

13. The locating system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of coaxial conductors comprise an upper coaxial conductor and a lower coaxial conductor.

14. The locating system of claim 13, wherein a first conductor of the upper coaxial conductor and a first conductor of the lower coaxial conductor are electrically coupled to the ground plane, and wherein a second conductor of the upper coaxial conductor and a second conductor of the lower coaxial conductor are electrically coupled to corresponding signal takeoff connectors of the GPS antenna array left hand polarized antenna structure and right hand antenna polarized structure.

15. The locating system of claim 1, wherein the sonde beacon transmits on two or more frequencies and the locating receiver is configured to receive signals from the sonde beacon at the two or more frequencies.

2. A buried utility locating system, comprising:

an electronic locating receiver circuit for locating a buried utility based on sensing and processing magnetic field signals emitted from the buried utility to determine a position of a buried utility;

a GPS receiver module; and

a GPS antenna coupled to the receiver module;

wherein the GPS antenna comprises;

an antenna array including multiple conductive antenna elements comprising at least two antennas having antenna elements configured for receiving a right hand circularly polarized GPS signal and a left hand circularly polarized GPS signal;

wherein the array of orthogonal antenna conductive antenna elements includes elements disposed at two or more different heights above a ground plane;

a supporting element;

a standoff conductive element; and

a ground plane; and

a transmitting sonde beacon positioned coaxially with a common center of the GPS antenna array.

6. The locating system of claim 2, wherein at least one element of the antenna array is a tunable element, and wherein a reception beam of the antenna is tunable by physical adjustment of the at least one element.

7. The locating system of claim 6, wherein, wherein the beam is tuned electronically.

8. The locating system of claim 6, wherein the beam is tuned automatically based on a computer control signal.

16. The locating system of claim 2, wherein the sonde beacon transmits on two or more frequencies and the locating receiver is configured to receive signals from the sonde beacon at the two or more frequencies.