Position and orientation locator/monitor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system, comprising:
- a transmitter which forms part of an inground portion of the system including a transmitting section having an input and configured for emitting a dipole field signal in response to a voltage at its input, and a power providing section including a battery for producing a battery voltage having a strength that decays with time and a voltage controlled regulator connected to receive said battery voltage for use in providing a supply voltage at the input of said transmitting section such that the transmitting section emits said dipole field signal in a particular way; and
a receiver for receiving said dipole field signal and configured for storing a proportionality constant, that relates a depth of the transmitter to an inverse cubic root of the dipole field signal, for use in combination with said proportionality constant by the receiver to determine the depth of the transmitter relative to the receiver, wherein said supply voltage is sufficiently regulated by said regulator to cause the dipole field signal to be emitted in said particular way such that use of the proportionality constant by the receiver results in a determination of the depth of the transmitter, independent of changes in said strength of said battery so long as the battery remains operable, whereby the frequency with which the proportionality constant must be re-determined is reduced from what would be required without the sufficient regulation of said supply voltage by said regulator.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a locator/monitor capable of locating a boring tool and monitoring the progress of the tool for control purposes. The locator/monitor may be used in expedited locating methodology and straightforward calibration techniques of the present invention. A durable and cost effective pitch sensor is also provided by the present invention. In addition, the present invention provides a slotted transmitter housing formed of an electrically conductive material, where the magnetic field generated by the transmitter is capable of penetrating to the surface.
37 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A system, comprising:
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a transmitter which forms part of an inground portion of the system including a transmitting section having an input and configured for emitting a dipole field signal in response to a voltage at its input, and a power providing section including a battery for producing a battery voltage having a strength that decays with time and a voltage controlled regulator connected to receive said battery voltage for use in providing a supply voltage at the input of said transmitting section such that the transmitting section emits said dipole field signal in a particular way; and
a receiver for receiving said dipole field signal and configured for storing a proportionality constant, that relates a depth of the transmitter to an inverse cubic root of the dipole field signal, for use in combination with said proportionality constant by the receiver to determine the depth of the transmitter relative to the receiver, wherein said supply voltage is sufficiently regulated by said regulator to cause the dipole field signal to be emitted in said particular way such that use of the proportionality constant by the receiver results in a determination of the depth of the transmitter, independent of changes in said strength of said battery so long as the battery remains operable, whereby the frequency with which the proportionality constant must be re-determined is reduced from what would be required without the sufficient regulation of said supply voltage by said regulator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. For use in a system as part of an inground portion thereof which emits a dipole field signal for reception by a receiver at least for use in determining a depth of the inground portion, a transmitter which forms part of the inground portion, said transmitter comprising:
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a battery for providing a battery voltage;
a transmitting section having a voltage input and configured for emitting the dipole field signal; and
a voltage controlled regulation section for providing a regulated output voltage to said voltage input of the transmitting section using said battery voltage to cause the dipole field signal to be emitted by the transmitting section such that a determination of the depth of said transmitter, and thereby, the depth of the inground portion, by said receiver is made solely as a function of said dipole field signal and a proportionality constant that relates the depth of the transmitter to an inverse cubic root of the dipole field signal. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A system, comprising:
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a transmitter which forms part of an inground portion of the system for emitting a dipole field signal including a battery for providing a battery voltage, a transmitting section having a voltage input and configured for emitting the dipole field signal in a particular way, and a voltage controlled regulation section for providing a regulated output voltage to said voltage input of the transmitting section using said battery voltage to cause the dipole field signal to be emitted by the transmitting section in said particular way;
a receiver for (i) storing a proportionality constant that relates a depth of the transmitter to an inverse cubic root of the dipole field signal, (ii) receiving said dipole field signal, and (iii) based on emission of said dipole field in said particular way, determining a depth of said transmitter solely as a function of said dipole field signal and the proportionality constant. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. For use in a system as part of an inground portion thereof which emits a dipole field signal for reception by a receiver in which a depth of the inground portion relative to the receiver can be determined using said dipole field signal and a proportionality constant (i) that is stored by the receiver and (ii) that relates the depth of the inground portion, in relation to the receiver, to an inverse cubic root of the dipole field signal, a transmitter which forms part of the inground portion, said transmitter comprising:
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a transmitting section having an input and configured for emitting the dipole field signal in response to a voltage at its input; and
a power providing section including a battery for producing a battery voltage having a strength that decays with time and a voltage controlled regulator connected to receive said battery voltage for use in providing a supply voltage at the input of said transmitting section such that the transmitting section emits said dipole field signal that is used in combination with said proportionality constant by the receiver to determine the depth of the transmitter relative to the receiver, said supply voltage being sufficiently regulated by said regulator such that use by the receiver of the proportionality constant results in a determination of the depth of the transmitter, independent of changes in said strength of said battery so long as the battery remains operable, whereby the frequency with which the proportionality constant must be re-determined is reduced from what would be required without the sufficient regulation of said supply voltage by said regulator. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. For use in a system as part of an inground portion thereof which emits a dipole field signal for reception by a receiver in which a depth of the inground portion relative to the receiver can be determined using said dipole field signal and a proportionality constant (i) that is empirically determined and stored by the receiver and (ii) that relates the depth of the inground portion, in relation to the receiver, to an inverse cubic root of the dipole field signal, a transmitter which forms part of the inground portion, said transmitter comprising:
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a transmitting arrangement having an input and configured for emitting the dipole field signal in response to a voltage at said input;
a battery for producing a battery voltage having a strength that decays with time; and
a voltage controlled regulator connected to receive said battery voltage for use in providing a supply voltage at the input of said transmitting arrangement such that the transmitting arrangement emits said dipole field signal that is used in combination with said proportionality constant by the receiver to determine the depth of the transmitter relative to the receiver, said supply voltage being sufficiently regulated by said regulator such that use by the receiver of the proportionality constant results in a determination of the depth of the transmitter, independent of changes in said strength of said battery so long as the battery remains operable, whereby the frequency with which the proportionality constant must be re-determined is reduced from what would be required without the sufficient regulation of said supply voltage by said regulator. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A method, comprising:
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providing a receiver as part of a system in which an inground portion thereof emits a dipole field signal for reception by a receiver in which a depth of the inground portion relative to the receiver can be determined using said dipole field signal and a proportionality constant (i) that is stored by the receiver and (ii) that relates the depth of the inground portion, in relation to the receiver, to an inverse cubic root of the dipole field signal; and
configuring a transmitter to include a transmitting section having an input and for emitting the dipole field signal in response to a voltage at its input, and a power providing section including a battery for producing a battery voltage having a strength that decays with time and a voltage controlled regulator connected to receive said battery voltage for use in providing a supply voltage at the input of said transmitting section such that the transmitting section emits said dipole field signal that is used in combination with said proportionality constant by the receiver to determine the depth of the transmitter relative to the receiver, said supply voltage being sufficiently regulated by said regulator such that use by the receiver of the proportionality constant results in a determination of the depth of the transmitter, independent of changes in said strength of said battery so long as the battery remains operable, whereby the frequency with which the proportionality constant must be re-determined is reduced from what would be required without the sufficient regulation of said supply voltage by said regulator.
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22. A method, comprising:
configuring a transmitter to include (i) a transmitting section having an input and for emitting a dipole field signal in response to a voltage at said input, (ii) a battery for producing a battery voltage having a strength that decays with time and (iii) a voltage controlled regulator connected to receive said battery voltage for use in providing a supply voltage at the input of said transmitting section to cause the transmitting section to emit said dipole field signal in a way which provides for determining a below ground depth of the transmitter using a received value of the dipole field in combination with a proportionality constant such that use of the proportionality constant results in a determination of the depth of the transmitter, independent of changes in said battery strength so long as the battery remains operable, whereby the frequency with which the proportionality constant must be re-determined is reduced from what would be required without the sufficient regulation of said supply voltage by said regulator. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
Specification