Method of locating pipelines using RFID technology

• US 20070057769A1
• Filed: 11/13/2006
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bradford Corbett
• Original Assignee: Bradford Corbett
• Inventors: Corbett, Bradford
• Granted Patent: US 7,616,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.100
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 1/11 for the detection or protection of pipes in the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 15/00 Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00

Abstract

A system is shown for locating hidden pipelines, particularly underground pipe used in a plastic pipeline such as for municipal water and sewer applications. An RFID tag is associated with the pipeline prior to installation of the pipeline into the ground. This can be done by associating the RFID tag with a sealing gasket which is subsequently installed at a sealing joint location of the pipeline. The tag can also be associated with the pipeline itself by installing the tag on a section of pipe. The location of the subsequently buried pipeline can be determined by interrogating the RFID tag with a suitable reader, the reader being located at an above ground location.

Claims

1. A method of locating an underground pipe, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a RFID of a suitable size and configuration for a particular task at hand;

associating at least one such RFID with the underground pipe to located; and

subsequently interrogating the RFID from an above ground location by means of a suitable reader to thereby obtain information identifying the location of the underground pipe.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the RFID is a tag which is interrogated by the associated reader to reveal information in addition to the pipe location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the RFID is associated with the underground pipe by affixing the device to an exposed surface of the pipe with a suitable glue or adhesive.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a plurality of RFID tags are carried on a roll of adhesive backed tape and the tape is adhered to the exposed surface of the pipe.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the pipe comprises an extruded plastic body, and wherein the RFID is associated with the underground pipe by embedding the RFID within the body of the pipe during pipe manufacturing operations so that the RFID is integrally located within the pipe body.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the RFID is associated with the underground pipe by installing a sealing gasket within an internal groove provided in a female section of plastic pipe, and wherein the RFID is carried by the sealing gasket.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the RFID is molded within the body of the sealing gasket during gasket manufacturing operations.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the RFID is encapsulated in an encapsulating material which renders is impervious to normal environmental influences.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the RFID is encapsulated in a liquid resin which is subsequently cured.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the RFID is encapsulated in an epoxy resin.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the RFID contains sensitive electrical components and wherein the sensitive electrical components are physically isolated from the environment by enclosing the components in a top and bottom layer of heat resistant polymeric materials.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the RFID is associated with the sealing gasket by attaching the RFID to an exposed surface of the gasket with a suitable glue or adhesive.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the RFID is associated with the sealing gasket by embedding the RFID within the sealing gasket during a gasket molding operation.

12. A method of locating a plastic pipe, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an RFID of a suitable size and configuration for a particular task;

associating at least one such RFID with a sealing gasket;

installing the sealing gasket within an internal groove provided in a female, belled end of a section of the plastic pipe; and

subsequently interrogating the RFID by means of a suitable reader to thereby determine the location of the plastic pipe.