Boring Technique Using Locate Point Measurements for Boring Tool Depth Prediction
First Claim
1. In an overall process in which a boring tool is moved through the ground within a given region along a particular path from a specific starting point, a method for establishing the location of at least a portion of said particular path within the given region, said method comprising:
- establishing a reference path within the region;
providing a portable locator and an information generating arrangement located partially at and forming part of said boring tool and partially at and forming part of the locator including a transmitter for transmitting an electromagnetic signal from the boring tool and a receiver in the portable locator having less than five spaced-apart sensors to receive the electromagnetic signal to generate certain information about the position of the boring tool relative to the position of the locator based on the electromagnetic signal;
moving said boring tool in cooperation with moving said portable locator to establish a series of boring tool locations of the boring tool on the particular path, based at least in part on said certain information, such that each boring tool location is associated with one of a series of associated reference points of the portable locator on the reference path;
from the series of boring tool locations and the associated series of reference points, establishing an actual path of the boring tool containing the series of boring tool locations which actual path corresponds generally to at least said portion of the particular path taken by the boring tool; and
electronically saving a record of the actual path.
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Abstract
A method is disclosed as part of an overall process in which a boring tool is moved through the ground within a given region along a particular path in an orientation which includes pitch. A locating signal is transmitted from the boring tool which signal exhibits a field defined forward point within a reference surface which field defined forward point is vertically above an inground forward point on the particular path through which the boring tool is likely to pass. The method establishes a predicted depth of the boring tool at the inground forward point by first identifying the field defined forward point. The signal strength of the locating signal is then measured at the field defined forward point as being representative of the depth of the boring tool at an inground upstream point which is the current location of the boring tool. With the boring tool at the upstream inground point, the pitch of the boring tool is determined. Using the measured signal strength and the determined pitch, the predicted depth of the boring tool is determined for the inground forward point based on the boring tool moving along an approximately straight path to the inground forward point.
13 Citations
5 Claims
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1. In an overall process in which a boring tool is moved through the ground within a given region along a particular path from a specific starting point, a method for establishing the location of at least a portion of said particular path within the given region, said method comprising:
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establishing a reference path within the region; providing a portable locator and an information generating arrangement located partially at and forming part of said boring tool and partially at and forming part of the locator including a transmitter for transmitting an electromagnetic signal from the boring tool and a receiver in the portable locator having less than five spaced-apart sensors to receive the electromagnetic signal to generate certain information about the position of the boring tool relative to the position of the locator based on the electromagnetic signal; moving said boring tool in cooperation with moving said portable locator to establish a series of boring tool locations of the boring tool on the particular path, based at least in part on said certain information, such that each boring tool location is associated with one of a series of associated reference points of the portable locator on the reference path; from the series of boring tool locations and the associated series of reference points, establishing an actual path of the boring tool containing the series of boring tool locations which actual path corresponds generally to at least said portion of the particular path taken by the boring tool; and electronically saving a record of the actual path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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Specification