BORING TECHNIQUE USING LOCATE POINT MEASUREMENTS FOR BORING TOOL DEPTH PREDICTION

• US 20110193560A1
• Filed: 11/23/2010
• Published: 08/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Merlin Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Merlin Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Mercer, John E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,188,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/329
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/0232 at least one of the energy sources or one of the detectors being located on or above the ground surface
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/12 operating with electromagnetic waves operating with millimetre waves G01V8/005
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/15 specially adapted for use during transport, e.g. by a person, vehicle or boat
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/165 operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by the object or by the detecting device with electromagnetic waves G01V3/17
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/26 operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified either by the surrounding earth formation or by the detecting device with electromagnetic waves G01V3/30

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.

Claims

1. In an overall process in which a boring tool is moved through the ground within a given region, a method comprising:

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 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; and

as at least one location of said series of locations is established, electronically recording the location and a time stamp that designates at least a time at which the location was recorded.

2. The method of claim 1 including performing said recording in said portable locator.

3. The method of claim 1 including recording the location and time stamp responsive to a user interaction.

4. The method of claim 1 including electronically recording the location and time stamp corresponding to a plurality of said locations such that the recorded locations are recoverable based on the time stamp that is recorded in associated with each of the plurality of locations.