Buried locators systems and methods

• US 20120242341A1
• Filed: 07/25/2011
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seescan, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Seescan, Inc.
• Inventors: Olsson, Mark S., Merewether, Ray, Stuart, Paul G., Martin, Michael J., Maier, Christoph H., Jessup, Amos H.
• Granted Patent: US 10,677,820 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/326
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/00 Arrangements for measuring currents or voltages or for indicating presence or sign thereof G01R5/00 takes precedence; for measuring bioelectric currents or voltages A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0892 Details related to signal analysis or treatment; presenting results, e.g. displays; measuring specific signal features other than field strength, e.g. polarisation, field modes, phase, envelope, maximum value
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/15 specially adapted for use during transport, e.g. by a person, vehicle or boat

Abstract

Portable self-standing electromagnetic (EM) field sensing locator systems with attachments for finding and mapping buried objects such as utilities and with intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) displays are described. Accessories may include a ground penetrating radar (GPR) system with a rotating Tx/Rx antenna assembly, a leak detection system, a multi-probe voltage mapping system, a man-portable laser-range finder system with embedded dipole beacon, and other detachable accessory sensor systems are accepted for attachment to the locator system for simultaneous operation in cooperation with the basic locator system. The integration of the locator system with one or more additional devices, such as fault-finding, geophones and conductance sensors, may be used to facilitate the rapid detection and localization of many different types of buried objects.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface (GUI) display method in a portable locator system for locating a utility line coupled to a phase-encoded modulated electromagnetic (EM) reference signal, the method comprising the steps of:

measuring, at the locator system, a magnetic field generated at least in part based on the phase-encoded modulated EM reference signal; and

determining a current flow based on the measured magnetic field;

determining a direction of the current flow based on the phase-encoding of the modulated EM reference signal; and

displaying, on the GUI, a representation of the direction of the current flow.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring includes measuring a three-dimensional magnetic field generated by the phase-encoded moduled EM reference signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the phase-encoding modulated EM reference signal has one or more whole or fractional cycles removed so as to facilitate determination of the direction of current flow.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more fractional cycles are periodically removed.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more whole or fractional cycles is a half cycle.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more whole or fractional cycles is a whole cycle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the phase-encoding includes setting the phase to zero for one or more whole or fractional cycles.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the phase is periodically set to zero for one or more whole or fractional cycles.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the phase is set to zero for a half cycle.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the phase is set to zero for a whole cycle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation of the direction of current flow includes one or display elements configured to move in correspondence to the direction of current flow.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more moving display elements comprise a plurality of dots.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of dots are disposed about a line representing the utility line.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation of the direction of current flow includes one or more display elements configured to visually indicate the direction of current flow.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more directional display elements comprise a plurality of arc-segments, wherein the direction is indicated by a direction of curvature of the arc-segments.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the arc-segments are disposed within a channel representing the utility line.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a distortion of the magnetic field; and

displaying in the GUI a visual representation of the distortion.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the visual representation of the distortion includes a blurring of a display element associated with the utility line.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the display element is a line or linear feature.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein a width of the blurring of the display element is proportional to a measure of the distortion.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein a visual intensity of the display element is proportional to a measure of the distortion.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the visual representation of the distortion includes a display of a color corresponding to a measure of the distortion.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the visual representation of the distortion includes a defocusing of a display element associated with the utility line.

24. The method of claim 1, further including generating the phase-encoded modulated EM signal.

25. The method of claim 24, further including coupling the generated phase-encoded modulated EM signal to the utility line.