HANDHELD LOCATING DEVICE

• US 20130207830A1
• Filed: 01/16/2013
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Watts, Fred S., Potter, Christine H., Anjanappa, Muniswamappa, Chen, Xia, Li, Si
• Granted Patent: US 9,194,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/22
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/04 Systems determining presence of a target based on relative movement of target G01S13/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/56 for presence detection presence detection using near field arrangements G01V3/00, e.g. G01V3/08, G01V3/12; burglar, theft or intruder alarms with electrical actuation G08B13/22 - G08B13/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/86 Combinations of radar systems with non-radar systems, e.g. sonar, direction finder
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/888 through wall detection
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/08 operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by objects or geological structures or by detecting devices with electromagnetic waves G01V3/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/10 using induction coils
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/12 operating with electromagnetic waves operating with millimetre waves G01V8/005

Abstract

A locating device disposable on a surface has a housing, a capacitance sensor, a radar sensor, and an inductance sensor. The locating device also has a motion sensor disposed for detecting at least one motion parameter. A controller receives data from the capacitance sensor, the radar sensor, the inductance sensor and the motion sensor, and determines from the data a presence of objects disposed within or behind the surface. A display is used for displaying a graphical representation of the objects disposed within or behind the surface.

Claims

1. A locating device disposable on a surface comprising:

a housing;

a capacitance sensor disposed within the housing;

a radar sensor disposed within the housing;

an inductance sensor disposed within the housing;

a motion sensor disposed within the housing for detecting at least one motion parameter;

a controller receiving data from the capacitance sensor, the radar sensor, the inductance sensor and the motion sensor, the controller determining from the data a presence of objects disposed within or behind the surface; and

a display connected to the controller for displaying a graphical representation of the objects disposed within or behind the surface.

2. The locating device of claim 1, wherein the motion sensors comprises a wheel, and a rotation sensor coupled to the wheel and connected to the controller for sending motion data to the controller.

3. The locating device of claim 1, wherein the display displays a graphical representation of an object disposed directly behind the locating device.

4. The locating device of claim 3, wherein the housing is moved throughout a range of positions, and the display displays a graphical representation of the objects disposed within or behind the surface throughout the entire range of positions.

5. The locating device of claim 1, further comprising an electric field sensor connected to the controller.

6. The locating device of claim 1, wherein the controller activates one of the capacitance sensor, the radar sensor, the inductance sensor and the electric field sensor, the controller then queries the one of the capacitance sensor, the radar sensor, the inductance sensor and the electric field sensor, the controller then deactivates one of the capacitance sensor, the radar sensor, the inductance sensor and the electric field sensor, and the controller then activates another of the capacitance sensor, the radar sensor, the inductance sensor and the electric field sensor.

7. The locating device of claim 1, wherein the controller activates the one of the capacitance sensor, the radar sensor, the inductance sensor and the electric field sensor after receiving a pulse from the motion sensor.

8. The locating device of claim 1, wherein the housing is moved throughout a range of positions, the controller tracking the position of the housing from the data sent by the motion sensor.

9. The locating device of claim 8, wherein the controller stores in a memory the data received from at least one of the capacitance sensor, the radar sensor, and the inductance sensor, with corresponding position data.

10. The locating device of claim 8, wherein the controller stores in a memory the data received from at least one of the capacitance sensor, the radar sensor, and the inductance sensor, with corresponding position data and a corresponding confidence level data for the data for such position.

11. The locating device of claim 10, wherein the controller increases the confidence level data when multiple passes of the housing over such position provides substantially the same data from the at least one of the capacitance sensor, the radar sensor, and the inductance sensor.

12. The locating device of claim 10, wherein the display displays a graphical representation of the confidence level data for the particular position of the housing.

13. The locating device of claim 1, further comprising a wave propagation sensor.

14. The locating device of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a vibration motor and a sound generator, the at least one of a vibration motor and a sound generator being activatable by the controller.

15. The locating device of claim 1, wherein the display shows information on confidence level for a detected object disposed within or behind the surface.

16. The locating device of claim 1, further comprising a power tool battery pack that is electrically connectable to a power tool.