OMNI-INDUCER TRANSMITTING DEVICES AND METHODS

• US 20140159729A1
• Filed: 05/14/2013
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seescan, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Seescan, Inc.
• Inventors: Olsson, Mark S., Merewether, Ray, Soukup, Jan, Martin, Michael J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,042,072 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/326
• 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 3/108 the emitter and the receiver coils or loops being uncoupled by positioning them perpendicularly to each other
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/12 operating with electromagnetic waves operating with millimetre waves G01V8/005
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/1228 on a boom
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/205 providing an omnidirectional coverage turnstile aerials H01Q21/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/29 Combinations of different interacting antenna units for giving a desired directional characteristic H01Q25/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them

Abstract

Omnidirectional electromagnetic signal inducer (omni-inducer) devices are disclosed. The omni-inducer device may include a housing, which may include a conductive base for coupling signals to ground, and an omnidirectional antenna node including a plurality of antenna coil assemblies, where the node may be disposed on or within the housing. The omni-inducer device may further include one or more transmitter modules for generating ones of a plurality of output signals, which may be generated at ones of a plurality of different frequencies, and one or more control circuits configured to control the transmitters and/or other circuits to selectively switch the ones of the plurality of output signals between ones of the plurality of antenna coil assemblies.

Claims

1. A omni-inducer device, comprising:

a housing;

an omnidirectional antenna node including a plurality of antenna coil assemblies;

a transmitter module for generating ones of a plurality of output signals at a plurality of different frequencies; and

a control circuit configured to selectively switch the ones of a plurality of output signals between ones of the plurality of antenna coil assemblies.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the antenna coil assemblies include a single antenna coil.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of single antenna coils are configured in a substantially orthogonal orientation relative to each other.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the single antenna coils are configured in a spherical shape about a support structure assembly.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the antenna coil assemblies include a primary antenna coil and a second antenna coil.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the primary antenna coils are configured in a substantially orthogonal orientation relative to each other.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the secondary antenna coils are configured in a substantially orthogonal orientation relative to each other.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the primary and secondary antenna coils are configured in a spherical shape about a support structure assembly.

9. The device of claim 5, wherein a secondary/primary antenna coils turns ratio is greater than one.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the turns ratio is greater than ten.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a conductive base to electrically couple an output signal to the ground or other surface.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of antenna coil assemblies comprises three substantially orthogonally oriented antenna coil assemblies.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the control circuit is configured to selectively switch an output signal at a first of the plurality of frequencies to a single antenna coil assembly of the three antenna coil assemblies during a first time slot.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the control circuit is further configured to selectively switch an output signal at a second of the plurality of frequencies to a second antenna coil assembly of the three antenna coil assemblies during the first time slot.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the control circuit is further configured to selectively switch an output signal at a third of the plurality of frequencies to the third antenna coil assembly of the three antenna coil assemblies during the first time slot.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the control circuit is further configured to selectively switch an output signal at a second of the plurality of frequencies to the single antenna coil of the three antenna coil assemblies during a subsequent slot.

17. A method for providing an omnidirectional signal for tracing buried objects, comprising:

generating, in a transmitter module, a first output signal at a predefined frequency;

selectively applying the first output signal, in a first time slot, to a first antenna coil assembly of an omnidirectional antenna node including a plurality of antenna coil assemblies;

generating, in the transmitter module, a second output signal at the predefined frequency; and

selectively applying the second output signal, in a second time slot subsequent to the first time slot, to a second antenna coil assembly of the omnidirectional antenna node.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising generating, in the transmitter module, a third output signal at a second predefined frequency;

and

selectively applying the third output signal, in the first time slot, to the second antenna coil assembly of the omnidirectional antenna node.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising generating, in the transmitter module, a fourth output signal at a third predefined frequency;

and

selectively applying the fourth output signal, in the first time slot, to a third antenna coil assembly of the omnidirectional antenna node.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising generating, in the transmitter module, a third output signal at a second predefined frequency;

and

selectively applying the third output signal, in a third time slot subsequent to the first time slot, to the first antenna coil assembly of the omnidirectional antenna node.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising generating, in the transmitter module, a fourth output signal at a third predefined frequency;

and

selectively applying the fourth output signal, in a fourth time slot subsequent to the first time slot, to the first antenna coil assembly of the omnidirectional antenna node.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

generating, in the transmitter module, a third output signal at a second predefined frequency;

selectively applying the third output signal, in the first time slot, to the second antenna coil assembly of the omnidirectional antenna node;

generating, in the transmitter module, a fourth output signal at a third predefined frequency; and

selectively applying the third output signal, in the first time slot, to a third antenna coil assembly of the omnidirectional antenna node.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the second predefined frequency is larger than the first predefined frequency and the third predefined frequency is larger than the second predefined frequency.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the second predefined frequency is an integer multiple of the first predefined frequency.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the third predefined frequency is an integer multiple of the second predefined frequency.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein the output signals are selectively switched by a control circuit configured to selectively switch an output signal at a first of a plurality of frequencies to the first antenna coil assembly of the plurality of antenna coil assemblies during the first time slot.

27. The method of claim 17, further comprising receiving, from a timing system receiver device, a timing reference signal;

and

synchronizing transmission in the first time slot to the timing reference signal.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the timing reference is received from a satellite position system.

29. The method claim 27, wherein the timing reference signal is received from a buried object locator or other user device.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the timing reference is generated in coordination through a wired or wireless connection with a buried object locator or other user device.

31. A processor-readable medium including instructions for causing a computer to:

generate, in a transmitter module, a first output signal at a predefined frequency;

selectively apply the first output signal, in a first time slot, to a first antenna coil assembly of an omnidirectional antenna node including a plurality of antenna coil assemblies;

generate, in the transmitter module, a second output signal at the predefined frequency; and

selectively apply the second output signal, in a second time slot subsequent to the first time slot, to a second antenna coil assembly of the omnidirectional antenna node.