GROUND-TRACKING SYSTEMS AND APPARATUS

• US 20140285203A1
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seescan, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Seescan, Inc.
• Inventors: Olsson, Mark S., Merewether, Ray, Aldridge, Sequoyah, Levin, Ryan B.
• Application Number:
  US14/214,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20140285203A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/326
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 7/04 involving a vehicle which moves along the profile to be traced
• 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 3/15 specially adapted for use during transport, e.g. by a person, vehicle or boat

Abstract

A ground tracking system including a ground follower assembly for use with a locator or other device for determining position, motion, and/or orientation information is disclosed. The ground follower assembly may include a wheel assembly coupled to a locator and configured to swivel and/or pivot relative to an antenna node of the locator to generate signals for use in determining position information during a locate operation, such as from a sonde array.

Claims

1. A ground tracking device, comprising one or more sensors configured to determine motion, position, or orientation information relating to the ground tracking device or a component of the ground tracking device.

2. The ground tracking device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more accelerometers, compasses, magnetic sensors, GPS or other location-based receivers, or gyroscopes.

3. A buried object locator, comprising:

an antenna array;

a moving or rolling element including one or more sondes;

a circuit coupled to the antenna array for receiving magnetic field signals from a buried object and the one or more sondes; and

a processing element configured to;

determining information about the buried object; and

determine motion, position or orientation information associated with the locator based at least in part on the received magnetic field provided from the sondes.