Electronic Marker Locator Systems and Methods
First Claim
1. A locator for determining a depth of a buried electromagnetic marker, the locator having a major axis and being configured to be used with the major axis substantially perpendicular to a ground surface, the locator comprisinga transmission antenna configured to generate an oscillatory magnetic field parallel to the major axis,a first reception antenna configured to couple with an oscillatory magnetic field parallel to the major axis emitted by the electromagnetic marker and to generate a first detected signal,a second reception antenna displaced along the major axis from the first antenna and configured to couple with an oscillatory magnetic field parallel to the major axis emitted by the electromagnetic marker and to generate a second detected signal,a first analogue to digital converter configured to generate a first digitized signal from the first detected signala second analogue to digital converter configured to generate a second digitized signal from the second detected signal, anda processor configured to calculate the depth of the electromagnetic marker from the first digitized signal and the second digitized signal.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A locator for determining the depth of a buried electromagnetic marker includes a transmission antenna and two reception antennas. The locator has a major axis and is configured. The transmission antenna is configured to generate an oscillatory magnetic field parallel to the major axis. The first reception antenna of the two reception antennas is configured to couple with an oscillatory magnetic field parallel to the major axis emitted by the electromagnetic marker and to generate a first detected signal. The second reception antenna is displaced along the major axis from the first antenna and configured to couple with an oscillatory magnetic field parallel to the major axis emitted by the electromagnetic marker and to generate a second detected signal. The locator includes analogue to digital converters and a processor which is configured to calculate the depth of the electromagnetic marker.
7 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A locator for determining a depth of a buried electromagnetic marker, the locator having a major axis and being configured to be used with the major axis substantially perpendicular to a ground surface, the locator comprising
a transmission antenna configured to generate an oscillatory magnetic field parallel to the major axis, a first reception antenna configured to couple with an oscillatory magnetic field parallel to the major axis emitted by the electromagnetic marker and to generate a first detected signal, a second reception antenna displaced along the major axis from the first antenna and configured to couple with an oscillatory magnetic field parallel to the major axis emitted by the electromagnetic marker and to generate a second detected signal, a first analogue to digital converter configured to generate a first digitized signal from the first detected signal a second analogue to digital converter configured to generate a second digitized signal from the second detected signal, and a processor configured to calculate the depth of the electromagnetic marker from the first digitized signal and the second digitized signal.
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13. A method of determining a depth of buried electromagnetic marker, the method comprising
transmitting, from a transmission antenna of a locator, an oscillatory magnetic field to the electronic marker; -
receiving, at a first reception antenna of the locator, an oscillatory magnetic field emitted by the electronic marker and generating a first detected signal indicative of a strength of the oscillatory magnetic field emitted by the electronic marker at the first reception antenna; receiving, at a second reception antenna of the locator separated from the first reception antenna along a major axis of the locator, an oscillatory magnetic field emitted by the electronic marker and generating a second detected signal indicative of the strength of the oscillatory magnetic field emitted by the electronic marker at the second reception antenna; digitizing the first detected signal to generate a first digitized signal; digitizing the second detected signal to generate a second digitized signal; and calculating a depth of the electromagnetic marker from the first digitized signal and the second digitized signal. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A carrier medium carrying computer readable instructions for execution by a processor in a locator, the locator having a major axis and being configured to be used with the major axis substantially perpendicular to a ground surface, the locator comprising a transmission antenna configured to generate an oscillatory magnetic field parallel to the major axis, a first reception antenna configured to couple with a oscillatory magnetic field parallel to the major axis emitted by the electromagnetic marker and to generate a first detected signal, a second reception antenna displaced along the major axis from the first antenna and configured to couple with a oscillatory magnetic field parallel to the major axis emitted by the electromagnetic marker and to generate a second detected signal, a first analogue to digital converter configured to generate a first digitized signal from the first detected signal, and a second analogue to digital converter configured to generate a second digitized signal from the second detected signal, wherein the instructions comprise instructions for controlling the processor to calculate a ratio of the magnitudes of the first detected signal and the second detected signal;
- and instructions for calculating a depth of the electronic marker from the ratio.
Specification