SONDES & METHODS FOR USE WITH BURIED LINE LOCATOR SYSTEMS

• US 20170131424A1
• Filed: 08/01/2016
• Published: 05/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seescan, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Seescan, Inc.
• Inventors: Olsson, Mark S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,761,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 3/081 the magnetic field is produced by the objects or geological structures characterised by the method of magnetic field measurement G01R33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/10 using induction coils
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/104 using several coupled or uncoupled coils G01V3/101 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/15 specially adapted for use during transport, e.g. by a person, vehicle or boat
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/165 operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by the object or by the detecting device with electromagnetic waves G01V3/17

Abstract

Sondes and sonde arrays for use with portable buried object locating systems are disclosed.

Claims

1. A magnetic field generating sonde, comprising:

three magnetic field antennas in a substantially orthogonal orientation.

2. The sonde of claim 1, further comprising an electronic circuit operatively coupled to each of the three magnetic field antennas for generating and providing current signals to the three magnetic field antennas.

3. The sonde of claim 2, further comprising a battery operatively coupled to the electronic circuit for providing power thereto.

4. A utility locating system, comprising:

a buried utility locator; and

a magnetic field generating sonde comprising three magnetic field antennas in a substantially orthogonal orientation for radiating magnetic field signals for detection by the buried utility locator.

5. A method for locating buried utilities, comprising:

generating, from a magnetic field sonde having three magnetic field antennas in a substantially orthogonal orientation, a three-dimensional magnetic field signal; and

receiving, at a buried utility locator, the three-dimensional magnetic field signal and determining, based at least on part on the received magnetic field signal, information about the position and/or orientation of the magnetic field sonde within a pipe or cavity.