Bore location system having mapping capability

• US 5,711,381 A
• Filed: 01/16/1996
• Issued: 01/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Merlin Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: McLaughlin Manufacturing Co Inc.
• Inventors: Mizuno, Morio, Archambeault, John T., Gasmovic, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Neuder, William P.
• Application Number:
  US08/583,303
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 175/45, 175/61, 175/62, 340/853.4, 340/853.3, 340/853.6
• US Class Current: 175/45
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 11/005 Devices for positioning logging sondes with respect to the borehole wall centralising devices for drilling rods or pipes E21B17/10; setting or locking tools in boreholes E21B23/00; locating objects in boreholes E21B47/09
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/17 operating with electromagnetic waves operating with millimetre waves G01V8/005

Abstract

A system for mapping horizontal bores below a ground surface is provided. A transmitting source radiates a location signal from a bore. The bore may be a newly dug bore or a bore containing an existing utility. A receiver device receives a location signal and indicates, responsively to the location signal, the lateral position of the horizontal bore with respect to the receiver device. A measurement device measures the depth of the bore with respect to the ground surface at selected locations along the bore. A monitor device receives the depth data from the measurement device, compiles the depth data associated with the selected locations with respect to at least one reference position, and outputs the compiled depth data so that the depth of the bore at the selected locations may be collectively identified.

Claims

1. A system for mapping horizontal bores below a ground surface, said system comprising:

a transmitting source configured to radiate a location signal from the bore;

a receiver device configured to receive the location signal and to indicate, responsively to the location signal, the lateral position of the horizontal bore with respect to said receiver device;

a measurement device configured to measure the depth of the bore with respect to the ground surface at selected locations along the bore; and

a monitor device configured to receive depth data from the measurement device, to compile the depth data associated with the selected locations with respect to at least one reference position, and to output the compiled depth data so that the depth of the bore at the selected locations may be collectively identified.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein said transmitting source is configured to generate a magnetic field from the bore carrying the location signal.

3. The system as in claim 2, wherein said transmitting source is configured to directly apply electric current to a buried utility within the bore, thereby generating a magnetic field from the buried utility.

4. The system as in claim 2, wherein said transmitting source is configured to indirectly induce electric current along a buried utility within the bore, thereby generating a magnetic field from the buried utility. head, said boring machine further including manipulative

5. The system as in claim 1, including a boring machine having a boring rod including a directional boring controls actuatable by a first operator to guide said boring head.

6. The system as in claim 5, wherein said monitor device is located at said boring machine.

7. The system as in claim 5, wherein said transmitting source includes a signal generating probe associated with said boring head for generating the location signal.

8. The system as in claim 1, wherein said receiver device includes a portable assembly adapted to be carried by an operator approximately above the bore.

9. The system as in claim 7, wherein said receiver device is configured to generate an internal signal indicative of the location of the boring head, and wherein said measurement device is configured to generate an internal signal indicative of the depth of the boring head, and wherein said receiver device and said measurement device are configured to wirelessly transmit to said monitor device an informational signal corresponding to its respective internal signal.

10. The system as in claim 1, wherein said measurement device is configured to generate an internal signal indicative of the depth of the bore and to wirelessly transmit to said monitor device an informational signal corresponding to the internal signal.

11. The system as in claim 1, wherein said receiver device includes a graphic display device for producing a visual display indicative of information about the bore.

12. The system as in claim 1, wherein said monitor device includes a graphic display device for producing a visual display indicative of information about the bore.

13. The system as in claim 1, wherein the selected locations are determined by ground surface distance from a predetermined starting position.

14. The system as in claim 5, wherein said boring head is advanced within the bore by adding additional boring rods and wherein the selected locations are determined by the number of rods extended from the boring machine.

15. The system as in claim 12, wherein said monitor device is configured to generate a plot of bore depth at the selected locations.

16. The system as in claim 1, wherein said monitor device includes a personal computer.

17. A system for mapping horizontal bores below a ground surface, said system comprising:

a transmitting source configured to radiate a location signal from the bore;

a portable receiver and measurement device adapted to be carried by an operator during operation at a location approximately above the bore to receive the location signal, said receiver and measurement device configured to indicate, responsively to the location signal, the lateral position of the horizontal bore with respect to said receiver and measurement device and the depth of the horizontal bore with respect to the ground surface;

said receiver and measurement device including a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting from the receiver and measurement device an informational signal corresponding at least to the depth of the bore; and

a monitor device configured to receive depth data from the measurement device, to compile the depth data associated with the selected locations with respect to at least one reference position, and to output the compiled depth data so that the depth of the bore at the selected locations may be collectively identified,

said monitor device including a control device actuatable by an operator for controlling compilation of depth data.

18. The system as in claim 17, wherein said monitor device includes a personal computer device and is configured to generate a plot of bore depth at the selected locations.

19. The system as in claim 17, wherein said control device includes a microprocessor, wherein said monitor device includes a memory device, and wherein said control device is configured to record, responsively to an operator, bore depth at the selected locations in said memory device.

20. The system as in claim 19, wherein said control device includes a keyboard actuatable by an operator.

21. The system as in claim 17, including a boring machine having a boring rod including a directional boring head, said boring machine further including manipulative controls actuatable by a first operator to guide said boring head,

wherein said monitor device is located at said boring machine, and

wherein said transmitting source includes, in a mode of operation, a signal generating probe associated with said boring head for generating the location signal.

22. The system as in claim 21, wherein said receiver and measurement device includes a first graphic display device for producing a first visual display indicative of information about said boring head and a probe receiver for directly receiving the location signal from said signal generating probe, said probe receiver operatively connected to said first graphic display device for yielding the first visual display, and

wherein said monitor device includes a second graphic display device for producing, responsively to the informational signal, a second visual display indicative of information about the boring head,

whereby a first operator at said receiver and measurement device and a second operator at said monitor device may each view a visual display showing information about said boring head such that the first operator may keep said receiver and measurement device substantially directly above said boring head and the second operator may control the direction of said boring head and may operate said control device to record depth data when said boring head is at a selected location along the bore.

23. The system as in claim 22, wherein said transmitting source is configured, in a second mode of operation, to directly apply electric current to a buried utility within a bore, thereby generating a magnetic field from the buried utility and, in a third mode of operation, to indirectly induce electric current along a buried utility within a bore, thereby generating a magnetic field from the buried utility.

24. The system as in claim 23, wherein the first visual display and the second visual display are indicative of information about the buried utility when said transmitting source operates in said second operational mode or said third operational mode,

whereby the first operator and second operator may each view a visual display showing information about the buried utility such that the first operator may keep said receiver and measurement device substantially directly above the buried utility and the second operator may operate said control device to record depth data when the first operator is at a selected location along the buried utility.

25. A method for mapping horizontal bores below a ground surface, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a location signal radiated from the bore;

determining depth of the bore responsively to the received location signal;

compiling data corresponding to the depth of the bore at selected locations along the bore; and

displaying the compiled data so that the depth of the bore at the selected locations may be collectively identified.