Position and orientation locator/monitor

• US 7,167,005 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Issued: 01/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Merlin Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Merlin Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Mercer, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Aurora; Reena
• Application Number:
  US10/996,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20050073313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: 324327-329, 324/207.17, 175/40, 175/45
• US Class Current: 324/326
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/0228 using electromagnetic energy or detectors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/0232 at least one of the energy sources or one of the detectors being located on or above the ground surface
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/024 of devices in the borehole determining slope or direction of the borehole E21B47/022
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/06 Electric or photoelectric indication or reading means
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/20 the indication being based on the inclination of the surface of a liquid relative to its container
• 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

The present invention provides a locator/monitor capable of locating a boring tool and monitoring the progress of the tool for control purposes. The locator/monitor may be used in expedited locating methodology and straightforward calibration techniques of the present invention. A durable and cost effective pitch sensor is also provided by the present invention. In addition, the present invention provides a slotted transmitter housing formed of an electrically conductive material, where the magnetic field generated by the transmitter is capable of penetrating to the surface.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a transmitter which forms part of an inground portion of the system including

a transmitting section having an input and configured for emitting a dipole field signal in response to a voltage at its input, and

a power providing section including a battery for producing a battery voltage having a strength that decays with time and a voltage controlled regulator connected to receive said battery voltage for use in providing a supply voltage at the input of said transmitting section such that the transmitting section emits said dipole field signal in a particular way; and

a receiver for receiving said dipole field signal and configured for storing a proportionality constant, that relates a depth of the transmitter to an inverse cubic root of the dipole field signal, for use in combination with said proportionality constant by the receiver to determine the depth of the transmitter relative to the receiver, wherein said supply voltage is sufficiently regulated by said regulator to cause the dipole field signal to be emitted in said particular way such that use of the proportionality constant by the receiver results in a determination of the depth of the transmitter, independent of changes in said strength of said battery so long as the battery remains operable, whereby the frequency with which the proportionality constant must be re-determined is reduced from what would be required without the sufficient regulation of said supply voltage by said regulator.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said supply voltage is fixed at approximately 5 volts.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein said receiver is configured for empirically determining said proportionality constant.

4. The system according to claim 3 wherein said proportionality constant is established in a calibration procedure in which a distance between two spaced apart measurement positions is determined.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said receiver is configured for indicating a need for re-calibrating based on a temperature of the receiver changing by at least 10 degrees centigrade since a previous calibration.

6. For use in a system as part of an inground portion thereof which emits a dipole field signal for reception by a receiver at least for use in determining a depth of the inground portion, a transmitter which forms part of the inground portion, said transmitter comprising:

a battery for providing a battery voltage;

a transmitting section having a voltage input and configured for emitting the dipole field signal; and

a voltage controlled regulation section for providing a regulated output voltage to said voltage input of the transmitting section using said battery voltage to cause the dipole field signal to be emitted by the transmitting section such that a determination of the depth of said transmitter, and thereby, the depth of the inground portion, by said receiver is made solely as a function of said dipole field signal and a proportionality constant that relates the depth of the transmitter to an inverse cubic root of the dipole field signal.

7. The transmitter according to claim 6 wherein said supply voltage is fixed at approximately 5 volts.

8. The transmitter of claim 6 configured to be carried within a drill head.

9. A system, comprising:

a transmitter which forms part of an inground portion of the system for emitting a dipole field signal including

a battery for providing a battery voltage,

a transmitting section having a voltage input and configured for emitting the dipole field signal in a particular way, and

a voltage controlled regulation section for providing a regulated output voltage to said voltage input of the transmitting section using said battery voltage to cause the dipole field signal to be emitted by the transmitting section in said particular way;

a receiver for (i) storing a proportionality constant that relates a depth of the transmitter to an inverse cubic root of the dipole field signal, (ii) receiving said dipole field signal, and (iii) based on emission of said dipole field in said particular way, determining a depth of said transmitter solely as a function of said dipole field signal and the proportionality constant.

10. The system according to claim 9 wherein said regulated output voltage is fixed at approximately 5 volts.

11. The system according to claim 9 wherein said receiver is configured for empirically determining said proportionality constant.

12. The system according to claim 11 wherein said proportionality constant is established in a calibration procedure in which a distance between two spaced apart measurement positions is determined.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said receiver is configured for indicating a need for re-calibrating based on a temperature of the receiver changing by at least 10 degrees centigrade since a previous calibration.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein said transmitter is configured to be carried within a drill head.

15. For use in a system as part of an inground portion thereof which emits a dipole field signal for reception by a receiver in which a depth of the inground portion relative to the receiver can be determined using said dipole field signal and a proportionality constant (i) that is stored by the receiver and (ii) that relates the depth of the inground portion, in relation to the receiver, to an inverse cubic root of the dipole field signal, a transmitter which forms part of the inground portion, said transmitter comprising:

a transmitting section having an input and configured for emitting the dipole field signal in response to a voltage at its input; and

a power providing section including a battery for producing a battery voltage having a strength that decays with time and a voltage controlled regulator connected to receive said battery voltage for use in providing a supply voltage at the input of said transmitting section such that the transmitting section emits said dipole field signal that is used in combination with said proportionality constant by the receiver to determine the depth of the transmitter relative to the receiver, said supply voltage being sufficiently regulated by said regulator such that use by the receiver of the proportionality constant results in a determination of the depth of the transmitter, independent of changes in said strength of said battery so long as the battery remains operable, whereby the frequency with which the proportionality constant must be re-determined is reduced from what would be required without the sufficient regulation of said supply voltage by said regulator.

16. The transmitter according to claim 15 wherein said supply voltage is fixed at approximately 5 volts.

17. The transmitter of claim 15 configured to operate within a drill head.

18. For use in a system as part of an inground portion thereof which emits a dipole field signal for reception by a receiver in which a depth of the inground portion relative to the receiver can be determined using said dipole field signal and a proportionality constant (i) that is empirically determined and stored by the receiver and (ii) that relates the depth of the inground portion, in relation to the receiver, to an inverse cubic root of the dipole field signal, a transmitter which forms part of the inground portion, said transmitter comprising:

a transmitting arrangement having an input and configured for emitting the dipole field signal in response to a voltage at said input;

a battery for producing a battery voltage having a strength that decays with time; and

a voltage controlled regulator connected to receive said battery voltage for use in providing a supply voltage at the input of said transmitting arrangement such that the transmitting arrangement emits said dipole field signal that is used in combination with said proportionality constant by the receiver to determine the depth of the transmitter relative to the receiver, said supply voltage being sufficiently regulated by said regulator such that use by the receiver of the proportionality constant results in a determination of the depth of the transmitter, independent of changes in said strength of said battery so long as the battery remains operable, whereby the frequency with which the proportionality constant must be re-determined is reduced from what would be required without the sufficient regulation of said supply voltage by said regulator.

19. The transmitter according to claim 18 wherein said supply voltage is fixed at approximately 5 volts.

20. The transmitter of claim 18 configured to operate within a drill head.

21. A method, comprising:

providing a receiver as part of a system in which an inground portion thereof emits a dipole field signal for reception by a receiver in which a depth of the inground portion relative to the receiver can be determined using said dipole field signal and a proportionality constant (i) that is stored by the receiver and (ii) that relates the depth of the inground portion, in relation to the receiver, to an inverse cubic root of the dipole field signal; and

configuring a transmitter to include a transmitting section having an input and for emitting the dipole field signal in response to a voltage at its input, and a power providing section including a battery for producing a battery voltage having a strength that decays with time and a voltage controlled regulator connected to receive said battery voltage for use in providing a supply voltage at the input of said transmitting section such that the transmitting section emits said dipole field signal that is used in combination with said proportionality constant by the receiver to determine the depth of the transmitter relative to the receiver, said supply voltage being sufficiently regulated by said regulator such that use by the receiver of the proportionality constant results in a determination of the depth of the transmitter, independent of changes in said strength of said battery so long as the battery remains operable, whereby the frequency with which the proportionality constant must be re-determined is reduced from what would be required without the sufficient regulation of said supply voltage by said regulator.

22. A method, comprising:

configuring a transmitter to include (i) a transmitting section having an input and for emitting a dipole field signal in response to a voltage at said input, (ii) a battery for producing a battery voltage having a strength that decays with time and (iii) a voltage controlled regulator connected to receive said battery voltage for use in providing a supply voltage at the input of said transmitting section to cause the transmitting section to emit said dipole field signal in a way which provides for determining a below ground depth of the transmitter using a received value of the dipole field in combination with a proportionality constant such that use of the proportionality constant results in a determination of the depth of the transmitter, independent of changes in said battery strength so long as the battery remains operable, whereby the frequency with which the proportionality constant must be re-determined is reduced from what would be required without the sufficient regulation of said supply voltage by said regulator.

23. The method of claim 22 including empirically determining said proportionality constant.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein empirically determining the proportionality constant includes measuring at least one actual distance and at least first and second values of a signal strength of the dipole field for use in establishing said proportionality constant.

25. The method of claim 24 including providing a receiver for measuring said actual distance and said first and second values of signal strength for use in empirically determining the proportionality constant.

26. The method of claim 22 including configuring the transmitter to be received within a drill head.