Surface tracker

• US 7,382,266 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2006
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joe T. Minarovic
• Original Assignee: Joe T. Minarovic
• Inventors: Minarovic, Joe T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Previl; Daniel
• Application Number:
  US11/423,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20060232427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 340/572.8, 340/572.1, 340/568.1, 340/541, 340/572.7, 340/551, 340/572.2, 324/66, 324/67, 324/326, 116/200, 116/209, 343/867, 343/719
• US Class Current: 340/572.8
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 15/00 Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00

Abstract

A surface tracker includes a tubular marker body having an interior electronic marker and a visual indicator attached to an upper end of the marker body which extends away from the marker body. When deployed, the marker body is mostly underground and the visual indictor extends upwardly from the ground level to provide above-ground visual recognition. The electronic marker may be a passive electronic marker that includes a ferrite core assembly having a longitudinal axis which is generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the marker body. The visual indicator may be a plurality of resilient filaments which pass through a hole in a tab portion of the marker body at the upper end thereof, the filaments being folded about the tab portion and secured to the tab portion using a heat-shrink tube. In an exemplary embodiment, the filaments extend about six inches from the marker body and are brightly colored. Multiple trackers can be used to mark the path of a buried utility. Due to the resilient and durable nature of the filaments, they are resistant to wear and tear and the elements. The visual indication, along with the ability to electronically detect the marker, provides a tracker with superior locating capability.

Claims

1. A method of tracking a particular field location, comprising the steps of:

burying a tracker at the particular field location, the tracker having an electronic marker;

determining global positioning satellite (GPS) coordinates of the buried tracker using a GPS receiver located at the particular field location;

recording a log entry indicative of the GPS coordinates;

after said burying, said determining and said recording, establishing a vicinity of the tracker using the log entry; and

locating the tracker by sensing the electronic marker at the vicinity of the tracker with an electronic receiver.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the tracker further has a visual indicator extending away from a marker body, and said burying step generally buries the marker body while leaving the visual indicator above ground.