Utility mapping and data distribution system and method

• US 7,400,976 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2005
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vermeer Manufacturing Company
• Original Assignee: Vermeer Manufacturing Company
• Inventors: Young, Gary Neal, Alft, Kevin L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, Jr.; John E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Toan M
• Application Number:
  US11/296,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20060085133A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 702/5, 702/1, 702/2, 702/8, 702/14, 702/18, 342/22, 367/37, 367/38, 367/49, 373/48, 324/326, 324/332, 175/45
• US Class Current: 702/5
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/00 Seismology; Seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 11/00 Prospecting or detecting by methods combining techniques covered by two or more of main groups G01V1/00 - G01V9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 11/002 Details, e.g. power supply systems for logging instruments, transmitting or recording data, specially adapted for well logging, also if the prospecting method is irrelevant means for transmitting well survey signals E21B47/12; signal transmission systems in general G08C; transmission in general H04B
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 2210/6163 Electromagnetic

Abstract

A system and method of mapping underground utilities and other subsurface objects involves one or more of acquiring utility location data using a number of different detectors and sensors, processing the multiple detector/sensor output data to produce mapping data, storing the mapping data in a database, and providing access to and use of the stored mapping data by subscribing users on a usage fee basis.

Claims

1. A method of detecting one or more underground utilities, comprising:

generating radar waves;

communicating the radar waves into a subsurface and receiving radar response signals resulting from communication of the radar waves into the subsurface;

generating seismic waves of about the same wavelength as the radar waves;

communicating the seismic waves into the subsurface and receiving seismic response signals resulting from communication of the seismic waves into the subsurface;

storing data associated with the received radar and seismic response signals; and

detecting the one or more underground utilities within the subsurface using the stored data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the seismic waves have frequencies in the range of about 1 kHz to about 5 kHz.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the seismic waves have frequencies of about 1 kHz or less.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the radar waves and seismic waves have wavelengths sufficient for detecting underground utilities having a dimension of at least ⅜

inch.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the radar waves and seismic waves have wavelengths of less than about 0.5 feet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the radar waves and seismic waves have wavelengths of less than about one foot.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the seismic waves have velocities ranging from about 500 feet/sec to about 800 feet/sec.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the one or more underground utilities comprises:

fusing the stored data to produce fused data; and

detecting the one or more underground utilities within the subsurface using the fused data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a map of the detected one or more underground utilities.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying data associated with the detected one or more underground utilities.

11. An apparatus for detecting one or more underground utilities within a subsurface, comprising:

a radar system configured to generate and detect ground penetrating radar waves;

a seismic system configured to generate and detect seismic waves, the radar and seismic systems configured to generate radar and seismic waves having about the same wavelength;

memory for storing data received from the radar and seismic systems; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to detect underground utilities within the subsurface using the stored data.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a positional reference system, the positional reference system producing position data associated with a position of the radar and seismic systems.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the seismic waves have frequencies of about 5 kHz or less.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the seismic waves have wavelengths of less than about one foot.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the seismic system comprises one or more vibratory or velocity transducers.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to perform joint inversion of stored data to determine depth and location of the detected one or more underground utilities.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor comprises a fusion engine configured to fuse the stored data to produce fused data, the processor configured to detect the one or more underground utilities within the subsurface using the fused data.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to generate a map of the detected utilities using the stored data.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, comprising a Geographic Information System, wherein the processor is configured to incorporate data associated with the map within a Geographic Information System.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a display coupled to the processor.