Position and orientation locator/monitor

• US 7,521,933 B2
• Filed: 02/01/2008
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• 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:
  US12/024,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20080129299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• Field of Search: 324326-329, 324/226, 324/247, 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. In a system in which a transmitter for producing a dipole magnetic field is steered through the ground and in which a receiver operates responsive to said magnetic field, an apparatus comprising:

a multimode arrangement, forming part of said receiver, which is configured to operate alternatively in a first, locating mode and in a second, homing mode such that the receiver operating in said first mode, characterized by staged movements of the receiver in said region to respond to said magnetic field to determine a current location of the transmitter relative to a current position of the receiver, and the receiver, operating in said second mode and positioned at a fixed location, responds to said magnetic field by establishing a homing path, for any given position of the transmitter and the fixed location of said receiver, along which homing path said transmitter is steerable toward said fixed location.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said receiver includes at least first and second orthogonal antennas as part of said multimode arrangement.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said antennas are oriented at angles of approximately 45 degrees with respect to a horizontal orientation when the receiver is operating in the first mode.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the antennas are oriented in substantially a horizontal plane when the receiver is operating in the second mode positioned at said fixed location.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said first and second antennas cooperate to define a plane and including a third antenna that is substantially orthogonal to said antenna plane for use in generating three dimensional components of magnetic field strength of said dipole magnetic field in said first mode.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said antennas are disposed in spatial proximity to provide monotonic magnetic field strength information.

7. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said first and second antennas are oriented in substantially a vertical plane and said receiver includes third and fourth orthogonal antennas oriented in substantially a horizontal plane when the receiver is operating in said second mode in position at said fixed location.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said multimode arrangement is configured to indicate passage through a maximum value of a signal strength of said magnetic field.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said receiver includes a first pair of first and second orthogonal antennas defining a first antenna plane and a second pair of third and fourth orthogonal antennas defining a second antenna plane and the first antenna plane is at least approximately orthogonal to the second antenna plane.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 including a control arrangement, forming part of said receiver, that operates in said second mode to generate a horizontal displacement indication using one pair of said antennas and to generate a vertical displacement indication using the other pair of said antennas.

11. In a system in which a transmitter for producing a dipole magnetic field is steered through the ground and in which a receiver operates responsive to said magnetic field, said receiver comprising:

an antenna that is configured for receiving said dipole magnetic field to produce an antenna output signal;

at least one receiver section for receiving said antenna output signal to produce a digital receiver output; and

a processor which is configured to operate alternatively in a first, locating mode and in a second, homing mode such that the receiver operating in said first mode, characterized by staged movements of the receiver in said region to respond to said digital receiver output to determine a current location of the transmitter relative to a current position of the receiver, and the processor, operating in said second mode and positioned at a fixed location, responds to said digital receiver output by establishing a homing path, for any given position of the transmitter and the fixed location of said receiver, along which homing path said transmitter is steerable toward said fixed location.

12. In a system in which a transmitter for producing a dipole magnetic field is steered through the ground and in which a receiver operates responsive to said magnetic field, a method comprising:

configuring said receiver to operate alternatively in a first, locating mode and in a second, homing mode such that the receiver, operating in said first mode, characterized by staged movements of the receiver in said region to respond to said magnetic field by determining a current location of the transmitter relative to a current position of the receiver, and the receiver, operating in said second mode and positioned at a fixed location, responds to said magnetic field by establishing a homing path, for any given position of the transmitter and the fixed location of the receiver, along which homing path the transmitter is steerable toward said fixed location.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

guiding said transmitter through the ground, based on said positional relationship, by operating said receiver in said first mode.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

guiding said transmitter through the ground toward said receiver by operating said receiver in said second mode.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

guiding said boring tool through the ground by operating the receiver in said first mode.

16. The method of claim 15 including providing at least first and second orthogonal antennas as part of said multimode arrangement.

17. The method according to claim 16 including orienting the first and second antennas at angles of approximately 45 degrees with respect to a horizontal orientation when the receiver is operating in the first mode.

18. The method according to claim 16 including orienting the first and second antennas in substantially a horizontal plane when the receiver is operating in the second mode positioned at said fixed location.

19. The method according to claim 16 wherein said first and second antennas cooperate to define a plane and including a third antenna that is substantially orthogonal to said plane for use in generating three dimensional components of magnetic field strength of said dipole magnetic field in said first mode.

20. The method according to claim 16 including disposing said antennas in spatial proximity to provide monotonic magnetic field strength information.

21. The method according to claim 16 including orienting said first and second antennas substantially in a vertical plane for operation by the receiver at least in the first mode and orienting third and fourth orthogonal antennas in substantially a horizontal plane for operation by the receiver at least in the second mode in position at said fixed location.

22. The method according to claim 21 including arranging the first and second antennas at angles of approximately 45 degrees with respect to a horizontal orientation.

23. The method according to claim 12 including configuring said multimode arrangement to indicate passage through a maximum value of a signal strength of said magnetic field.

24. The method according to claim 12 including orienting, as part of said multimode arrangement, a first pair of first and second orthogonal antennas defining a first antenna plane and a second pair of third and fourth orthogonal antennas defining a second antenna plane and the first antenna plane is at least approximately orthogonal to the second antenna plane.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 including operating in said second mode to generate a horizontal displacement indication using one pair of said antennas and to generate a vertical displacement indication using the other pair of said antennas.