Single and multi-trace omnidirectional sonde and line locators and transmitter used therewith

• US 7,619,516 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2005
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seek Tech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Seektech Inc.
• Inventors: Kolb, Thomas R., Barnicoat, Bradley D., Cox, David A., Merewether, Ray, Olsson, Mark S., Martin, Michael J., Prsha, Jeffrey A., Shaffer, Dawn
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fan; Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US11/077,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20050156600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,712 Days
• Field of Search: 340/522, 340/572.1, 340/853.1, 340/855.8, 3408544-8545, 324/329, 324/326, 324333-334
• US Class Current: 340/552
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/885 for ground probing prospecting or detecting using electromagnetic waves G01V3/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/03 Details of HF subsystems specially adapted therefor, e.g. common to transmitter and receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/15 specially adapted for use during transport, e.g. by a person, vehicle or boat
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors

Abstract

At least one antenna array including three mutually orthogonal antennas each sharing a common center point senses an electromagnetic signal emitted by a buried object such as a utility line, pipe or sonde. A circuit at least partially mounted in a housing is connected to the array and determines a location of the buried object by measuring signal strength and field angles in three dimensions without having to align the antenna array relative to the buried object while eliminating nulls and false peaks. A graphical user interface (GUI) has user-friendly icons, symbols, menus, numbers and graphical and auditory representation of signal strength. A plurality of different underground objects can be simultaneously detected and their different locations can be simultaneously indicated to a user via audible sounds and/or visual images on a display.

Claims

1. A transmitter for use with an underground utilities locator, comprising:

a portable housing;

a control panel mounted on the housing for receiving manually inputted commands;

an electronic circuit mounted in the housing for receiving the commands from the control panel and generating a predetermined electrical output signal in response to the commands, including means for selecting one of a plurality of different frequency bands and means for selecting a channel frequency within the selected one of the bands that is uniquely associated with one of a plurality of different types of utilities;

means for coupling the predetermined electrical output signal across a selected underground utility; and

the control panel including means for providing a visible luminous signal in a color that is normally associated with a particular type of underground utility when a channel frequency for tracing that type of underground utility has been manually selected.

2. The transmitter of claim 1 wherein the control panel includes a keypad.

3. The transmitter of claim 1 wherein the control panel includes a display and the electronic circuit is connected to the display for depicting alphanumeric and graphic information indicating the selected commands.

4. The transmitter of claim 1 wherein the control panel includes means driven by the electronic circuit to indicate to a user that a hazardous voltage across the selected underground utility has been detected.