Buried object locator system employing automated virtual depth event detection and signaling
First Claim
1. A locator, comprising:
- at least a pair of spaced apart sensor arrays that can each detect an electromagnetic field emitted by a buried utility line, each sensor array including three mutually orthogonal coils;
a processor operatively coupled to the sensor arrays and configured to determine a location of the buried utility line based on a plurality of output signals from the sensor arrays and calculate a current in the buried utility line; and
a display configured to indicate the location and the calculated current to a user;
wherein the processor is configured so that the display can indicate the calculated current through a graphical user interface.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A human-portable utility locator system for locating and tracing a buried utility line characterized by an electromagnetic field emission. The locator may include a horizontal spaced sensor pair for detecting the horizontal field asymmetry of the emitted field in one or more independent frequency bands, which is employed to assist in determining an accurate “virtual depth” measurement for producing detection events. An event detector may be disposed to detect events corresponding to extremum in the B-field gradient with respect to time and a user interface (UI) coupled to the event detector signals the detected event to a user. In a preferred embodiment, one pair of spaced-apart 3D magnetic sensor arrays is disposed substantially orthogonal to another intermediate spaced-apart pair of sensors.
-
Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A locator, comprising:
-
at least a pair of spaced apart sensor arrays that can each detect an electromagnetic field emitted by a buried utility line, each sensor array including three mutually orthogonal coils; a processor operatively coupled to the sensor arrays and configured to determine a location of the buried utility line based on a plurality of output signals from the sensor arrays and calculate a current in the buried utility line; and a display configured to indicate the location and the calculated current to a user;
wherein the processor is configured so that the display can indicate the calculated current through a graphical user interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A locator, comprising:
-
a pair of spaced apart sensor arrays that can each detect an electromagnetic field emitted by a buried utility line, at least one of the sensor arrays including three mutually orthogonal coils; a processor operatively coupled to the sensor arrays and configured to determine a location of the buried utility line based on a plurality of output signals from the sensor arrays and calculate a current in the buried utility line; and a display configured to indicate the location and the calculated current to a user;
wherein the processor is configured so that the display can indicate the calculated current through a graphical user interface. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
Specification