Detecting, locating and tracing of buried assets using distributed processing over communications networks

• US 8,547,247 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2012
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UTTO Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Alan Haddy
• Inventors: Haddy, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Knox, Kaleria
• Application Number:
  US13/656,698
• Time in Patent Office: 346 Days
• Field of Search: 702/130, 340/572.1, 340/540, 340/870.21, 455/419
• US Class Current: 340/870.21
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/16 Receiving elements for seismic signals; Arrangements or adaptations of receiving elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/15 specially adapted for use during transport, e.g. by a person, vehicle or boat

Abstract

A method on a mobile computing device for detecting, locating and tracing buried assets, is provided. The method includes reading, from one or more sensors communicatively coupled with the mobile computing device, a plurality of analog radio frequency signals from a buried asset, and amplifying the plurality of analog signals. The method further includes converting the analog signals to a plurality of digital signals, encoding the digital signals for transmission, so as to produce a plurality of encoded digital signals, and transmitting the plurality of encoded digital signals to a server via a communications network. The method further includes receiving, from the server, buried asset data including depth measurement data and electrical current measurement data for one or more buried assets, wherein the buried asset data corresponds to the analog radio frequency signals, and displaying the buried asset data in a graphical user interface of the mobile computing device.

Claims

1. A system for generating buried asset data, the system comprising a mobile computing device and a remote server, both communicatively coupled with a communications network, wherein the system is configured for:

reading, by the mobile computing device, from one or more sensors communicatively coupled with the mobile computing device, a plurality of analog radio frequency signals from a buried asset, wherein the plurality of analog radio frequency signals are unique to the buried asset in a current position of the one or more sensors;

amplifying, by the mobile computing device, the plurality of analog signals so as to increase amplitude of the analog signals;

converting, by the mobile computing device, the plurality of analog signals to a plurality of digital signals unique to the buried asset in the current position of the one or more sensors;

encoding, by the mobile computing device, the plurality of digital signals for transmission over the communications network, so as to produce a plurality of encoded digital signals;

transmitting, by the mobile computing device, the plurality of encoded digital signals to the server via the communications network;

receiving, by the server, from the mobile computing device via the communications network, the plurality of encoded digital signals;

decoding, by the server, the plurality of encoded digital signals so as to produce the plurality of digital signals;

executing, by the server, digital signal processing algorithms upon the plurality of digital signals so as to produce buried asset data, including position, depth measurement data and electrical current measurement data, for the buried asset, and wherein the buried asset data corresponds to the plurality of radio frequency analog signals unique to the buried asset in the current position of the one or more sensors;

transmitting, by the server, to the mobile computing device via the communications network, the buried asset data;

receiving, by the mobile computing device, from the server via the communications network, the buried asset data including position, depth measurement data and electrical current measurement data for the buried asset; and

displaying, by the mobile computing device, the buried asset data from the server in a graphical user interface of the mobile computing device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the step of amplifying the plurality of analog signals further comprises:

performing, by the mobile computing device, a pre-amplification process upon the plurality of analog signals in preparation for the amplifying step.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the step of amplifying the plurality of analog signals further comprises:

performing, by the mobile computing device, a filtering process upon the plurality of analog signals so as to remove noise.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the step of executing digital signal processing algorithms further comprises:

executing, by the server, digital signal processing algorithms upon the plurality of digital signals so as to produce buried asset data, including orientation, position, depth measurement data and electrical current measurement data, for one or more buried assets, and wherein the buried asset data corresponds to the plurality of analog signals that were read.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the step of displaying the buried asset data further comprises:

generating, by the mobile computing device, a graphic corresponding to a magnitude of one of the buried asset data; and

displaying the graphic in the graphical user interface of the mobile computing device.

6. A system for generating buried asset data, the system comprising an antenna array, a mobile computing device and a remote server, wherein the mobile computing device and the remote server are communicatively coupled with a communications network, wherein the system is configured for:

reading, by the antenna array communicatively coupled with the mobile computing device, a plurality of analog radio frequency signals from a buried asset, wherein the plurality of analog radio frequency signals are unique to the buried asset in a current position of the one or more sensors;

amplifying, by the antenna array, the plurality of analog signals so as to increase amplitude of the analog signals;

multiplexing, by the antenna array, the plurality of analog signals so as to transmit the plurality of analog signals over a single channel to the mobile computing device;

de-multiplexing, by the mobile computing device, the plurality of analog signals transmitted over the single channel by the antenna array;

converting, by the mobile computing device, the plurality of analog signals to a plurality of digital signals unique to the buried asset in the current position of the one or more sensors;

encoding, by the mobile computing device, the plurality of digital signals for transmission over the communications network, so as to produce plurality of encoded digital signals;

transmitting, by the mobile computing device, the plurality of encoded digital signals to the server via the communications network;

receiving, by the server, from the mobile computing device via the communications network, the plurality of encoded digital signals;

decoding, by the server, the plurality of encoded digital signals so as to produce the plurality of digital signals;

executing, by the server, digital signal processing algorithms upon the plurality of digital signals so as to produce buried asset data, including position, depth measurement data and electrical current measurement data, for the buried asset, and wherein the buried asset data corresponds to the plurality of analog radio frequency signals unique to the buried asset in the current position of the one or more sensors;

transmitting, by the server, to the mobile computing device via the communications network, the buried asset data;

receiving, by the mobile computing device, from the server via the communications network, the buried asset data including position, depth measurement data and electrical current measurement data for the buried asset; and

displaying, by the mobile computing device, the buried asset data from the server in a graphical user interface of the mobile computing device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the step of amplifying the plurality of analog signals further comprises:

performing, by the antenna array, a pre-amplification process upon the plurality of analog signals in preparation for the amplifying step.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the step of amplifying the plurality of analog signals further comprises:

performing, by the antenna array, a filtering process upon the plurality of analog signals so as to remove noise.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the step of executing digital signal processing algorithms further comprises:

executing, by the server, digital signal processing algorithms upon the plurality of digital signals so as to produce buried asset data, including orientation, position, depth measurement data and electrical current measurement data, for one or more buried assets, and wherein the buried asset data corresponds to the plurality of analog signals that were read.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the step of displaying the buried asset data further comprises:

generating, by the mobile computing device, a graphic corresponding to a magnitude of one of the buried asset data; and

displaying the graphic in the graphical user interface of the mobile computing device.

11. A system for generating buried asset data, the system comprising:

an antenna array configured for reading a plurality of analog radio frequency signals from a buried asset, wherein the plurality of analog radio frequency signals are unique to the buried asset in a current position of the one or more sensors, for amplifying the plurality of analog signals so as to increase amplitude of the analog signals, for converting the plurality of analog signals to a plurality of digital signals unique to the buried asset in the current position of the one or more sensors, the plurality of digital signals for transmission to a mobile computing device and transmitting the plurality of digital signals to the mobile computing device,

a mobile computing device configured for encoding the plurality of digital signals for transmission over the communications network, so as to produce plurality of encoded digital signals, and for transmitting the plurality of encoded digital signals to a server via the communications network;

a remote server configured for receiving, from the mobile computing device via the communications network, the plurality of encoded digital signals, for decoding, by the server, the plurality of encoded digital signals so as to produce the plurality of digital signals, for executing, by the server, digital signal processing algorithms upon the plurality of digital signals so as to produce buried asset data, including position, depth measurement data and electrical current measurement data, for the buried asset, and wherein the buried asset data corresponds to the plurality of analog radio frequency signals unique to the buried asset in the current position of the one or more sensors, and for transmitting, by the server, to the mobile computing device via the communications network, the buried asset data; and

wherein the mobile computing device is further configured for receiving, from the server via the communications network, the buried asset data including position, depth measurement data and electrical current measurement data for the buried asset, and configured for displaying the buried asset data from the server in a graphical user interface.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the antenna array is communicatively coupled with the mobile computing device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the antenna array is communicatively coupled with the mobile computing device via a dock connector port of the mobile computing device.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the antenna array is communicatively coupled with the mobile computing device via a TRRS connector port of the mobile computing device.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the antenna array is communicatively coupled with the mobile computing device via a wireless radio frequency connection.

16. The system of claim 11, the antenna array further comprising a multiplexer for multiplexing the plurality of analog signals so as to transmit the plurality of analog signals over a single channel to the mobile computing device.

17. The system of claim 16, the mobile computing device further comprising a de-multiplexer for de-multiplexing the plurality of analog signals transmitted over the single channel.