Method for distinguishing a locating signal from a false locating signal

• US 8,698,501 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2011
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Merlin Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Merlin Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Mercer, John E., Chau, Albert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATIDAR, JAY M
• Application Number:
  US13/301,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20120062234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 324/67, 324326-329
• US Class Current: 324/326
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/08 operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by objects or geological structures or by detecting devices with electromagnetic waves G01V3/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/12 operating with electromagnetic waves operating with millimetre waves G01V8/005
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/17 operating with electromagnetic waves operating with millimetre waves G01V8/005

Abstract

A method is described for use in a region which contains at least first and second in-ground cables, each of which cables includes an electrically conductive component such that, when the first cable is driven at a locating signal frequency to emit a locating signal in an electromagnetic form, the locating signal can be coupled to the second cable in a way which causes the second cable to generate a false locating signal in electromagnetic form. The locating signal is received along with the false locating signal as well as receiving a reference signal which contains the locating signal frequency impressed thereon. The locating signal is distinguished from the false locating signal based on the locating signal frequency as contained by the reference signal.

Claims

1. For use in a region which contains at least first and second in-ground cables, each of which cables includes an electrically conductive component such that, when the first cable is driven at a locating signal frequency to emit a locating signal in an electromagnetic form, the locating signal can be coupled to the second cable in a way which causes the second cable to generate a false locating signal in electromagnetic form, a method comprising:

receiving the locating signal and the false locating signal as well as receiving a reference signal which contains said locating signal frequency impressed thereon; and

distinguishing the locating signal from the false locating signal based on said locating signal frequency as contained by the reference signal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the locating signal is electromagnetically coupled from the first cable to the second cable through the ground to cause the second cable to emit the false locating signal and distinguishing includes

recovering the locating signal frequency from the reference signal;

synchronously detecting said locating signal frequency and a selected frequency band, which includes said locating signal and said false locating signal, to substantially reject the false locating signal while providing an output responsive to the locating signal.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said locating signal frequency, as contained by the reference signal, is at least approximately in a fixed phase relationship with said locating signal and distinguishing between the locating signal and the false locating signal is based, at least in part, on said fixed phase relationship.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said fixed phase relationship is at least approximately 90 degrees.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said fixed phase relationship is of a known magnitude and phase angle in relation to said locating signal frequency.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving includes receiving the reference signal as including a carrier frequency that is modulated by said locating signal frequency.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein a ratio of the carrier frequency to the locating signal frequency is at least 5 to 1.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the locating signal frequency is in a range from approximately 1 Hz to 80 KHz and the carrier frequency is in a range from approximately 10 Hz to 300 KHz.

9. The method of claim 1 including distinguishing between the locating signal and the false locating signal based on a phase shift therebetween that is in quadrature.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the first cable and the second cable each include a distal end and the distal ends are resistively connected to one another such that the locating signal is resistively coupled from the first cable to the second cable to produce the false locating signal in an inverted phase relationship with respect to the locating signal and said method further comprises:

indicating a signal strength of one sign for the locating signal when an opposite sign signal strength is indicated for the false locating signal.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein an RF carrier is modulated with said reference signal and transmitted above ground for reception and receiving includes demodulating the RF carrier to recover the reference signal.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the locating signal is subject to a given phase shift relative to the locating signal frequency in being coupled onto said first cable and wherein distinguishing includes recovering the locating signal frequency from the reference signal and further includes phase shifting the locating signal frequency to produce a phase shifted locating signal frequency that is at least approximately in phase with the locating signal to compensate for said given phase shift.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said receiving subjects the locating signal frequency to a circuitry induced phase shift and said method further comprises compensating for said circuitry induced phase shift by introducing an additional phase shift that causes the phase shifted locating frequency to be closer in phase to the locating signal than it would otherwise be without the additional phase shift