Method for detection of signal source using estimation of noise statistics

• US 8,829,906 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2011
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charles Machine Works Inc (Toro)
• Original Assignee: Charles Machine Works Inc (Toro)
• Inventors: Gard, Michael F., Cole, Scott Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Hollington, Jermele M
• Application Number:
  US13/210,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20110298460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 324/336
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/15 specially adapted for use during transport, e.g. by a person, vehicle or boat

Abstract

A method for noise signal analysis and communication with an underground transmitter. The method comprises the steps of measuring a noise floor when no signal is transmitted from a transmitter, detecting a signal when the transmitter is transmitting, and estimating the noise free component of the signal by removing the noise floor measurement. The measurement of the noise floor and detecting the signal from the transmitter may be done using a root mean square technique. The noise floor measurement can be removed from the measured signal by subtracting the noise floor measurement from the measured signal or alternatively by calculating the square root of the difference between the square of the measured signal and the square of the noise floor measurement. The noise estimation technique may be used in connection with a differential phased shift keying communication scheme or other modulation techniques.

Claims

1. A method for analyzing signals transmitted from a transmitter, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a noise measurement at a remote location when no signal is transmitted from the transmitter;

transmitting an electromagnetic signal from the transmitter;

detecting the electromagnetic signal at the remote location by measuring a detected electromagnetic field transmitted by the transmitter, the detected signal having a noise free component;

estimating the noise free component of the detected signal using the noise measurement and a magnitude of the detected signal; and

locating the transmitter using the noise free component.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining a noise measurement comprises the steps of:

measuring a detected electromagnetic field by taking measurement samples during a period of time; and

calculating the root mean square of the measured field samples.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of obtaining a detected signal measurement comprises the steps of:

measuring a detected electromagnetic field by taking measurement samples during a period of time; and

calculating the root mean square of the measurement samples.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of estimating a noise free component of the detected signal comprises the steps of:

measuring a detected electromagnetic field by taking measurement samples during a period of time;

calculating the root mean square of the measurement field samples; and

estimating the noise free component of the signal by removing the noise measurement from the detected signal.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting the electromagnetic signal comprises calculating the root mean square of the measurement samples to reduce signal error.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of calculating a depth of the transmitter using the noise free component of the signal.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of determining a position of the transmitter relative to the remote location using the noise free component of the signal.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of calculating flux angles using the noise free component of the signal.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of estimating a noise free component comprises the step of calculating the square root of the difference between the square of a detected signal magnitude and the square of a noise measurement magnitude.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of calculating a depth of the transmitter using the estimated noise free component of the electromagnetic signal.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of estimating a noise free component comprises the step of calculating the ratio of a detected signal magnitude and a noise measurement magnitude.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of estimating a noise free component comprises the step of calculating the difference between a detected signal magnitude and a noise measurement magnitude.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of calculating a depth of the transmitter using the noise free component of the electromagnetic signal.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of modulating information representing an operational parameter of the transmitter onto the signal transmitted from the transmitter.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitter is below ground and the remote location is above ground.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitter and remote location are below ground.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitter and remote location are above ground.