System for determining a precise location and orientation of a concealed dipole transmitter
First Claim
1. A sonde locator comprising:
- a plurality of electromagnetic coil sensors configured to measure an electromagnetic field magnitude and phase generated along at least one dipole transmitter axis of a target sonde, the plurality of electromagnetic coil sensors being at an arbitrary orientation to the target sonde, the target sonde being located separately from the sonde locator;
circuitry coupled to receive signals from the plurality of electromagnetic coil sensors and provide quadrature signals indicating a set of measured complex electromagnetic field strengths related to each electromagnetic coil sensor at a receiver and along the at least one dipole transmitter axis;
a position locator that determines a precise position of the sonde locator;
a processor coupled to receive the complex electromagnetic field strength and phase and the position and calculate parameter values related to the target sonde; and
a display coupled to the processor, the display indicating to a user the values related to the target sonde,wherein the processor includes software for performing the following;
measuring a set of complex electromagnetic field magnitude and phase strengths at one or more positions of the sonde locator determined by the position locator while traversing a target sonde path at any angle using one or more of the electromagnetic coil sensors;
modeling a set of expected complex electromagnetic strengths of a hypothetical sonde at each of the one or more positions of the sonde locator determined by the position locator for one or more of the electromagnetic coil sensors, the set of expected electromagnetic field values corresponding to a model for the target sonde; and
estimating parameters related to the target sonde based on the residual error between the measured set of complex electromagnetic field values and the modeled set of expected complex electromagnetic field strengths, wherein a final estimated parameter set is determined after the residual error has converged to a minimum tolerance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for determining the position of an underground sonde transmitter is disclosed. In some embodiments, the system measures a set of complex electromagnetic field magnitude and phase strengths at one or more positions while traversing a target sonde path at any angle using one or more electromagnetic coil sensors, models a set of expected complex electromagnetic strengths of a hypothetical sonde at the positions for one or more of the electromagnetic coil sensors, the set of expected electromagnetic field values corresponding to a model for the target sonde, and estimates parameters related to the target sonde based on the residual error between the measured set of complex electromagnetic field values and the modeled set of expected complex electromagnetic field strengths. A final estimated parameter set is determined after the residual error has converged to a minimum tolerance to indicate the sonde transmitter position.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A sonde locator comprising:
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a plurality of electromagnetic coil sensors configured to measure an electromagnetic field magnitude and phase generated along at least one dipole transmitter axis of a target sonde, the plurality of electromagnetic coil sensors being at an arbitrary orientation to the target sonde, the target sonde being located separately from the sonde locator; circuitry coupled to receive signals from the plurality of electromagnetic coil sensors and provide quadrature signals indicating a set of measured complex electromagnetic field strengths related to each electromagnetic coil sensor at a receiver and along the at least one dipole transmitter axis; a position locator that determines a precise position of the sonde locator; a processor coupled to receive the complex electromagnetic field strength and phase and the position and calculate parameter values related to the target sonde; and a display coupled to the processor, the display indicating to a user the values related to the target sonde, wherein the processor includes software for performing the following; measuring a set of complex electromagnetic field magnitude and phase strengths at one or more positions of the sonde locator determined by the position locator while traversing a target sonde path at any angle using one or more of the electromagnetic coil sensors; modeling a set of expected complex electromagnetic strengths of a hypothetical sonde at each of the one or more positions of the sonde locator determined by the position locator for one or more of the electromagnetic coil sensors, the set of expected electromagnetic field values corresponding to a model for the target sonde; and estimating parameters related to the target sonde based on the residual error between the measured set of complex electromagnetic field values and the modeled set of expected complex electromagnetic field strengths, wherein a final estimated parameter set is determined after the residual error has converged to a minimum tolerance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification