Cable location continuously determining apparatus, cable location continuously determining method, and cable location continuously determining program

• US 20050062475A1
• Filed: 02/17/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Infrastructure Network Corporation
• Original Assignee: NTT Infrastructure Network Corporation
• Inventors: Nishiwaki, Ken, Otsuki, Kazuhiro, Nakanishi, Shinsuke, Hidaka, Kazutoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,081,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/326
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/15 specially adapted for use during transport, e.g. by a person, vehicle or boat

Abstract

An apparatus is provided that can continuously determine the location at which a cable is buried. The location data of a measurement standard position is acquired by RTK-GPS. The azimuth of the moving direction of the cable location continuously determining apparatus is calculated using the location data. Electromagnetic waves from a metallic wire are received by two electromagnetic signal receiving sections whose locations in the horizontal plane are different from each other, and distances from the measurement standard position to a cable in a measurement base line direction and in the vertical downward direction are calculated using the received electromagnetic signals. The depth of the cable is calculated using the distance in the vertical downward direction. The plane location data of the cable is calculated using the azimuth of the moving direction, the location data of the measurement standard position, and the distance in the measurement base line direction.

Claims

1. A cable location continuously determining apparatus which determines the location of a cable buried in the ground comprising:

a first electromagnetic signal receiving section which receives an electromagnetic signal originating from alternating current flowing through a metallic wire which is integrated or attached to a cable which is the subject of determination;

a second electromagnetic signal receiving section whose position in a horizontal plane is different from a position in the horizontal plane of the first electromagnetic signal receiving section and which receives the electromagnetic signal;

a location data acquiring section which acquires location data including latitude and longitude of a predetermined location with respect to the apparatus itself;

a first location calculation section which calculates location data of the cable which is the subject of determination when taking the predetermined location as a standard using the electromagnetic signal received by the first electromagnetic signal receiving section and the electromagnetic signal received by the second electromagnetic signal receiving section, and which calculates the depth of the cable which is the subject of determination using the calculated location data; and

a second location calculation section which calculates plane location data of the cable which is the subject of determination using the location data acquired by the location data acquiring section and the location data calculated by the first location calculation section.

2. A cable location continuously determining apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display section which displays information relating to the location of the cable which is the subject of determination based on the location data of the cable calculated by the first location calculation section.

3. A cable location continuously determining apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the location data acquiring section acquires the location data of the predetermined location by using RTK-GPS.

4. A cable location continuously determining method carried out by a cable location continuously determining apparatus which determines the location of a cable buried in the ground, the method comprising:

a location data acquiring step which acquires location data including latitude and longitude of a predetermined location with respect to the apparatus itself;

a first location calculation step which receives an electromagnetic signal originating from alternating current flowing through a metallic wire which is integrated or attached to a cable which is the subject of determination using a first electromagnetic signal receiving section and a second electromagnetic signal receiving section whose position in the horizontal plane is different from a position in the horizontal plane of the first electromagnetic signal receiving section, and which calculates location data of the cable which is the subject of determination when taking the predetermined location as a standard using the received electromagnetic signal, and which calculates the depth of the cable which is the subject of determination using the calculated location data; and

a second location calculation step which calculates plane location data of the cable which is the subject of determination using the location data acquired by the location data acquiring step and the location data calculated by the first location calculation step.

5. A cable location continuously determining program which makes a computer function as a cable location continuously determining apparatus which determines the location of a cable buried in the ground, the apparatus comprising:

a location data acquiring section which acquires location data including latitude and longitude of a predetermined location with respect to the apparatus itself;

a first location calculation section which receives an electromagnetic signal originating from alternating current flowing through a metallic wire which is integrated or attached to a cable which is the subject of determination using a first electromagnetic signal receiving section and a second electromagnetic signal receiving section whose position in the horizontal plane is different from a position in the horizontal plane of the first electromagnetic signal receiving section, which calculates location data of the cable which is the subject of determination when taking the predetermined location as a standard using the received electromagnetic signal, and which calculates the depth of the cable which is the subject of determination using the calculated location data; and

a second location calculation section which calculates plane location data of the cable which is the subject of determination using the location data acquired by the location data acquiring section and the location data calculated by the first location calculation section.