UTILITY LOCATOR DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS WITH SATELLITE AND MAGNETIC FIELD SONDE ANTENNA SYSTEMS

• US 20170017010A1
• Filed: 07/15/2015
• Published: 01/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David A. Cox, Jan Soukup, Jesse O. Casares, Justin W. Taylor, Mark S. Olsson, Ray Merewether, Stephanie M. Bench
• Original Assignee: Seescan, Inc.
• Inventors: Casares, Jesse O., Olsson, Mark S., Soukup, Jan, Bench, Stephanie M., Merewether, Ray, Cox, David A., Taylor, Justin W.
• Granted Patent: US 10,571,594 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/42 Determining position
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/48 by combining or switching between position solutions derived from the satellite radio beacon positioning system and position solutions derived from a further system
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/51 Relative positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/02 operating with propagation of electric current
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/081 the magnetic field is produced by the objects or geological structures characterised by the method of magnetic field measurement G01R33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/15 specially adapted for use during transport, e.g. by a person, vehicle or boat
• 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

Abstract

A transmitter system for providing current to a utility when performing a locate operation is disclosed. The transmitter system may include a tray apparatus, a transmitter module for generating an output current for provision to the utility so as to generate a magnetic field for detection by a utility locator disposed on or in the tray apparatus, and a sonde antenna node, a satellite antenna node, or a combined satellite navigation and sonde antenna node.

Claims

1. A transmitter system for providing current to a utility when performing a locate operation, comprising:

a tray apparatus;

a transmitter module for generating an output current for provision to the utility so as to generate a magnetic field for detection by a utility locator disposed on or in the tray apparatus;

a magnetic field sonde antenna transmit node; and

a satellite location system antenna node oriented in a predefined position relative to the magnetic field sonde transmit antenna node; and

a satellite location system receiver coupled to the satellite location system antenna node for generating location data corresponding to a location of the transmitter system.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the satellite location system node and the magnetic field sonde transmit antenna node are arranged in a combined antenna node.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the satellite location system antenna node comprises a GPS antenna.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the combined antenna node includes a GPS antenna node and the magnetic field sonde transmit antenna node includes a coil, and wherein the GPS antenna phase center and the sonde outer coil centroid share a substantially common point in space.

5. The transmitter system of claim 1, wherein one or both of the antenna nodes includes a mast removably coupled to the tray apparatus.

6. The transmitter system of claim 1, further combining a transmitter module for providing the location data to a utility locator.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein a center or reference position of the satellite antenna array and the sonde antenna array are at a substantially common point.

7. A satellite positioning and sonde transmit system for providing location data to a utility locator, comprising:

a housing;

a satellite antenna;

a magnetic field sonde transmit antenna positioned at predefined reference position relative to the satellite antenna;

an electronic circuit for providing a transmit signal to the sonde transmit antenna;

a satellite positioning receiver coupled to the satellite antenna for generating location data associated with a location of the system; and

an interface for providing an output signal from the satellite positioning receiver to the locator.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the satellite antenna array and the sonde antenna array are combined in the predefined reference position.

10. The system of claim 7, further comprising an attachment mechanism for removably coupling the housing to a user.