Conductor locator adapter for electronic markers

• US 5,430,379 A
• Filed: 08/27/1993
• Issued: 07/04/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3M Company
• Original Assignee: 3M Company
• Inventors: Parkinson, Timothy A., Doany, Ziyad H.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Shea, Sandra L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHILLIPS, ROGER
• Application Number:
  US08/113,220
• Time in Patent Office: 676 Days
• Field of Search: 324/67, 324/326, 324/329, 340/551, 340/572
• US Class Current: 324/329
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 15/00 Tags attached to, or associated with, an object, in order to enable detection of the object record carriers for use with machines having a detectable tag or marker G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/15 specially adapted for use during transport, e.g. by a person, vehicle or boat

Abstract

An adapter for a conventional conductor locator allows the locator to additionally detect the presence of passive, electronic markers. The adapter includes an electronic marker locator and a wireless interface housed in a common body which may be releasably attached to the conductor locator. The electronic marker locator, which may comprise conventional circuitry, outputs a marker detection signal to the wireless interface, which conditions the signal so that it is compatible with the input sensor of the conductor locator. The wireless interface includes an output antenna which is positioned adjacent the input sensor of the conductor locator when the adapter is attached thereto. If the conductor locator is of the type which may receive test signals at different operating frequencies, then the wireless interface also includes a modulator to selectively convert the marker detection signal to one of these operating frequencies. The electronic marker locator portion of the adapter may also be selectively adjusted to detect different discrete marker frequencies. The adapter may operate in a sleep mode, wherein the output signal of the wireless interface is disabled, but the wireless interface may still alert the user to the presence of an electronic marker by an audible alarm.

Claims

1. A device for adapting a conductor locator, having means for detecting the location of an obscured, continuous electrical conductor, to allow the conductor locator to additionally locate electronic markers, the device comprising:

a body;

means for attaching said body to the conductor locator;

electronic marker locator means, located in said body, for detecting the presence of an electronic marker in the vicinity of the conductor locator; and

interface means, located in said body, for providing an output signal to an input of the conductor locator, based on a signal radiated by the electronic marker, said output signal being generally compatible with the input of the conductor locator.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the input of the conductor locator comprises an antenna sensor; and

said interface is wireless, electromagnetically transmitting said output signal to the antenna sensor.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said output signal of said wireless interface means provides an indication of the strength of the signal radiated by the electronic marker.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said electronic marker locator means may be tuned to one of a plurality of discrete frequency settings.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said attaching means releasably attaches said body to the conductor locator.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said wireless interface means includes modulator means for translating said output signal to an operating frequency of the conductor locator.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the conductor locator is designed to selectively receive signals of different operating frequencies, and said wireless interface means includes:

modulator means for translating said output signal to one of the different operating frequencies of the conductor locator; and

switch means controlling said modulator means for selecting one of the different operating frequencies.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein said electronic marker locator means radiates a test signal at one of a plurality of discrete marker frequencies, and further comprising switch means controlling said electronic marker locator means, for selecting one of said discrete marker frequencies.

9. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

switch means for disabling said output signal of said wireless interface means; and

alarm means, connected to said wireless interface means, for indicating detection of the signal radiated by the electronic marker.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein:

the conductor locator has a sensor;

said wireless interface means has an output antenna for radiating said output signal; and

said output antenna is adjacent said sensor when said body is attached to the conductor locator.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein said body includes foot means for supporting the conductor locator in an upright position.

19. The system of claim 8 wherein said marker locator adapter means includes:

switch means for disabling said output signal of said wireless interface means; and

alarm means, connected to said wireless interface means, for indicating detection of said second test signal re-radiated by the electronic marker.

12. An apparatus for adapting a conductor locator to allow it to additionally locate electronic markers, the conductor locator having an antenna portion housing at least one sensor for receiving a test signal radiated from a conductor, the apparatus comprising:

a body;

means for releasably attaching said body to the conductor locator;

electronic marker locator means, located in said body, for detecting the presence of an electronic marker in the vicinity of the conductor locator; and

wireless interface means, located in said body, for providing an output signal to an input of the conductor locator, based on a signal radiated by the electronic marker, said output signal being generally compatible with the sensor of the conductor locator, and said wireless interface means including an output antenna which radiates said output signal, said output antenna being located adjacent the conductor locator sensor when said body is attached to the conductor locator.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the conductor locator is designed to selectively receive signals of different operating frequencies, and said wireless interface means further includes:

modulator means for translating said output signal to one of the different operating frequencies of the conductor locator; and

switch means controlling said modulator means for selecting one of the different operating frequencies.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

switch means for disabling said output signal of said wireless interface means; and

alarm means, connected to said wireless interface means, for indicating detection of the signal radiated by the electronic marker.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein:

the sensor of the conductor locator has an axis; and

said output antenna of said wireless interface has an axis which is generally aligned with the axis of the sensor when said body is attached to the conductor locator.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said electronic marker locator means radiates another test signal at one of a plurality of discrete marker frequencies, and further comprising switch means controlling said electronic marker locator means, for selecting one of said discrete marker frequencies.

17. A system for locating an obscured conductor which is proximate a passive, resonant, electronic marker, comprising:

transmitter means for applying a first test signal to the obscured conductor;

conductor locator means for detecting said test signal as it radiates from the conductor; and

marker locator adapter means, releasably attached to said conductor locator means, for radiating a second test signal, detecting any re-radiation of said second test signal by the electronic marker, and providing an output signal to said conductor locator means if any re-radiation of said second test signal is detected.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said conductor locator means has an antenna portion housing a sensor, and said marker locator adapter means includes:

a body;

electronic marker locator means, located in said body, for detecting the presence of the electronic marker, said electronic marker locator means including marker detector circuitry means for providing a marker signal indicative of the strength of the second test signal re-radiated by the electronic marker;

wireless interface means, located in said body, for providing an output signal to an input of the conductor locator, based on said marker signal from said marker detector circuitry means, said output signal being generally compatible with said sensor of said conductor locator, and being radiated by an output antenna; and

means for attaching said body to said conductor locator such that said output antenna of said wireless interface means is adjacent said sensor of said conductor locator.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein:

said conductor locator means includes means for selectively receiving signals of different operating frequencies;

said wireless interface means includes modulator means for translating said output signal to one of said different operating frequencies, and switch means controlling said modulator means for selecting one of said different operating frequencies;

said electronic marker locator means further includes means for radiating said second test signal at one of a plurality of discrete marker frequencies, and switch means for selecting one of said discrete marker frequencies.