Cable plow installation monitor method and apparatus

• US 7,199,723 B1
• Filed: 08/03/2004
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Huffman, John Sinclair, Eslambolchi, Hossein
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Benjamin C.
• Application Number:
  US10/910,024
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/686.5
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 5/102 operatively associated with mole-ploughs, coulters rippers E02F5/32
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/2045 Guiding machines along a predetermined path for graders E02F3/841; machines for construction of roads E01C19/004
• CPC Class Codes: E02F 9/26 Indicating devices E02F5/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/15 specially adapted for use during transport, e.g. by a person, vehicle or boat

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for installing a utility conveyance. A tractor which includes sensors, a plow locator and a monitor system is presented. The sensors are used to locate markers, which identify the boundaries of a right of way or a preexisting utility conveyance. The plow locator is used to determine the location of a plow relative to a preexisting utility conveyance. Sensing information produced by the sensors and plow location information produced by the plow locator are communicated to the monitor system. A visual representation of the markers and the position of the plow relative to the markers, is displayed on a screen associated with the monitor system. As such, a tractor operator may navigate an engineered path and install a utility conveyance.

Claims

1. A utility conveying vehicle system comprising:

a tone-generating device for generating tone-generating signals denoting pre-established demarcation points associated with location of a pre-existing utility conveyance,

a sensor coupled to the tone-generating device for receiving tone-generating signals and generating sensing signals in response to the tone-generating signals;

a plow locator for locating the plow relative to the demarcation points;

a monitor coupled to both the sensor and the locator to display both the demarcation points and the location of the plow relative to the demarcation points; and

a utility laying device coupled to the monitor for installing the utility in response to said display.

2. The vehicle system of claim 1 wherein the demarcation points are positions of the pre-existing utility identified by the tone-generating device.

3. The vehicle system of claim 1 wherein said monitor displays a path in response to the sensing signal and in response to the plow location.

4. The vehicle system of claim 3 wherein said utility is installed based upon said path.

5. The vehicle system of claim 3 wherein said path is an engineered path.

6. The vehicle system of claim 5 wherein said utility is installed along said engineered path.

7. A utility conveying vehicle system comprising:

a sensor for detecting pre-established demarcating points associated with location of a pre-existing utility conveyance wherein the demarcation points are denoted by combination of metal wires and tone-generating signals;

a plow locator for locating the plow relative to the demarcation points;

a monitor coupled to both the sensor and the locator to display both the demarcation points and the location of the plow relative to the demarcation points; and

a utility laying device coupled to the monitor for installing the utility in response to said display.

8. The vehicle system of claim 7 further comprising-a tone-generating device for generating the tone-generating signals and forwarding the signals to the sensor.

9. The vehicle system of claim 8 wherein the demarcation points are positions of the pre-existing utility identified by the tone-generating devices.

10. The vehicle system of claim 7 wherein the demarcation points are the metal wires positioned along the location of the pre-existing utility conveyance.

11. The vehicle system of claim 7 wherein said monitor displays a path in response to the location of the pre-existing utility conveyance and in response to the plow location.

12. The vehicle system of claim 11 wherein said utility is installed based upon said path.

13. The vehicle system of claim 11 wherein said path is an engineered path.

14. The vehicle system of claim 13 wherein said utility is installed along said engineered path.