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US 11,306,580 B2Granted
Underground guidance using above-ground mesh network
AssigneeThe Charles Machine Works, Inc.
InventorsBrent W. Perteet, Scott B. Cole, Brian K. Bailey, Brian J. Schrock
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tracking system for communicating a location of a beacon in order to drill a bore path. The beacon is carried by a drill string in a drilling operation. Above-ground trackers are arranged in a path to define an intended underground bore path. The trackers form a multi-node mesh network in communication with a display unit at a drilling rig. A drilling operator guides the drill string in response to tracking data sent from the tracking system.
Claims19
A system, comprising:
- a movable underground magnetic dipole source configured to emit a magnetic field;
- an above-ground tracking system formed as a multi-node mesh network in communication with the magnetic dipole source, comprising:
- at least two nodes, each of the at least two nodes comprising a ground-contacting portable tracker, in which each ground-contacting portable tracker is configured to detect the magnetic field and generate data related thereto, each of the at least two nodes having an active mode and an inactive mode, wherein:
- the active mode is characterized by the tracking system using data generated at that node to determine a location of the underground magnetic dipole source;
- and
- the inactive mode is characterized by the tracking system not using data generated at that node to determine a location of the underground magnetic dipole source;
- wherein the tracking system is configured to select which of the at least two nodes are in active mode and which of the at least two nodes are in inactive mode in response to changes in the magnetic field detected at nodes then in active mode.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.