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US 12,638,610 B1Granted
Electromagnetic utility marker devices
AssigneeSeescan, Inc.
InventorsStephanie M. Bench, Mark S. Olsson, Matthew D. Bockman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A marker device embodiment may include separate concentrically-oriented receive and transmit antenna elements coupled to an ASIC which includes electronics to receive an input signal at a first frequency from a transmitter, convert the input signal to a power supply to power the electronic circuit, generate, in response to the input signal, an output signal at a second frequency different from the first frequency, and provide the output signal, via the transmit antenna element, to an above-ground receiver for assistance in determining the location of a buried utility.
Claims8
A marker device for use with a buried utility locating system, comprising:
- a housing;
- a receive antenna element comprising one or more conductive windings tuned to an input signal at a first frequency;
- a transmit antenna element comprising one or more conductive windings to broadcast an output signal at a second frequency, different from the first frequency, and positioned to be physically separated from the receive antenna element so as decouple the resonance of the separate antenna elements;
- electronic circuitry electrically coupled separately to conductive windings of the receive and transmit antenna elements, the electronic circuitry including:
- an input circuit to receive, via the receive antenna element, the input signal at the first frequency;
- a power circuit to convert the input signal to a power supply for powering the electronic circuitry;
- a processing element to generate an output signal at the second frequency responsive to the input signal;
- and
- an output circuit to provide the output signal to the transmit antenna;
- wherein the receive antenna conductive windings are spaced outward, concentrically, from the transmit antenna windings.
7 more elements
A marker device for use with a buried utility locating system, comprising:
- a housing;
- a receive antenna element comprising one or more conductive windings tuned to an input signal at a first frequency;
- a transmit antenna element comprising one or more conductive windings to broadcast an output signal at a second frequency, different from the first frequency, and positioned to be physically separated from the receive antenna element so as decouple the resonance of the separate antenna elements;
- electronic circuitry electrically coupled separately to conductive windings of the receive and transmit antenna elements, the electronic circuitry including:
- an input circuit to receive, via the receive antenna element, the input signal at the first frequency;
- a power circuit to convert the input signal to a power supply for powering the electronic circuitry;
- a processing element to generate an output signal at the second frequency responsive to the input signal;
- and
- an output circuit to provide the output signal to the transmit antenna;
- wherein the transmit antenna windings are tuned to the second frequency by selecting the number of turns of the windings to correspond with the second frequency.
7 more elements
A marker device for use with a buried utility locating system, comprising:
- a housing;
- a receive antenna element comprising one or more conductive windings tuned to an input signal at a first frequency;
- a transmit antenna element comprising one or more conductive windings to broadcast an output signal at a second frequency, different from the first frequency, and positioned to be physically separated from the receive antenna element so as decouple the resonance of the separate antenna elements;
- electronic circuitry electrically coupled separately to conductive windings of the receive and transmit antenna elements, the electronic circuitry including:
- an input circuit to receive, via the receive antenna element, the input signal at the first frequency;
- a power circuit to convert the input signal to a power supply for powering the electronic circuitry;
- a processing element to generate an output signal at the second frequency responsive to the input signal;
- and
- an output circuit to provide the output signal to the transmit antenna;
- wherein the marker device is disposed in a hollow ball partially filled with fluid and weighted so that it floats in the fluid, making the marker device self-righting.
7 more elements
A marker device for use with a buried utility locating system, comprising:
- a housing;
- a receive antenna element comprising one or more conductive windings tuned to an input signal at a first frequency;
- a transmit antenna element comprising one or more conductive windings to broadcast an output signal at a second frequency, different from the first frequency, and positioned to be physically separated from the receive antenna element so as decouple the resonance of the separate antenna elements;
- electronic circuitry electrically coupled separately to conductive windings of the receive and transmit antenna elements, the electronic circuitry including:
- an input circuit to receive, via the receive antenna element, the input signal at the first frequency;
- a power circuit to convert the input signal to a power supply for powering the electronic circuitry;
- a processing element to generate an output signal at the second frequency responsive to the input signal;
- and
- an output circuit to provide the output signal to the transmit antenna;
- wherein the marker device is disposed in a hollow ball weighted along one side and the hollow ball is filled with a dielectric gas.
7 more elements
A marker device for use with a buried utility locating system, comprising:
- a circular shaped housing comprising a low dielectric material;
- a receive antenna element shaped in a loop, comprising one or more conductive windings tuned to an input signal at a first frequency;
- a transmit antenna element, separate from the receive antenna element, shaped in a loop and comprising one or more conductive windings to broadcast an output signal at a second frequency, different from the first frequency, and positioned to be physically separated from the receive antenna element so as to decouple the resonance of the separate antenna elements;
- electronic circuitry electrically coupled separately to conductive windings of the receive and transmit antenna elements, the electronic circuitry including:
- an input circuit to receive, via the receive antenna element, the input signal at the first frequency;
- a power circuit to convert the input signal to a power supply for powering the electronic circuitry;
- a processing element to generate an output signal at the second frequency responsive to the input signal;
- a non-transitory memory for storing programmed instruction for use by the processing element to control the marker device;
- an output circuit to provide the output signal to the transmit antenna;
- wherein the output signal is at a frequency outside the resonant range of the first frequency.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.