Application of sonic signals to detect buried, underground utilities
AssigneeGas Research Institute
InventorRobert W. Cribbs
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for detecting utilities buried in the ground wherein an array of sonic receivers are arranged in rows and ranks against the ground and a corresponding array of sonic transmitters are arranged relative to the array of sonic receivers so that a distance between each sonic transmitter and each adjacent sonic receiver is the same. Echoes generated by the apparatus may then be normalized, averaged and compared to the original echoes to develop a profile of the buried utility.
Claims23
A device for detecting utilities buried in the ground comprising:
- an array of sonic transducers positioned against the ground, the array of sonic transducers generating a transmitted signal;
- an actuator for actuating the transmitted signal;
- a amplifier for amplifying echoes generated by the transmitted signal;
- a processor for processing the echoes generated by the transmitted signal into echo patterns;
- and
- a display for displaying echo patterns.
A device for detecting utilities buried in the ground comprising:
- an array of sonic receivers arranged in rows and ranks and positioned against the ground;
- and
- a corresponding array of sonic transmitters positioned against the ground and connected with respect to and interposed within the array of sonic receivers, each sonic transmitter of the corresponding array of sonic transmitters positioned equidistant from each directly adjacent sonic receiver of the array of sonic receivers.
A device for detecting a utility buried in the soil comprising:
- a linear array of sonic transmitters positioned against the ground;
- a corresponding linear array of sonic receivers positioned against the ground and connected with respect to the linear array of sonic transmitters, each sonic receiver of the corresponding linear array of sonic receivers positioned a distance from each sonic transmitter of the linear array of sonic transmitters, the distance between each corresponding sonic receiver and sonic transmitter being equal.
A method for detecting a utility buried in the soil comprising:
- sending a sonic signal into the soil using a transducer array;
- processing a return signal to determine a location of the utility.
A method for detecting utilities buried in the ground comprising:
- positioning an array of sonic receivers arranged in rows and ranks against the ground;
- and
- positioning a corresponding array of sonic transmitters against the ground and relative to the array of sonic receivers so that a distance between each adjacent sonic receiver of the array of sonic receivers and each sonic transmitter of the array of sonic transmitters is the same.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.