Time domain induction method and apparatus for locating buried objects in a medium by inducing and measuring transient eddy currents
AssigneeWitten Technologies, Inc.
InventorsThorkild Hansen, Michael L. Oristaglio
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus locates buried objects in conductive soil by creating a direct current in a transmitting loop, periodically terminating the direct current in the transmitting loop to create an eddy current in the conductive soil using time domain induction, receiving a magnetic field resulting from the eddy current running through the conductive soil, and locating the buried object using the received magnetic field.
Claims28
A method for locating a buried object in conductive soil comprising:
- creating a direct current in at least one transmitting loop;
- periodically terminating the direct current in said at least one transmitting loop to create an eddy current in the conductive soil using time domain induction;
- receiving a magnetic field resulting from the eddy current running through the conductive soil;
- and
- locating the buried object using the received magnetic field.
An apparatus for locating a buried object in conductive soil comprising:
- at least one transmitting loop;
- a direct current generator feeding said at least one transmitting loop;
- a time domain transmitter current controller;
- a magnetic field detector;
- and
- a locator for locating the buried object using a received magnetic field resulting from an eddy current running through the conductive soil.
An apparatus for locating a buried object in conductive soil comprising:
- means for creating a direct current in at least one transmitting loop;
- means for periodically terminating the direct current in said at least one transmitting loop to create an eddy current in the conductive soil using time domain induction;
- means for receiving a magnetic field resulting from the eddy current running through the conductive soil;
- and
- means for locating the buried object using the received magnetic field.
A computer program product for use in a computer adapted for locating a buried object in conductive soil, the computer program product comprising a computer readable medium for storing computer readable code means, which when executed by a the computer, enables the computer to locate a buried object, and wherein the computer readable code means includes computer readable instructions for causing the computer to execute a method comprising:
- creating a direct current in at least one transmitting loop;
- periodically terminating the direct current in said at least one transmitting loop to create an eddy current in the conductive soil using time domain induction;
- receiving a magnetic field resulting from the eddy current running through the conductive soil;
- and
- locating the buried object using the received magnetic field.
A method for locating a buried object in a medium comprising:
- creating a direct current in at least one transmitting loop;
- terminating the direct current in said at least one transmitting loop to create an eddy current in the medium using time domain induction;
- receiving a magnetic field resulting from the eddy current running through the medium;
- and
- locating the buried object using the received magnetic field.
An apparatus for locating a buried object in conductive medium comprising:
- a time domain induction unit;
- and
- a locator for locating the buried object using a signal triggered by the time domain induction unit without using a sphere model exclusively.
A method for locating a buried object in a conductive medium comprising:
- inducing a signal into the medium using time domain induction;
- and
- locating the buried object in the conductive medium using the time domain induced signal without using a sphere model exclusively.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.