# US 2014/0152311 A1 · Flux Plane Locating in an Underground Drilling System > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0152311 A1 - Document ID: US20140152311A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/174,176 - Filed: 2014-02-06 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2000-08-17 - Assignees: Merlin Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Merlin Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Guenter W. Brune; Albert W. Chau; John E. Mercer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140152311A1 ## CPC - E21B 47/092: by detecting magnetic anomalies - E21B 47/024: of devices in the borehole (determining slope or direction of the borehole E21B47/022) - G01C 9/02: Details - G01V 3/08: operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by objects or geological structures or by detecting devices (with electromagnetic waves G01V3/12) - G01V 3/15: specially adapted for use during transport, e.g. by a person, vehicle or boat - G01V 3/165: operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by the object or by the detecting device (with electromagnetic waves G01V3/17) - G01V 3/28: using induction coils - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - G01C: MEASURING DISTANCES, LEVELS OR BEARINGS; SURVEYING; NAVIGATION; GYROSCOPIC INSTRUMENTS; PHOTOGRAMMETRY OR VIDEOGRAMMETRY (measuring liquid level G01F; radio navigation, determining distance or velocity by use of propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effects, propagation time, of radio waves, analogous arrangements using other waves G01S) - G01V: GEOPHYSICS; GRAVITATIONAL MEASUREMENTS; DETECTING MASSES OR OBJECTS; TAGS (means for indicating the location of accidentally buried, e.g. snow-buried, persons A63B29/02) ## Abstract A portable locator and method for establishing the location of the cable line in a region which includes at least one generally straight electrically conductive cable line extending across the region from which cable line a locating signal includes a first arrangement for measuring a local flux intensity of the locating signal at a first above ground point within the region with the portable locator in a particular orientation at the first above ground point. A second arrangement uses the local flux intensity to establish a cable line angular orientation which limits the possible directions to the cable line relative to the particular orientation of the portable locator at the above ground point. A third arrangement uses the measured local flux intensity to establish an actual direction of the cable line that is selected from the possible directions based on certain characteristics of the locating signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A portable locator for use in a system in which an inground tool is moved through the ground within a given region along a path while transmitting a locating signal such that the locating signal exhibits locate points at the surface of the ground, both ahead of and to the rear of the inground tool, said portable locator comprising: an antenna configured for measuring a local flux intensity of the locating signal for at least one above ground point; a processor configured to establish a horizontal flux vector at the above ground point based on the local flux intensity such that the horizontal flux vector is at least generally oriented in a horizontal plane; and a display for displaying an orientation of the horizontal flux vector to serve in guiding an operator of the portable locator toward at least one of the locate points. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The portable locator of claim 1 wherein the locating signal includes a transmit axis defined within a vertical plane including the locate points and the locating signal exhibits a locate line that is accessible at the surface of the ground and is included in a locate plane which extends through the inground tool transverse to the transmit axis and the locating signal further defines a side locating region between a pair of planes one of which extends through each locate point generally transverse to said transmit axis, and wherein said portable locator is configured for measuring an additional local flux intensity of the locating signal at a side locating above ground point within the side locating region and for using the measured additional local flux intensity to establish a predicted locate line angular orientation which, at least to an approximation, limits the possible directions to and orientations of a predicted locate line relative to the orientation of the portable locator at the side locating above ground point. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The portable locator of claim 2 wherein said portable locator is configured for updating the possible directions to and orientations of the predicted locate line based on varying the orientation of the portable locator. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The portable locator of claim 2 wherein said portable device is configured to indicate the predicted locate line relative to the portable locator on said display. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The portable locator of claim 4 configured to indicate that the predicted locate line has converged on the locate line defined by the locating signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The portable locator of claim 5 wherein the display illustrates crosshairs and the portable locator is configured to center the predicted locate line on the crosshairs responsive to detecting that the predicted locate line has converged on the locate line.