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US 9,519,074 B2Granted
Flux plane locating in an underground drilling system
AssigneeMerlin Technology, Inc.
InventorsGuenter W. Brune, Albert W. Chau, John E. Mercer
Life of this patent
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AssigneeMerlin Technology, Inc.
InventorsGuenter W. Brune, Albert W. Chau, John E. Mercer
Estimating the term…
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.
In a system in which an inground tool is moved through the ground within a given region along a path while transmitting a dipole locating signal such that the locating signal exhibits locate points at the surface of the ground, both forward of and to the rear of the inground tool, a portable locator comprising:
In a system in which an inground tool is moved through the ground within a given region along a path while transmitting a dipole locating signal having a transmit axis such that the locating signal exhibits locate points at the surface of the ground, both forward of and to the rear of the inground tool and a locate line which is included in a locate plane that extends through the inground tool transverse to the transmit axis, a portable locator comprising:
In a system in which a boring tool is moved through the ground within a given region along a path while transmitting a locating signal having a transmit axis such that the locating signal exhibits locate points at the surface of the ground and a locate line, one of said locate points being ahead of the boring tool and the other one of said locate points being to the rear of the boring tool so as define a vertical plane including the transmit axis and the locate line is accessible at the surface of the ground and included in a locate plane that extends through the boring tool in a direction normal to the transmit axis, a portable locator comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.