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EP-4735918-A1 - FILTERING METHODS AND ASSOCIATED UTILITY LOCATOR DEVICES FOR LOCATING AND MAPPING BURIED UTILITY LINES

EP4735918A1EP 4735918 A1EP4735918 A1EP 4735918A1EP-4735918-A1

Abstract

Various devices and methods are disclosed to efficiently determine and map the geolocations of utility lines. The devices and methods may, from measurements of electromagnetic signals of an area and the known geolocation of the utility locator device, map the geolocations of electromagnetic signals. Such maps may be generated from electromagnetic signal measurements at two or more measurement points and, in comparing the maps generated at two or more measurement points in space, determine the presence and geolocations of utility lines.

Inventors

  • OLSSON, MARK
  • MARTIN, MICHAEL

Assignees

  • SeeScan, Inc.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20240628

Claims (17)

  1. CLAIMS We Claim: 1. A utility locating method, comprising: mapping the geolocations of electromagnetic signals measured from two or more points in space via a utility locator device; filtering out electromagnetic signals that move spatially in the maps of electromagnetic signals measured at the different points in space; grouping electromagnetic signals based on electromagnetic signal patterns that are spatially linear; and identifying utility lines where electromagnetic signals fit a cylindrical magnetic field model.
  2. 2. The method of Claim 1, further filtering out non-spatially linear electromagnetic signal data where the magnitude of an electromagnetic signal falls beneath a predetermined threshold.
  3. 3. The method of Claim 1, wherein the method repeats measuring electromagnetic signals at additional geolocations.
  4. 4. The method of Claim 1, wherein the distance between measurement points in space are at a distance equal to or greater than the distance between measurement points in space and a utility line.
  5. 5. The method of Claim 1, wherein a pipe Sonde and/or other dipole beacon are identified and the geolocation thereof is determined by the utility locator device.
  6. 6. The method of Claim 1, wherein other objects present in the locate environment are identified via user input. S E E K 09 - 421 - 401 S P E C I F I C A T I O N M J P R e v . 1 51 PCT Patent Application
  7. 7. The method of Claim 1, wherein other objects present in the locate environment are tagged via a rangefinder apparatus.
  8. 8. The method of Claim 1, wherein other objects present in the locate environment are identified by various electromagnetic signal attributes.
  9. 9. The method of Claim 1, wherein the method is processed on a utility locator device in real- time or near real-time.
  10. 10. The method of Claim 1, wherein the method is processed in a remote database.
  11. 11. A utility locator device, comprising: one or more antennas and associated receiver circuitry to measure electromagnetic signals across a range of frequencies and determine the position of the source of the signal relative to the utility locator device; a positioning element to determine a position of the utility locator device in the world frame; a processing element to identify electromagnetic signals that conform to a cylindrical magnetic field model and align to be spatially linear and further remain stationary in the world frame when measured at two or more points in space in determining and mapping utility lines; and a display element for communicating mapped utility lines to a user.
  12. 12. The device of Claim 11, having twelve antennas arranged in a dodecahedral array.
  13. 13. The device of Claim 11, wherein the positioning element includes one or more GNSS receivers.
  14. 14. The device of Claim 11, wherein the positioning element includes one or more inertial sensors. S E E K 09 - 421 - 401 S P E C I F I C A T I O N M J P R e v . 1 52 PCT Patent Application
  15. 15. The device of Claim 11, further including a rangefinder apparatus for tagging objects in the locating environment.
  16. 16. The device of Claim 11, further including a radio apparatus in communicating with one or more external devices.
  17. 17. The device of Claim 11, wherein data regarding mapping of utility lines determined by the utility locator device is communicated with a remote database. S E E K 09 - 421 - 401 S P E C I F I C A T I O N M J P R e v . 1 53 PCT Patent Application

Description

FILTERING METHODS AND ASSOCIATED UTILITY LOCATOR DEVICES FOR LOCATING AND MAPPING BURIED UTILITY LINES CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to co-pending United States Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63/524,698, entitled FILTERING METHODS AND ASSOCIATED UTILITY LOCATOR DEVICES FOR LOCATING AND MAPPING BURIED UTILITY LINES, filed on July 2, 2023, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purpose. FIELD [0002] This disclosure relates generally to methods and devices for identifying utility lines buried in the ground. More specifically, this disclosure relates to methods and devices for identifying and mapping utility lines buried in the ground via electromagnetic data across a range of frequencies. BACKGROUND [0003] Utility locator devices used to locate utility lines buried or otherwise hidden from sight are known in the art. The vast majority of utility locator devices known in the art may measure electromagnetic signals at one or a limited few frequencies from current coupled to an electrically conductive utility line via a transmitter device or from AC current inherently flowing through the utility such as with a power line. Commonly, known utility locator devices may be tuned to one or a limited few frequencies emitted by a utility line which may be located via tracing the length of the utility line along the ground surface in a procedure commonly referred to as “line tracing.” As the majority of known utility locator devices are limited to one or few frequencies generally emitted by a singular utility line, a vast amount of electromagnetic data present in a locating environment that may relate to other buried utility lines is ignored and thus a user is provided a very limited understanding of the presence and locations of buried utility lines in the ground. Such a limited understanding of the presence and locations of buried utility S E E K 09 - 421 - 401 S P E C I F I C A T I O N M J P R e v . 1 1 PCT Patent Application lines may be extraordinarily dangerous wherein the excavation of an area containing utility lines is required. Every year a vast amount of costly damage is known to be caused by failing to locate utility lines prior to excavation. For instance, the failure to locate utility lines may often result in destruction to buildings and infrastructure as well as harm humans and even result in death from accidentally striking buried utility lines. Further, the vast number of utility locator devices may determine the location of one or more utility lines relative to the utility locator device but fail to further map the utility line location(s) relative to the world. [0004] Very few electromagnetic utility locator devices known in the art are configured to measure electromagnetic data across a large range of frequencies. Those few utility locator devices capable of measuring electromagnetic data across a large range of frequencies tend to generate a vast amount of data. Whereas collecting such a larger amount of data may allow for a more complete understanding of utility lines present in an area, the vastness of the data tends to complicate the efficiency and effectiveness by which utility lines may be located. Such problems may further be complicated where positional data is also generated and correlated with electromagnetic data for the purpose of mapping utility lines. [0005] Accordingly, there is a need in the art to address the above-described as well as other problems. SUMMARY [0006] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a method for locating and mapping utility lines is disclosed. In one step, the method may include mapping the geolocations of electromagnetic signals measured from two or more points in space, referred to herein as “measurement points,” via a utility locator device. In another step, the method may include filtering out electromagnetic signals that have moved spatially in the maps of electromagnetic signals measured at the different measurement points. In another step, the method may include grouping electromagnetic signals based on electromagnetic signal patterns that are spatially linear. In yet another step, the method may further include identifying utility lines where electromagnetic signals fit a cylindrical magnetic field model. S E E K 09 - 421 - 401 S P E C I F I C A T I O N M J P R e v . 1 2 PCT Patent Application [0007] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a utility locating device may include one or more antennas and associated receiver circuitry to measure electromagnetic signals across a range of frequencies and determine the position of the source of the signal relative to the utility locator device. The utility locator device may further include a positioning element to determine a geolocation of the utility locator device. The utility locator device may further include a processing element having one