Abstract: A system is provided that can monitor concealed lines and can assist in locating the concealed lines. The system includes a management system, a transmitter, a first node, and a second node. The transmitter is configured to communicate with the management system, wherein the transmitter transmits an AC power signal identifying a command and at least one node to assist in executing the command. The first node is configured to receive the AC power signal, to consume the AC power signal, and to source an output signal according to the command by supplying the output signal to a first conductor segment. The second node is configured to receive the AC power signal from the conductor segment and to prepares itself to receive the output signal from the first node according to the command.

Abstract: An electronic marker locator with a digital architecture for providing accurate and consistent estimation of the signal strength is presented. The marker locator includes a Digital Phase-Locked Loop (DPLL) structure. The electronic marker locator transmits known and adjustable frequency bursts corresponding to the markers to be located while synchronously capturing the signals returned from the markers. Because of the convergence properties of the DPLL, very consistent measurements of the reflected marker signal field strength are possible, resulting in both an improvement of maximum detection depth and depth accuracy. Further, the analog front-end hardware can be reduced, offering wider resistance to component tolerances, lower calibration and test times, and flexible frequency selectivity.

Abstract: A locator is disclosed that includes a base module and an antenna module. The base module and antenna module are coupled both mechanically and electrically at a joint. Such an arrangement allows for easy stowage and shipment of the locator as well as the ability, by interchanging antenna modules, to provide multi-functional locators.

Abstract: A locator including a processor; a memory configured to store location data; a locator circuitry coupled to the processor and configured to receive and process signals related to the location of a utility line; and a visual data input device coupled to the processor and configured to receive visual data, wherein the processor is adapted to reconfigure the location data based on the visual data.

Abstract: The invention disclosed here is a method for isolating improvement opportunities based upon linear programming output. In particular, the invention allows the user to select variables and automatically connects those variables to their indirect variables and equations.

Abstract: Line locator systems that fuse traditional sensors used in a combined pipe and cable locator (electromagnetic coils, magnetometers, and ground penetrating radar antennas) with low cost inertial sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes) in a model-based approach are presented. Such systems can utilize inexpensive MEMS sensors for inertial navigation. A pseudo-inertial frame is defined that uses the centerline of the tracked utility, or an aboveground fixed object as the navigational reference. An inertial sensor correction mechanism that limits the tracking errors over time when the model is implemented in state-space form using, for example, the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) is disclosed.

Abstract: A locator including a communication interface adapted to communicate ticket data with a database, a memory adapted to store the ticket data received from the database, a first transmitter adapted to controllably radiate at least one radiation frequency, a receiver adapted to generate data corresponding to the transmitted radiation frequency, and a processor adapted to reconfigure ticket data based on the generated data, wherein the communication interface communicates the reconfigured ticket data to a network.

Abstract: A locator capable of tracking buried, non-metallic utility lines (fiber optic, gas, water, waste, conduits) using ground penetrating radar (GPR) and an inertial position sensor is described. In some embodiments, a tracking filter is applied to a hyperbolic trajectory model based on the radar range data to determine a predicted track of the target utility line. After comparison of the predicted track to the measured inertial position, the centerline variance of the tracked line can be deduced. In some embodiments, an electromagnetic pipe and cable locator may also be included. Some embodiments of the invention can include accurate depth calibration and line depth tracking. Further, a display may provide results to a user in a simplified fashion.

Abstract: An electronic marker locator with a digital architecture for providing accurate and consistent estimation of the signal strength is presented. The marker locator includes a Digital Phase-Locked Loop (DPLL) structure. The electronic marker locator transmits known and adjustable frequency bursts corresponding to the markers to be located while synchronously capturing the signals returned from the markers. Because of the convergence properties of the DPLL, very consistent measurements of the reflected marker signal field strength are possible, resulting in both an improvement of maximum detection depth and depth accuracy. Further, the analog front-end hardware can be reduced, offering wider resistance to component tolerances, lower calibration and test times, and flexible frequency selectivity.

Abstract: A new digital architecture for metallic pipe and cable locators, providing accurate estimation of the fundamental locate parameters, electromagnetic signal strength and signal direction, and utilizing a nested Digital Phase-Locked Loop (DPLL) structure is disclosed. The obstacles to signal direction measurement in low SINR environments using the signal select method are overcome and a more precise phase comparison between the carrier and the FM modulation signals is obtained. The architecture further significantly reduces analog front-end hardware requirements, offers wider resistance to component tolerances, lower calibration and test time, and provides flexible frequency selectivity. Locators according to the present invention provide accurate estimation of the fundamental physical parameters of line location (electromagnetic signal strength and signal direction) in extremely noisy environments, using Digital Signal Processing (DSP) methods.