Seescan, Inc.

Seektech, Inc.

Deepsea Power & Light LLC

Seesoon, Inc.

Seesean, Inc.

Seescxin, Inc.

Seesaw, Inc.

Michael J Martin

Mark S Olsson

Ray Merewether

Alexander Logan Warren

David A Cox

Paul G Stuart

Stephanie M Bench

Ryan B Levin

Austin Rutledge

Dawn E Shaffer

Amos H Jessup

Michael E Turgeon

Sequoyah Aldridge

Nicholas A Smith

Scott A Powell

Tran Nguyen

Jan Soukup

Paul Wisecaver

Bradley D Barnicoat

Roger B Shaffer

Garrett A Newby

Thomas R Kolb

Loni M Heyenbruch

Youngin Oh

Jesse O Casares

Christoph Hans Maier

Jeffery D Martin

George L Jemmott

Anthony L Coduti

Randall P Hilton

Wesley Ice

Jeffrey A Prsha

Steven C Tietsworth

Loni M Canepa

Adam Mullett

Gina M Hartman

Thomas R Kok

Thomas C Cassey

Francisco A Crespo

James F Kleyn

Stephen M Bench

Michael P Nichols

Timothy M Turner

Andrew P Corvin

David C Parsons

Dawn E Schaffer

Phillip Castaneda

Fred K Ollinger

Thomas K Kolb

Fred Olinger

Locator systems are disclosed for locating buried utilities such as conduits, cables, pipes. or wires. The locator system may include image-capturing and position and orientation measuring devices such as magnetic compass, accelerometers, gyros, GPS, and DGPS. The system may associate images captured during the locate process with buried utility position data and the other sensor data. These data and images may be further associated with terrain images from satellites or aerial photography to provide a highly precision map and database of buried utility locations and visual images of the burial site. Information so obtained may be transferred to a hand-held personal communication device, such as a smart phone to show the location of buried utilities in combination with photo-images and/or terrain maps.

Mapping locating systems and methods

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for uniquely identifying buried utilities in a multi-utility region by sensing magnetic fields emitted from the buried utilities.

Systems and methods for utility locating in a multi-utility environment

Various systems and methods are disclosed for tracking a camera head deployed into a pipe or other cavity. The systems and methods may include inertial navigation sensors for generating inertial navigation data to direct a user towards a location where the signal emitted by a pipe Sonde may be found at startup or, when in use, the pipe Sonde signal has been temporarily lost by the utility locator device. Various other sensors and elements may generate camera head position data.

Video inspection and camera head tracking systems and methods

Utility locators for providing information about hidden or buried pipes or other cavities are disclosed. A locator may be configured to provide positional information associated with the buried utility based on signals received from a line trace signal and a sonde signal and present the positional information on a visual display or other output device.

Dual sensed locating systems and methods

A novel connection port is described for connecting a signal transmitter to an apparatus configured to wirelessly communicate video and images from a pipe inspection system. Such a connection port may establish an electrically conductive pathway to a push-cable and camera head further disposed in cable storage drum that the wireless communication apparatus may couple thereto. A signal transmitter, having an established electrically conductive pathway to the push-cable and camera head, may transmit electromagnetic signals that may be emitted by the push-cable and camera head and further be located at the ground surface via a utility locator device.

Video inspection system apparatus and methods with relay modules and connection ports

A pipe inspection system includes a cable storage drum and a housing configured to removably receive and rotatably support the cable storage drum. A push-cable with a plurality of conductors is stored in the drum. An inspection camera may be attached to a distal end of the push-cable. The drum includes a hollow core outer cone configured to accept an inner core removable module. The removable module may include electrical, mechanical, wireless, satellite, and power/battery interfaces. The module mates with a contact plate sealed inside the inner cone. The inner core components, including the battery module, are stationary relative to the inner core. The inner core is free to rotate bidirectionally inside the outer cone as the camera is being fed into, and out of a pipe or conduit for inspection. Slip-rings are not required to maintain connectivity because the electronics and battery module are stationary relative to each other.

Inner drum module with push-cable interface for pipe inspection

The application discloses various systems and methods for generating and utilizing computer animation transition methods and systems in the leveling of a video to an upright, earth normal orientation which may be used in pipe inspections. Such computer animation transitions may be generated from a single inspection image at one time in the inspection video or from subsequent inspection images at different times and points in space in the inspection video. Some leveling methods may include rotating a square GL surface in ninety degree increments that includes one or more computer animation transition. Other leveling methods may also include rotating a three dimensional GL surface that is shaped to match the shape of the pipe that includes one or more. Further methods may include rotating a GL surface that is a regular polygon in shape that includes one or more computer animation transition.

Systems and methods for inspection animation

Video inspection systems are disclosed. In one embodiment a video camera for use in a pipe inspection system includes a camera head including an outer housing, a camera module assembly including video and non-video sensors, a processing circuit, and a data link receiver.

Video pipe inspection systems and methods with sensor data

Omnidirectional electromagnetic signal inducer (omni-inducer) devices are disclosed. The omni-inducer device may include a housing, which may include a conductive base for coupling signals to ground, and an omnidirectional antenna node including a plurality of antenna coil assemblies, where the node may be disposed on or within the housing. The omni-inducer device may further include one or more transmitter modules for generating ones of a plurality of output signals, which may be generated at ones of a plurality of different frequencies, and one or more control circuits configured to control the transmitters and/or other circuits to selectively switch the ones of the plurality of output signals between ones of the plurality of antenna coil assemblies.

Omni-inducer

Camera head apparatus, systems, and methods for providing wide angle/panoramic images and/or video of the interior of pipes or other cavities using multiple imaging and illumination modules are disclosed.

Inspection camera devices and methods

Self-leveling inspection system methods and devices for use in inspecting buried pipes or other cavities are disclosed. The system includes a camera head with an image sensor, an orientation sensor, and a signal processing module including a processing programmed to receive an image from the image sensor, and an orientation signal from the orientation sensor, generate a second image based at least in part on information provided from the orientation sensor, and store the second image in a non-transitory memory.

Self-leveling inspection systems and methods

Camera heads and associated systems, methods, and devices for inspecting and/or mapping pipes or cavities are disclosed. A camera head may be coupled to a push-cable and may include one or more image sensors to capture images and/or videos from interior of the pipe or cavity. One or more multi-axis sensors may be disposed in the camera head to sense data corresponding to movement of the camera head within the pipe or cavity. The images and/or videos captured by the image sensors may be used in conjunction with the data sensed by the multi-axis sensors to generate information pertaining to the pipe or cavity may be generated.

Pipe inspection and/or mapping camera heads, systems, and methods

Embodiments of video inspection systems with moveably dockable camera control units (CCUs) which may include a display are disclosed. In one embodiment, a video inspection system includes two frame elements which each have a handle. The frame elements may be moved into multiple positions and orientations relative to each other and provide a secure stand for a CCU. The CCU may be attached and detached from the frame elements. The handles may be used to carry the frame elements with or without the CCU attached. The handles may be slip resistant to provide a stable support for a CCU when the frame elements are positioned on a surface. Docking apparatus are provided to allow a CCU, tablet, pad, laptop, or smartphone to be attached to the frame elements and put in a variety of positions or orientations to make viewing convenient for a user.

Dockable camera reel and camera control unit (CCU) system

Cable handling devices, methods and systems are provided for securing and deploying, or retracting, one or more cables or hoses into or out of a pipe or cavity allowing inspection of the pipe or cavity. The cables and/or hoses may be coupled and moved together, or decoupled enabling them to be moved independently. A hand-held device with a housing for at least partially enclosing one or more cables or hoses, at least one coupling mechanism integrally attached to the housing, and a coupling control for coupling and decoupling the one or more cables or hoses may be provided. One or more of the cables may be connected to a camera disposed at the distal end of a cable thereby facilitating inspection of the pipe or cavity. Tools such as cutting devices or a jetter may be provided at the end of the one or more cables and/or hoses.

Integral dual cleaner camera drum systems and methods

Cable handling methods for securing and deploying or retracting one or more cables or hoses into or out of a pipe or cavity allowing inspection of the pipe or cavity are disclosed. In one embodiment a cable is inserted through a cable guide, a flex shaft is attached to the outer surface of the cable guide, and the cable and the flex shaft are deployed into a pipe or cavity to inspect and/or clear an obstruction via a jetter or cutting mechanism.

Integrated flex-shaft camera system

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Michael J Martin