The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 06, 2003
Filed:
Apr. 04, 2002
John E. Mercer, Kent, WA (US);
Digital Control Incorporated, Renton, WA (US);
Abstract
Establishing a location of at least a portion of a particular path taken by a boring tool uses a portable locator and information generating arrangement for generating a set of positional information characterizing a position of the boring tool relative to a locating position. A transmitter arrangement transmits an electromagnetic signal from the boring tool and a sensing arrangement including less than five spaced-apart sensors at the portable locator senses the electromagnetic signal at a series of spaced-apart reference locations along a reference path, associated one-for-one with spaced-apart measuring locations of the boring tool, for locator movement along the particular path, so each reference location is determined by an associated measuring location. A processing arrangement uses the set of positional information that is obtained for each reference location to establish an actual path of the boring tool, containing the measurement locations, corresponding generally to at least a portion of the particular path.