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:
Oct. 14, 2003
Filed:
Aug. 17, 2001
Applicant:
Inventor:
Richard William Fling, Bristol, GB;
Assignee:
Radiodetection Limited, Bristol, GB;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01V 3/08 ; G01V 3/11 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G01V 3/08 ; G01V 3/11 ;
Abstract
An excavator vehicle has sensors thereon at different heights. Each sensor may have a coil which is generally horizontal and which detects the magnetic field generated by a current in a buried conductor. By detecting the relative magnitudes of the component of the field parallel to the ground, as detected by the sensors, it is possible to determine whether or not the excavator vehicle is proximate the buried conductor. A warning may be generated, or the excavating tool of the excavator vehicle controlled, to prevent the excavating tool damaging the buried conductor.