US 11,988,318 B2
Methods and systems to enhance pipeline trajectory reconstruction using pipeline junctions
Naser El-Sheimy, Calgary (CA); Hussein Ahmed Sahli, Calgary (CA); and Adel Mohamed Aly Elsayed Moussa, Calgary (CA)
Assigned to Profound Positioning Inc., Calgary (CA)
Filed by Profound Positioning inc., Calgary (CA)
Filed on Jul. 7, 2016, as Appl. No. 15/204,971.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/189,725, filed on Jul. 7, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2017/0138524 A1, May 18, 2017
Int. Cl. F16L 55/48 (2006.01); G01C 21/16 (2006.01); F16L 101/30 (2006.01)
CPC F16L 55/48 (2013.01) [G01C 21/165 (2013.01); F16L 2101/30 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method to enhance pipeline trajectory reconstruction using pipeline junctions, the method comprising:
collecting sensor data with a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) inertial sensor comprising an accelerometer onboard a Pipeline Inspection Gauge (PIG) device, the sensor data including acceleration data obtained by the accelerometer;
detecting a pattern in the acceleration data using a processing device configured to receive the sensor data from the MEMS inertial sensor, the pattern being indicative of a junction characteristic in the pipeline;
determining a rate of travel of the PIG device; and
determining a position of the PIG device within the pipeline in response to a combination of the identified junction characteristic and the rate of travel of the PIG device, wherein determining the position of the PIG device further comprises applying orientation updates by selectively applying an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) to the sensor data generated by the MEMS inertial sensor located onboard the PIG device in response to the junction characteristic.