US 12,455,388 B2
Underground line locator system with real time kinematic and global satellite positioning
Andrzej Zbigniew Regini, Santa Clara, CA (US); William Moore, Santa Clara, CA (US); and Stephen John Petherick, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Assigned to Metrotech Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Metrotech Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 18, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/047,580.
Application 18/047,580 is a continuation of application No. 16/880,595, filed on May 21, 2020, granted, now 11,474,262.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/851,498, filed on May 22, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0184962 A1, Jun. 15, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01S 19/43 (2010.01); G01S 19/14 (2010.01); G01S 19/36 (2010.01); G01S 19/47 (2010.01); G01V 3/08 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 19/43 (2013.01) [G01S 19/14 (2013.01); G01S 19/36 (2013.01); G01S 19/47 (2013.01); G01V 3/081 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A locator, comprising:
an array of low frequency antennas arranged to form an electromagnetic locate axis;
a Global Navigation Satellite (GNSS) antenna positioned relative to the electromagnetic locate axis to form the locator; and
a processing circuit coupled to the array of low frequency antennas and the GNSS antenna,
wherein the processing circuit executes instructions to determine locate data of an underground line based on signals received from the array of low frequency antennas while the locator is configured in a first orientation and executes instructions to determine a position of the locator while the locator is configured in a second orientation that is different from the first orientation.