Advanced passive interference management in directional drilling system, apparatus and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10378338-B2
Application number	US-201715635884-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2017
Priority date	Jun 28, 2017
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

A transmitter for inground use controls a depth signal transmit power in relation to a data signal transmit power such that one reception range of the depth signal at least approximately matches another, different reception range of the data signal. A portable device can form a system with the transmitter in which the portable device scans a plurality of frequencies within at least one low frequency depth signal range to measure the electromagnetic noise at each one of the plurality of frequencies and identify at least one of the frequencies as a potential depth frequency for the transmitter. The portable device can include a dual mode filter having a rebar mode and a normal mode filter. The depth signal frequency is dynamically positionable in relation to low frequency noise.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a transmitter that is configured to move through the ground in a region during an operational procedure while transmitting a depth signal at a depth frequency that is selectable in a depth signal frequency range below 1 KHz to provide at least some immunity to passive interference and which is also subject to electromagnetic noise that can vary within said region; and
a portable device configured to scan a plurality of frequencies within said depth signal frequency range to measure the electromagnetic noise at each one of the plurality of frequencies and identify a lowest one of the frequencies as a potential depth frequency which satisfies a low noise requirement based on the measured noise.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the low noise requirement compares the measured noise for each one of the plurality of frequencies to a threshold value as part of identifying the potential depth frequency.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the low noise requirement is based on a relative comparison of the measured electromagnetic noise at each of the plurality of frequencies.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable device is configured to recommend the potential depth frequency to a user.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable device is configured to automatically select the potential depth frequency as the depth frequency.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said portable device is configured for a user override of the potential depth frequency in serving as the depth frequency.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable device is configured at least to request a confirmation of the potential depth frequency from the user.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said portable device is configured to identify at least one potential backup depth frequency from the plurality of frequencies that is higher than the potential depth frequency while exhibiting a next lowest frequency in the frequency range, among the plurality of frequencies that satisfies said noise requirement.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the portable device is configured to enter a live noise scan mode for scanning the electromagnetic noise along an intended path at least at the potential depth frequency and the backup depth frequency and indicating a live noise value to the operator for each of the potential depth frequency and the backup depth frequency.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the portable device is further configured to scan another plurality of frequencies above 1 KHz for selecting at least one data signal frequency based on measuring the electromagnetic noise at each one of the plurality of frequencies above 1 KHz and the transmitter further comprises one or more sensors that generate sensor data and is configured for transmitting the sensor data using at least the data signal frequency.

11. A portable device as part of a system in which a transmitter is configured to move through the ground in a region during an operational procedure while transmitting a depth signal, said portable device comprising:
an antenna having an output; and
a receiver configured to scan a plurality of frequencies within a depth signal frequency range that is below 1 KHz to measure the electromagnetic noise at each one of the plurality of frequencies based on the antenna output and identify a lowest one of the frequencies as a potential depth frequency which satisfies a low noise requirement.

12. A portable device as part of a system in which a transmitter is configured to move through the ground in a region during an operational procedure while transmitting a depth signal, said portable device comprising:
an antenna having an output; and
a receiver configured to measure the electromagnetic noise based on the antenna output in at least two different frequency bands below 1 KHz by incrementally scanning each frequency band to generate a plurality of incremental noise readings across each frequency band and to display one or more potential depth frequencies for each frequency band for selection by the operator based on the incremental noise readings.

13. The portable device of claim 12 wherein the receiver is further configured to select the potential depth frequency for each frequency band as corresponding to a lowest one of the incremental noise readings from each frequency band and at least display the potential depth frequency for each frequency band for selection of one of the potential depth frequencies as a depth frequency for the depth signal.

14. The portable device of claim 12 configured to identify at least the depth frequency to the transmitter for transmission during the operational procedure.

15. The portable device of claim 12 configured to present the set of potential depth frequencies for selection of an additional one of the potential depth frequencies as a backup depth frequency for the depth signal.

16. The portable device of claim 12 configured to further identify the depth frequency and the backup depth frequency to the transmitter for transmission from the portable device during the operational procedure.

17. The portable device of claim 12 configured to automatically select one of the potential depth frequencies to serve as the depth frequency of the depth signal.

18. The portable device of claim 12 configured to enter a live noise display mode subsequent to displaying the set of potential depth frequencies to continuously display a real time noise reading for each potential depth frequency to the operator.

19. The portable device of claim 18 configured for operator selection of one of potential depth frequencies as the depth frequency of the depth signal during the real time noise display mode.

20. The portable device of claim 12 configured to receive the depth signal from the transmitter during the operational procedure for determining a depth of the transmitter.

21. A system, comprising:
a transmitter that is configured to move through the ground in a region during an operational procedure while transmitting a depth signal at a depth frequency that is selectable in a depth signal frequency range below 1 KHz to provide at least some immunity to passive interference and which is also subject to electromagnetic noise that can vary within said region; and
a portable device configured to measure the electromagnetic noise based on the antenna output in at least two different frequency bands below 1 KHz by incrementally scanning each frequency band to generate a plurality of incremental noise readings across each frequency band and to display one or more potential depth frequencies for each frequency band for selection by the operator based on the incremental noise readings.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the portable device is further configured to select the potential depth frequency for each frequency band as corresponding to a lowest one of the incremental noise readings from each frequency band and at least display the potential depth frequency for each frequency band for selection of one of the potential depth frequencies as a depth frequency for the depth signal.

Assignees

• Merlin Technology Inc

Inventors

• Zeller Rudolf
• Garrabrant Gary
• Bayliss Timothy
• Phillips Scott

Classifications

• E21B47/13 Primary

  by electromagnetic energy, e.g. radio frequency · CPC title

• E21B7/046 Primary

  horizontal drilling (drilling with mechanical conveying means E21B7/003) · CPC title

• E21B47/024

  of devices in the borehole (determining slope or direction of the borehole E21B47/022) · CPC title

• E21B47/101

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic

• E21B47/02216

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic