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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11613990-B2
Application number	US-202217752144-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2022
Priority date	Jun 28, 2017
Publication date	Mar 28, 2023
Grant date	Mar 28, 2023

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 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 at a depth frequency, said portable device comprising:
an antenna having an output;
a receiver configured to scan a plurality of rebar frequency bands in a frequency range that is below 4.5 KHz to measure active electromagnetic noise within each rebar frequency band based on the antenna output and identify a lowest active noise frequency within each one of the rebar frequency bands; and
a display for displaying the measured level of active electromagnetic noise associated with each rebar frequency band for use in selecting the depth frequency to provide at least some immunity to passive interference.

2. The portable device of claim 1 wherein a lower limit of the frequency range is 330 Hz.

3. The portable device of claim 1 wherein the portable device is configured to recommend a potential depth frequency to a user selected from the identified lowest active noise frequencies.

4. The portable device of claim 1 wherein the portable device is configured to automatically select a potential depth frequency as the depth frequency from the identified lowest active noise frequencies.

5. The portable device of claim 4 wherein said portable device is configured for a user override of the potential depth frequency in serving as the depth frequency.

6. The portable device of claim 4 wherein the portable device is configured at least to request a confirmation of the potential depth frequency from the user.

7. The portable device of claim 1 configured to enter a live noise scan mode for scanning the electromagnetic noise along an intended path at least at a potential depth frequency that is selected from the identified lowest active noise frequencies to indicate a live noise value to the operator for the potential depth frequency.

Assignees

• Merlin Technology Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H04B2001/0491

  with frequency synthesizers, frequency converters or modulators · CPC title

• H04B1/04

  Circuits · CPC title

• E21B7/046 Primary

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

• E21B44/00

  Automatic control systems specially adapted for drilling operations, i.e. self-operating systems which function to carry out or modify a drilling operation without intervention of a human operator, e.g. computer-controlled drilling systems; Systems specially adapted for monitoring a plurality of drilling variables or conditions · CPC title

• E21B47/13 Primary

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