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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12228030-B2
Application number	US-202318380971-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2023
Priority date	Jun 28, 2017
Publication date	Feb 18, 2025
Grant date	Feb 18, 2025

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 transmitter for use in conjunction with a horizontal directional drilling system that includes a drill string that extends from a drill rig to an inground tool which supports the transmitter such that extension and retraction of the drill string moves the inground tool through the ground during an inground operation, said transmitter comprising:
an antenna;
one or more sensors for generating sensor data;
an antenna driver for electrically driving said antenna to emit a depth signal responsive to a depth drive signal at a depth signal frequency for aboveground reception to determine a depth of the inground tool and for electrically driving the antenna responsive to a data drive signal to emit at least one data signal characterizing the sensor data using at least one data signal frequency, that is higher in frequency than the depth signal, for aboveground recovery of the sensor data; and
a processor configured for generating the depth drive signal at the depth signal frequency and to generate the data drive signal at the data signal frequency and for adjusting a depth signal reception range of the depth signal in conjunction with adjusting a data signal reception range of the data signal.

2. The transmitter of claim 1 wherein the processor adjusts the data signal reception range in conjunction with the depth signal reception range such that a total power consumption of the transmitter does not exceed a specified limit.

3. The transmitter of claim 1 wherein the depth signal frequency is selectable within a depth signal frequency range.

4. The transmitter of claim 3 wherein the processor is configured to adjust the depth drive signal such that the depth signal reception range is at least approximately equal to the data signal reception range for any selected depth signal frequency within said depth signal frequency range.

5. The transmitter of claim 1 wherein the processor generates the depth drive signal and the data drive signal such that the depth signal is allocated a higher power than the depth signal to increase the data signal reception range when the data signal reception range would otherwise be less than the data signal reception range with each of the depth signal and the data signal transmitted at an equal power.

6. The transmitter of claim 1 wherein the depth signal is less than 1 KHz.

7. The transmitter of claim 1 wherein the depth signal is in a range from 300 Hz to 1 KHz, inclusively.

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

• E21B47/0228

  using electromagnetic energy or detectors therefor · CPC title