Utility locating devices employing multiple spaced apart GNSS antennas
The present disclosure is directed to buried utility locating devices, systems, and methods having a plurality of spatially separated GNSS antennas. Baselines or other spatial relationships may be formed between pairs of position estimates associated with the GNSS antennas to determine information about the position, heading, and tilt/pose of the utility locating device.
1 . A transmitter device for utility locating, comprising:
a transmitter element for generating an output current for provision to one or more utilities so as to generate a magnetic field for detection by a utility locator device;
a multi-antenna GNSS element comprising two or more GNSS antennas spaced apart by a predetermined known spacing of at least 100 millimeters, wherein each receive GNSS signals and further supplying signals to at least one GNSS receiver to generate position output signals corresponding to the estimated position of the associated one of the GNSS antennas;
a processing element comprising one or more processors coupled to the transmitter element for controlling current to the utility line(s) and further coupled to the GNSS element to receive the position output signals for purposes of processing and compressing the data and/or for making differential corrections to the position output data;
a communication element comprising one or more radio transceivers coupled to the processing element for communicating position output signals, communicating data with other system devices, and/or receiving differential correction signals;
a memory element having one or more non-transitory memories for storing data associated with the GNSS element and transmitter element; and
a power element for supplying of electrical power.
2 . The transmitter device of claim 1 , wherein two or more GNSS receivers are coupled at each GNSS antenna.
3 . The transmitter device of claim 1 , wherein two or more GNSS antenna are coupled to each GNSS receiver.
4 . The transmitter device of claim 1 , wherein the GNSS antennas and associated GNSS receivers are dual band.
5 . The transmitter device of claim 1 , wherein the GNSS antennas and associated GNSS receivers are triple band.
6 . The transmitter device of claim 1 , wherein the GNSS antennas are helical antennas.
7 . The transmitter device of claim 1 , wherein the GNSS antennas are patch antennas.
8 . The transmitter device of claim 1 , wherein outputs of the GNSS antennas are processed to determine a heading of the transmitter device.
9 . The transmitter device of claim 1 , wherein each GNSS antenna is coupled to each GNSS receiver.
10 . A multi-antenna GNSS backpack device, comprising:
a backpack element that may couple to the back of a user that further supports a multi-antenna GNSS element;
a multi-antenna GNSS element comprising two or more GNSS antennas spaced apart by a predetermined known spacing at least 100 millimeters each receiving GNSS signals and further supplying signals to at least one GNSS receiver to generate position output signals corresponding to the estimated position of the associated one of the GNSS antennas;
a processing element comprising one or more processors coupled to the GNSS element to receive the position output signals for purposes of processing and compressing the data and/or for making differential corrections to the position output signal data;
a communication element comprising one or more radio transceivers coupled to the processing element for communicating position output signals, communicating data with other system devices, and/or receiving differential correction signals; and
a memory element having one or more non-transitory memories for storing data associated with utilities and positioning data; and a battery element for supplying of electrical power.
11 . The backpack device of claim 10 , wherein two or more GNSS receivers are coupled at each GNSS antenna.
12 . The backpack device of claim 10 , wherein each GNSS antenna is coupled to each GNSS receiver.
13 . The backpack device of claim 10 , wherein two or more GNSS antenna are coupled to each GNSS receiver.
14 . The backpack device of claim 10 , wherein the GNSS antennas and associated GNSS receivers are dual band.
15 . The backpack device of claim 10 , wherein the GNSS antennas and associated GNSS receivers are triple band.
16 . The backpack device of claim 10 , wherein the GNSS antennas are helical antennas.
17 . The backpack device of claim 10 , further including one or more inertial navigation systems (INS).
18 . A multi-GNSS antenna vehicle-mounted locating device, comprising:
a vehicle-mounting element that may couple to a vehicle and include a multi-antenna GNSS element and further provide mounting of one or more utility locator devices;
a multi-antenna GNSS element coupled to the vehicle-mounting element comprising two or more GNSS antennas spaced apart by a predetermined known spacing at least 100 millimeters each receiving GNSS signals and further supplying signals to at least one GNSS receiver to generate position output signals corresponding to the estimated position of the associated one of the GNSS antennas;
a processing element comprising one or more processors coupled to the GNSS element to receive the position output signals for purposes of processing and compressing the data and/or for making differential corrections to the position output data;
a communication element comprising one or more radio transceivers coupled to the processing element for communicating position output signals, communicating data with other system devices, and/or receiving differential correction signals;
a memory element having one or more non-transitory memories for storing data associated with utilities and positioning data; and
a power element for supplying of electrical power.
19 . The vehicle-mounted locating device of claim 18 , wherein two or more GNSS receivers are coupled at each GNSS antenna.
20 . The vehicle-mounted locating device of claim 18 , wherein each GNSS antenna is coupled to each GNSS receiver.