System and method to locate an anomaly of a conductor

1. A system ( 20 ) to locate an anomaly ( 22 ) of a conductor ( 24 ), said system ( 20 ) comprising:

a test set ( 28 ) coupled to said conductor ( 24 ) at a location PT along said conductor ( 24 ) and configured to inject a test signal ( 36 ) into said conductor ( 24 ) at said location PT;

a probe ( 30 ) coupled to said conductor ( 24 ) at a location PP along said conductor ( 24 ) and configured to detect said test signal ( 36 ) at said location PP;

a communication link ( 42 ) configured to couple said probe ( 30 ) to said test set ( 28 ), said communication link having a propagation delay DS; and

a calculation unit ( 32 ) coupled to one of said probe ( 30 ) and said test set ( 28 ) and configured to calculate a propagation delay DTP of said conductor ( 24 ) between said location PT and said location PP in response to said propagation delay DS.

2. A system ( 20 ) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said probe ( 30 ) is electrically coupled to said conductor ( 24 ) at said location PP without physical contact.

3. A system ( 20 ) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said propagation delay DS comprises:

a propagation delay DTX within said test set ( 28 );

a propagation delay DPX within said probe ( 30 ); and

a propagation delay DSX of a medium ( 48 ) coupling said probe ( 30 ) to said test set ( 28 ).

4. A system ( 20 ) as claimed in claim 3 wherein said medium ( 48 ) is one of:

said conductor ( 24 );

a reference cable ( 44 ); and

an over-the-air radio-frequency link ( 46 ).

5. A system ( 20 ) as claimed in claim 3 wherein said calculation unit ( 32 ) is configured to calculate said propagation delay D S in response to said propagation delay D TX , said propagation delay D PX , and said propagation delay D SX .

6. A system ( 20 ) as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising an output unit ( 34 ) coupled to said calculation unit ( 32 ) and configured to indicate said location P P relative to said location P T and a location P A of said anomaly ( 22 ).

7. A system ( 20 ) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said calculation unit ( 32 ) is configured to calculate a propagation delay D TA of said conductor ( 24 ) from said location P T to a location P A of said anomaly ( 22 ).

8. A system ( 20 ) as claimed in claim 7 wherein said calculation unit ( 32 ) is configured to calculate a propagation delay D PA in response to said propagation delay D TA and said propagation delay D TP .

9. A system ( 20 ) as claimed in claim 7 wherein said location P A is identified by adjusting said location P P until said calculation unit ( 32 ) calculates said propagation delay D PA to be substantially zero.

10. A system ( 20 ) as claimed in claim 1 wherein said calculation unit ( 32 ) is configured to calculate said propagation delay D S when a difference between said location P T and said location P P is substantially zero.

11. A system ( 20 ) as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said test signal ( 36 ) is a reflectometric test signal; and

said test signal ( 36 ) is one of:

a pulse;

a digital sequence;

a spread-spectrum signal; and

a sequence of one or more sine waves.

12. A system ( 20 ) as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

said probe ( 3 ) is one of a plurality of said probes ( 30 );

said location P P is one of a plurality of said locations PP;

said propagation delay DTP is one of a plurality of said propagation delays DTP;

each of said probes ( 30 ) is coupled to said conductor ( 24 ) at a unique one of said locations PP; and

said calculation unit ( 32 ) is configured to calculate a unique one of said propagation delays DTP of said conductor between said location PT and each of said locations PP in response to said propagation delay DS.

13. A method to locate an anomaly ( 22 ) of a conductor ( 24 ), said method comprising:

establishing a communication link ( 42 ) between a probe ( 30 ) and a test set ( 28 );

determining a propagation delay DS of said communication link ( 42 );

injecting a test signal ( 36 ) at a location PT along said conductor ( 24 ) using said test set ( 28 );

detecting said test signal ( 36 ) at a location PP along said conductor ( 24 ) using said probe ( 30 ); and

calculating a propagation delay DTP between said location PT and said location PP in response to said propagation delay DS.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 additionally comprising electrically coupling said probe ( 30 ) to said conductor ( 24 ) without physical contact.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13 additionally comprising:

ascertaining a physical distance LTP along said conductor ( 24 ) between said location PT and said location PP; and

calculating a propagation velocity VC of said conductor ( 24 ) in response to said physical distance LTP and said propagation delay DTP.

16. A method as claimed in claim 13 additionally comprising:

ascertaining a propagation velocity VC of said conductor ( 24 ); and

calculating, in response to said propagation velocity VC, one of:

a physical distance LTP along said conductor ( 24 ) between said location PT and said location PP;

a physical distance LTA along said conductor ( 24 ) between said location PT and said location PA; and

a physical distance LPA along said conductor ( 24 ) between said location PP and a location PA of said anomaly ( 22 ).

17. A method as claimed in claim 13 additionally comprising:

calculating a propagation delay D PA of said conductor ( 24 ) from said location PT to a location PA of said anomaly ( 22 ); and

calculating a propagation delay DPA of said conductor ( 24 ) from said location PT to said location PA in response to said propagation delay D PA and said propagation delay DTP.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17 additionally comprising identifying said location P A by adjusting said location P P until said propagation delay D PA is substantially zero.

19. A method as claimed in claim 13 wherein said detecting activity comprises adjusting an attitude of said probe ( 30 ) proximate said conductor ( 24 ) until said detected test signal ( 36 ) achieves a maximum amplitude.

20. A system ( 20 ) to locate an anomaly ( 22 ) of a conductor ( 24 ), said system ( 20 ) comprising:

a test set ( 28 ) coupled to said conductor ( 24 ) at a location PT along said conductor ( 24 ) and configured to inject a test signal ( 36 ) into said conductor ( 24 ) at said location PT, wherein said test signal ( 36 ) is one of:

a time-domain reflectometry pulse;

a digital sequence;

a spread-spectrum signal; and

a sequence of one or more sine waves;

a probe ( 30 ) coupled to said conductor ( 24 ) at a location PP and configured to detect said test signal ( 36 ) at said location PP; and

a calculation unit ( 32 ) coupled to one of said test set ( 28 ) and said probe ( 30 ) and configured to calculate a propagation delay DPA of said conductor ( 24 ) from said location PP to a location PA of said anomaly ( 22 ).

21. A system ( 20 ) as claimed in claim 20 wherein said location P A is identified by adjusting said location P P until said calculation unit ( 32 ) calculates said propagation delay D PA to be substantially zero.

22. A system ( 20 ) as claimed in claim 20 wherein one of said test set ( 28 ) and said probe ( 30 ) is electrically coupled to said conductor ( 24 ) by one of:

inductive coupling;

capacitive coupling; and

radiative coupling.

23. A system ( 20 ) as claimed in claim 20 wherein said probe ( 30 ) is adjusted at said location P P to an attitude where said detected test signal ( 36 ) achieves a maximum amplitude.

24. A system ( 20 ) as claimed in claim 20 additionally comprising an indication unit ( 34 ) coupled to said calculation unit ( 32 ) and configured to indicate one of:

an amplitude of said test signal ( 36 ) detected by said probe ( 30 );

said location PP relative to said location PT; and

said location PP of said probe ( 30 ) relative to said location P A .