Horizontal Directional Drilling Systems with Satellite Navigation Correction for Data Logging

The present application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/659,437, filed Jun. 13, 2024, and titled “HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONAL DRILLING SYSTEMS WITH SATELLITE NAVIGATION CORRECTION FOR DATA LOGGING.” The present application is also a continuation-in-part under 35 U.S.C. § 120 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/896,279, filed Sep. 25, 2024, and titled “PORTABLE LOCATOR DEVICE PROVIDING A VIRTUAL DROP-LINE,” which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/585,125, filed Sep. 25, 2023, and titled “PORTABLE LOCATOR DEVICE PROVIDING A VIRTUAL DROP-LINE.” The present application is also a continuation-in-part of International Application No. PCT/US24/48380, filed Sep. 25, 2024, and titled, “PORTABLE LOCATOR DEVICE PROVIDING A VIRTUAL DROP-LINE.” U.S. Provisional Application Ser. Nos. 63/659,437 and 63/585,125, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/896,279, and International Application No. PCT/US24/48380 are herein incorporated by reference in their entireties.

The term horizontal directional drilling (HDD) generally refers to systems and techniques for installing underground utilities. Such systems can be used in place of trenching or excavating and can minimize surface disturbances for the installation. Directional drilling can be used to drill a tunnel in order to install underground utility lines, pipelines, cables, service conduits, and so forth.

Referring generally to, portable locator devicesare described. A portable locator devicecan be used with, for example, a horizontal directional drilling (HDD) system. A portable locator deviceincludes a display (e.g., an electronic display) for providing instructionsto an operator of the portable locator device. In some embodiments, the electronic displaymay also be used to display one or more maps(e.g., as described with reference to) or other graphical depictions of an environment in which the portable locator deviceis operated. The portable locator devicealso includes an interface (e.g., a touchscreen interfacedisposed on the electronic display, buttons, a keypad, etc.) for receiving inputs from the operator of the portable locator device.

The portable locator deviceincludes a positioning system receiverfor receiving locating signals. In some embodiments, the positioning system receiverincludes a satellite navigation device receiver, such as a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, where the positioning system receiverreceives radio signals from multiple satellites within one or more global satellite networks. Examples include, but are not necessarily limited to: Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, GLONASS satellites, Galileo satellites, BeiDou satellites, and so forth. In some embodiments, a positioning system receivercan include a regional positioning device receiverconfigured to receive radio locating signals from, for instance, a network of land-based positioning transmitters. In some embodiments, a positioning system receivercan include a local positioning device receiverconfigured to receive signals from cellular base stations, wireless networking devices (e.g., Wi-Fi and/or LiFi access points, ultra-wideband (UWB) devices), radio broadcast towers, and so forth. For example, the local positioning device receivercan receive UWB signals for local positioning in the range of hundreds of feet.

The portable locator deviceincludes a controlleroperatively coupled with the electronic displayand communicatively coupled with the touchscreen interfaceand the positioning system receiver. As described, the controlleris configured to use the locating signalsreceived by the positioning system receiverto determine a first position of the portable locator device. In embodiments, the first position is a geographic location (e.g., aboveground) at or near (e.g., above) the desired termination of an underground utility line, pipeline, cable, service conduit, and so forth. The portable locator devicecan be conveyed (e.g., carried, driven) by an operator to the first position. For instance, the portable locator devicecan be walked to a geographic location at or near a hole drilled into the Earth, e.g., where a drilling operation should intersect the hole.

The controlleris configured to receive a first input (e.g., a touch) from the touchscreen interfaceindicative of an ending positionfor the portable locator deviceproximate to the first position. In one example, when at the first position, the operator interacts with the touchscreen interfaceby pressing a button (e.g., a physical button, a graphical button on a touchscreen), and the controllerdesignates the first position as the ending position. In another example, the operator uses the touchscreen interfaceto designate another geographic location at or near the first position. For example, the operator uses an interactive mapon the electronic displayto select a desired geographic location occupied by a natural feature or manmade structure or feature, e.g., where the desired geographic location may not be directly accessible while carrying the portable locator device, such as in the case of a large hole or pit.

The controlleris configured to use the locating signalsreceived by the positioning system receiverto determine a second position of the portable locator device. In embodiments, the second position is a geographic location (e.g., aboveground) at or near (e.g., above) the desired starting location for the underground utility line, pipeline, cable, service conduit, etc. The portable locator devicecan be conveyed (e.g., carried, driven) by an operator from the first position to the second position. It should be noted that the portable locator deviceneed not be conveyed by the operator directly from the first position to the second position, but rather may be moved around obstacles, carried along existing paths over terrain, and so forth.

The controlleris configured to receive a second input (e.g., a touch) from the touchscreen interfaceindicative of a starting positionfor the portable locator deviceproximate to the second position. In one example, when at the second position, the operator interacts with the touchscreen interfaceby pressing a button (e.g., a physical button, a graphical button on a touchscreen), and the controllerdesignates the second position as the starting position. In another example, the operator uses the touchscreen interfaceto designate another geographic location at or near the second position. For example, the operator uses an interactive mapon the electronic displayto select a desired geographic location under a natural feature or manmade structure or feature, e.g., as previously described.

As described, the controlleris configured to determine a virtual drop-linebetween the starting positionand the ending positionfor the portable locator device. For example, the controlleruses the starting positionand the ending positionto construct a geographic model of an aboveground “straight line” (i.e., shortest distance between two points on the generally spherical surface of the Earth). In another example, the controlleruses the starting positionand the ending positionto designate incremental waypoints or intermediate positionsbetween the starting positionand the ending positionalong a line between the starting positionand the ending position. As described, the virtual drop-lineis analogous to a physical chalk line, laser line, or other direct path between two locations on the Earth's surface.

The controlleris configured to provide instructionsvia the electronic displayfor moving from the starting positionto the ending positionalong the virtual drop-line. For instance, with reference to, the electronic displayis used to describe to the operator whether the portable locator deviceis to the left of the virtual drop-line, to the right of the virtual drop-line, above the virtual drop-line, and so forth. In this manner, while drilling to install an underground utility line, pipeline, cable, service conduit, and so forth, the portable locator devicecan be used to ensure that the underground drilling operation is proceeding along the virtual drop-line, even when the desired ending location cannot be seen through line of sight.

In embodiments, a sonde and/or other transmitter(s) can be placed at or near the drill head of the HDD system, and the portable locator devicecan be carried along the drill path (e.g., at the surface above the drill head) during the drilling operation by tracking the sonde. For example, the portable locator devicecan include an antenna() (e.g., a 3D antenna, a directional antenna) that receives signals from the sonde of the HDD systemto detect the location and/or direction of the transmitter/sonde relative to the portable locator device. By using the instructionsprovided via the electronic display, the drilling operation (e.g., the drill path) can be adjusted in real-time according to the instructionsto keep the drill head moving along the virtual drop-line. In embodiments, the electronic displayis used to provide information and/or instructions to the operator on moving the portable locator deviceat the surface to maintain the portable locator deviceabove the drill head.

A portable locator device, including some or all of its components, can operate under computer control. For example, a processor can be included with or in a portable locator deviceto control the components and functions of portable locator devicesdescribed herein using software, firmware, hardware (e.g., fixed logic circuitry), manual processing, or a combination thereof. The terms “controller,” “functionality,” “service,” and “logic” as used herein generally represent software, firmware, hardware, or a combination of software, firmware, or hardware in conjunction with controlling the portable locator devices. In the case of a software implementation, the module, functionality, or logic represents program code that performs specified tasks when executed on a processor (e.g., central processing unit (CPU) or CPUs). The program code can be stored in one or more computer-readable memory devices (e.g., internal memory and/or one or more tangible media), and so on. The structures, functions, approaches, and techniques described herein can be implemented on a variety of commercial computing platforms having a variety of processors.

The controllercan include the processor, a memory, and a communications interface. The processorprovides processing functionality for the controllerand can include any number of processors, micro-controllers, or other processing systems, and resident or external memory for storing data and other information accessed or generated by the controller. The processorcan execute one or more software programs that implement techniques described herein. The processoris not limited by the materials from which it is formed or the processing mechanisms employed therein and, as such, can be implemented via semiconductor(s) and/or transistors (e.g., using electronic integrated circuit (IC) components), and so forth.

The memoryis an example of tangible, computer-readable storage medium that provides storage functionality to store various data associated with operation of the controller, such as software programs and/or code segments, or other data to instruct the processor, and possibly other components of the controller, to perform the functionality described herein. Thus, the memorycan store data, such as a program of instructions for operating the portable locator device(including its components), and so forth. It should be noted that while a single memoryis described, a wide variety of types and combinations of memory (e.g., tangible, non-transitory memory) can be employed. The memorycan be integral with the processor, can comprise stand-alone memory, or can be a combination of both.

The memorycan include, but is not necessarily limited to: removable and non-removable memory components, such as random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory (e.g., a secure digital (SD) memory card, a mini-SD memory card, and/or a micro-SD memory card), magnetic memory, optical memory, universal serial bus (USB) memory devices, hard disk memory, external memory, and so forth. In implementations, the portable locator deviceand/or the memorycan include removable integrated circuit card (ICC) memory, such as memory provided by a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) card, a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), and so on.

The communications interfaceis operatively configured to communicate with components of the portable locator device. For example, the communications interfacecan be configured to transmit data for storage in the portable locator device, retrieve data from storage in the portable locator device, and so forth. The communications interfaceis also communicatively coupled with the processorto facilitate data transfer between components of the portable locator deviceand the processor(e.g., for communicating inputs to the processorreceived from a device communicatively coupled with the controller). It should be noted that while the communications interfaceis described as a component of a controller, one or more components of the communications interfacecan be implemented as external components communicatively coupled to the portable locator devicevia a wired and/or wireless connection. The portable locator devicecan also comprise and/or connect to one or more input/output (I/O) devices (e.g., via the communications interface), including, but not necessarily limited to: a display, a mouse, a touchpad, a keyboard, and so on.

The communications interfaceand/or the processorcan be configured to communicate with a variety of different networks, including, but not necessarily limited to: a wide-area cellular telephone network, such as a 3G cellular network, a 4G cellular network, or a global system for mobile communications (GSM) network; a wireless computer communications network, such as a WiFi network (e.g., a wireless local area network (WLAN) operated using IEEE 802.11 network standards); an internet; the Internet; a wide area network (WAN); a local area network (LAN); a personal area network (PAN) (e.g., a wireless personal area network (WPAN) operated using IEEE 802.15 network standards); a public telephone network; an extranet; an intranet; and so on. However, this list is provided by way of example only and is not meant to limit the present disclosure. Further, the communications interfacecan be configured to communicate with a single network or multiple networks across different access points.

Referring now to, in some embodiments, a portable locator deviceincludes an Earth magnetic sensor(geomagnetic sensor, electronic compass) for detecting the magnetic field of the Earth. The Earth magnetic sensorcan be implemented using one or more electronic sensors that detect the Earth's magnetic field. For example, an Earth magnetic sensorcan include one or more of the following sensors: a Hall sensorthat measures magnetic flux density using the Hall effect, a magnetoresistive (MR) sensorthat measures magnetic field strength by detecting changes in individual electrical resistors, a magneto-impedance (MI) sensorthat measures the impedance in an amorphous wire, and so forth. In embodiments of the disclosure, the controllercan be configured to correlate the detected geomagnetic field of the Earth from the Earth magnetic sensorto one or more orientations and/or locations of the portable locator device.

In embodiments of the disclosure, the electronic displaycan instruct the operator to press a button (e.g., a physical button, a graphical button on a touchscreen) when facing the ending position, i.e., when the portable locator deviceis facing the end of the virtual drop-line. For instance, a positioning system receiveron the portable locator deviceis used to determine a first geographic location of the portable locator device(e.g., at or near the starting position). When the operator faces the ending positionat the first geographic location with the portable locator device(e.g., by facing a visually distinct landmark between the starting positionand the ending position), the operator presses a button on the touchscreen interface, and the controllercorrelates the detected geomagnetic field of the Earth from the Earth magnetic sensorto the first geographic location, logging the direction of magnetic north with respect to a cardinal direction, like true north, as detected by the Earth magnetic sensorat the first geographic location.

For instance, by comparing the coordinates of the first geographic location to the coordinates of the ending positionto determine the direction from the first geographic location to the ending position, the direction of magnetic north can be determined and stored by the controller. In an example, at a first geographic location, the direction of magnetic north is detected as forty-eight degrees) (48°) clockwise with respect to the front facing direction of the portable locator device. If the portable locator deviceis facing a direction forty-three degrees (43°) west of true north from the first geographic location to the ending position, the direction of magnetic north with respect to true north at the first geographic location can be determined as five degrees) (5°) east of true north (i.e., 48° minus 43°).

In some embodiments, the electronic displaycan instruct the operator to press a button (e.g., a physical button, a graphical button on a touchscreen) when facing the starting position, i.e., when the portable locator deviceis facing the beginning of the virtual drop-line. For instance, a positioning system receiveron the portable locator deviceis used to determine a second geographic location of the portable locator device(e.g., at or near an intermediate position). When the operator faces the starting positionat the second geographic location with the portable locator device(e.g., by standing some distance away from and facing the starting position), the operator presses a button on the touchscreen interface, and the controllercorrelates the detected geomagnetic field of the Earth from the Earth magnetic sensorto the second geographic location, logging the direction of magnetic north with respect to a cardinal direction, like true north, as detected by the Earth magnetic sensorat the second geographic location. For instance, by comparing the coordinates of the second geographic location to the coordinates of the starting positionto determine the direction from the second geographic location to the starting position, the direction of magnetic north can be determined and stored by the controller, e.g., as previously described.

In another instance, the operator sets off on a path generally between the starting positionand the ending position, arriving at a second geographic location (e.g., an intermediate position) between the starting positionand the ending position. When the second geographic location is determined to be an intermediate positionbetween the starting positionand the ending positionalong the virtual drop-line, and the operator is facing the ending position, the operator presses a button on the touchscreen interface, and the controllercorrelates the detected geomagnetic field of the Earth from the Earth magnetic sensorto the second geographic location, logging the direction of magnetic north with respect to a cardinal direction, like true north, as detected by the Earth magnetic sensor. For example, by comparing the coordinates of the intermediate positionto the coordinates of the ending positionto determine the direction from the intermediate positionto the ending position, the direction of magnetic north can be determined and stored by the controller, e.g., as previously described.

In some embodiments, the memorycan be used to store a lookup tableof magnetic declination angles (also referred to as magnetic variation angles) between magnetic north and true north for various geographic regions. In this example, a positioning system receiveron the portable locator deviceis used to determine a geographic location of the portable locator device(e.g., at the starting position). By comparing the coordinates of the geographic location for the portable locator deviceto geographic locations and/or geographic ranges stored in the lookup table, the direction of magnetic north can be determined based upon finding a corresponding magnetic declination angle in the lookup table. The magnetic declination angle can be stored by the controllerfor future use along the virtual drop-line.

In any of the foregoing examples, the direction of magnetic north can then be used at subsequent locations (e.g., at additional intermediate positions) between the starting positionand the ending positionto determine the direction of the ending positionrelative to the portable locator device, and instructions can be provided to the operator for moving towards the ending position, e.g., in the form of a graphical direction indicator provided by the user interface, such as a directional arrow displayed on the electronic display, a compass heading displayed on the electronic display, a verbal instruction provided by an output device such as a speaker, and so forth.

Referring now to, satellite navigation can be used with a walkover locator in a horizontal directional drillings (HDD) system. For example, a typical satellite navigation receiver included in a walkover locator may have an accuracy within a five-to-fifteen-foot (5-15 ft) range. However, this accuracy may not be sufficient for meaningful position logging, but rather may be useful for rough reporting on the area where drilling is done. With reference to, higher accuracy may be achieved by subscribing to a satellite navigation correction service. However, less expensive correction services generally require a continuous internet connection for operation, while services that do not require an internet connection can be prohibitively expensive. High accuracy (sub-inch range) survey-grade satellite navigation receivers are typically large, heavy, and too costly to be included in a walkover locator.

Accordingly, systems, techniques, and apparatus described herein allow a horizontal directional drilling system to determine GPS coordinates and log measurement points with a high degree of accuracy. For example, the controllerof a portable locator deviceis configured to determine a virtual drop-linebetween a starting positionand an ending positionusing GPS coordinates, as previously described. Further, the path and depth of an underground borehole can be logged by a horizontal directional drilling system. The locating systems described herein can include an underground transmitter inside a drill head, an above ground HDD locator, and a remote display mounted on the HDD machine. The transmitter transmits data and a locating dipole signal at a specific frequency. The locator receives the transmitter data and the locating dipole signal and then transmits its calculated position to the remote display over, for example, a radio frequency (RF) link. A real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning base can be included on the drill as part of the display. The RTK base does not move during drilling. The stationary base allows the use of smaller and cheaper satellite navigation receivers and antennas.

The RTK base itself generates satellite navigation correction data. The RTK base transmits the correction data to the locator via, for instance, an RF link and/or an internet connection via SIM cards installed in each device. The use of SIM cards/internet connectivity enables the transmission of large volumes of data that might restrict the distance when using the RF link alone. In this manner, an Internet connection is not required for ongoing operation, and mobile phone coverage is also not required. However, in some embodiments, the RTK base station can briefly use an internet connection to access a correction service, e.g., at the beginning of a drilling operation. This connection allows the RTK base to establish a precise location by receiving initial correction data from an external source. Once the precise location is determined, the RTK base can disconnect from the correction service and function independently as a base station, transmitting correction data to the locator without the need for continuous external correction subscriptions. This can provide a significant advantage by eliminating a need for costly, continuous correction service subscriptions, while still allowing for high-precision location accuracy.

In embodiments, the system can be self-sufficient, and a subscription is not necessarily needed. The locator uses correction data to determine its own position with sub-inch accuracy. This position can be accurate enough to be used for logging the absolute satellite navigation coordinates of every point. Logged “as-built” information including the coordinates can be added to, for example, a city geographic information system (GIS) to be used later. As described, the locator's position is measured relative to the RTK base (drill start point). When the drill location (the starting point for the drilling) is known, the absolute coordinates of the data points logged by a locator can be calculated (e.g., at a later time).

A horizontal directional drilling system(such as the HDD system) is described in accordance with example embodiments of the present disclosure. The horizontal directional drilling systemincludes a horizontal directional drilling machine, which is capable of boring along an underground path using a drilling riglaunched from the surface. The horizontal directional drilling machinemay be used to install underground utilities, including, but not necessarily limited to: pipe, conduit, cables, and so forth. In some embodiments, the drilling rigincludes an underground transmitter, where the underground transmitteris configured to transmit a locating dipole signalto be received by a walkover locator and used for positioning the walkover locator above the drilling rig.

The horizontal directional drilling machineincludes a base station, which can include a user interface(e.g., implemented by an interactive display, such as a touch screen display) for controlling operations of the drilling rig. The base stationincludes a first satellite navigation receiverconfigured to receive a satellite navigation signaltransmitted on a carrier waveform. For example, the first satellite navigation receiveris configured to receive signals from a satellite navigation system with global coverage. Such a system is commonly referred to as a global navigation satellite system (GNSS). Examples of satellite navigation systems include the Global Positioning System (GPS), Russia's Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS), India's Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), and the European Union's Galileo.

The first satellite navigation receiverof the base stationis configured to receive satellite navigation signalsthat are each modulated with an information sequence for temporal alignment with a matching information sequence to be generated by the first satellite navigation receiver. For example, the information sequence can be a pseudorandom binary sequence or another sequence that can be replicated by the first satellite navigation receiver, where the term “pseudorandom” refers to statistical randomness in a sequence generated by a reproducible mathematical procedure. The matching information sequence can be generated by the first satellite navigation receiverusing the same procedure, but at different delays to account for a time taken by the satellite navigation signalto travel to the first satellite navigation receiver.

Once the appropriate delay in the receiver's sequence has been established, the time taken by the satellite navigation signalto travel to the first satellite navigation receiveris determined, and thereby a distance of the first satellite navigation receiverfrom a satellitetransmitting the satellite navigation signal. It should be noted that the distance determined by the first satellite navigation receiveris an estimated distance, subject to the accuracy of the clocks in the first satellite navigation receiverand the satellite, for instance, and may also be referred to as a “pseudo-distance” or “pseudo-range,” as the distance is estimated through an adjustment procedure, such as a least squares adjustment.

In embodiments of the disclosure, the satellite navigation signalhas a higher frequency than a frequency of the information sequence. For example, a GPS satellite may transmit a coarse-acquisition (C/A) code navigation signal modulated with an information sequence that changes phase at a frequency of 1.023 megahertz (MHz), while the frequency of the GPS carrier waveform itself is 1,575.42 megahertz (MHz). However, it should be noted that a C/A code navigation signal is provided by way of example only and is not meant to limit the present disclosure. In other embodiments, GNSS signals having different purposes and frequencies may be used with the systems, techniques, and apparatus described herein. The base stationis configured to determine a first observed phase of the carrier waveform. For example, the base stationuses one or more carrier-phase tracking techniques to perform carrier phase measurements and determine the phase of the carrier waveform.

The horizontal directional drilling systemalso includes an above ground horizontal directional drilling walkover locator(such as the portable locator device) communicatively couplable with the base station. The walkover locatorincludes a second satellite navigation receiver(such as the satellite navigation device receiver) configured to receive the satellite navigation signalbroadcast on the carrier waveform, and the walkover locatoris configured to determine a second observed phase of the carrier waveform (e.g., as previously described). In some embodiments, the first and second satellite navigation receiversandare single frequency receivers with GNSS antennas. In some embodiments, the first and second satellite navigation receiversandare multi-frequency receivers with GNSS antennas. For example, the satellite navigation receivers can be multi-frequency GNSS receivers that perform both carrier phase and precise pseudo-range measurements and efficiently address integer cycle ambiguity in the calculations. In some embodiments, the satellite navigation receivers can use one or more statistical methods that compare measurements from the satellite navigation signals and the resulting ranges between multiple satellites to reduce errors in measurements.

The base stationis configured to transmit the first observed phase of the carrier waveform to the walkover locator, and the walkover locatoris configured to compare the second observed phase of the carrier waveform to the first observed phase to determine a relative position of the walkover locatorwith respect to the base station. For example, the base stationtransmits the phase of the carrier that it observes, and the walkover locatorcompares its own phase measurements with the one received from the base station. In this manner, the walkover locatorcan determine its relative position with respect to the base station. As described, when the location of the base station, e.g., the drill location or starting point for the drilling rig, is known, the absolute coordinates of data points logged by a walkover locatorcan be calculated (e.g., at a later time). It should be noted that while operations of the first and second satellite navigation receiversandwith respect to receipt of the carrier waveform from the satellitehave been described with some specificity for purposes of the examples provided herein, the first and second satellite navigation receiversandcan receive satellite navigation signalsfrom multiple satellitesand perform the operations described herein simultaneously, or at least substantially simultaneously, using the various carrier waveforms from the multiple satellites.

In some embodiments, the base stationand the walkover locatorcan communicate with one another via a radio frequency (RF) communications link, e.g., to send and receive operation commands and information. For example, the base stationincludes a radio transmitter/receiverand the walkover locatorincludes another radio transmitter/receiver. The base stationand the walkover locatorcan also communicate by satellite or a cellular data network, either directly or via dedicated Wi-Fi hotspot or cellphone. In some embodiments, the base stationand the walkover locatorcan each include circuitry for identification and authentication of the respective devices on mobile networks, such as mobile telephone networks. For example, the base stationincludes mobile network connectivity circuitryand the walkover locatoralso includes mobile network connectivity circuitry. In some embodiments, the mobile network connectivity circuitriesand/orcan each include one or more integrated circuits that can securely store a mobile network identity for each respective device, such as an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) number and an associated key, which can be used to identify/authenticate subscribers on mobile devices. For example, mobile network connectivity circuitriesand/orcan each include a subscriber identity module (SIM) or SIM card.

The walkover locatorcan receive information from an underground transmitter (e.g., associated with the drill head) and locate the underground transmitter position based, for example, on the magnetic signal sent from the underground transmitter. For example, the horizontal directional drilling systemincludes a drill stringmade up of a plurality of interconnected drill rods. The drilling rigcan be operatively coupled to and carried by an end of the drill stringopposite the horizontal directional drilling machine. The end of the drill stringopposite the drilling rigcan, in turn, be operatively coupled to the horizontal directional drilling machine. The drilling rigcan thereby be driven and/or rotated by the horizontal directional drilling machinevia the drill string. The drilling rigcan include the underground transmitter(e.g., a sonde) and an oriented and/or slanted drill face. The underground transmittercan register and wirelessly transmit various data associated with the operation of the drilling rig(e.g., one or more of yaw, pitch, roll, acceleration, ground temperature, ground saturation, etc., depending on the sensor capabilities associated with the drilling rig), and the drill facecan facilitate the steering and/or boring action of the drilling rig.

In embodiments, the walkover locator, for use on the terrain above the underground transmitter, can receive the wireless signals generated by the underground transmitter, thereby facilitating tracking and/or monitoring of the underground drilling process (including facilitating display of drilling data). The underground transmittercan transmit one or more signals (e.g., a magnetic signal and/or another signal) to the surface, for example, to a first locating point off to an angle from the underground transmitter(e.g., a point on the ground surface that has a special spatial relation with the underground transmitter) or to a second locating point directly above the underground transmitter.

The walkover locatorcan communicate with the remote display/base station, for example, by a radio frequency (RF) link. The base station(e.g., mounted or otherwise carried on the horizontal directional drilling machine) can allow the HDD operator to view the drilling data generated by the walkover locator. The base stationmay further serve as a computer processor, an input/output location (e.g., via touchscreen or a related keyboard), and/or a communications link (e.g., for RF linkand/or for wireless communication with a server and/or a satellite). In an embodiment, the walkover locatorand the base stationcan wirelessly communicate with one another, such as via RF communication between the radio transmitter/receiverand the radio transmitter/receiver. For example, data collected, compiled, and/or converted by the walkover locatorcan be transmitted to at least the base stationfor use at the base stationand/or for storage there or elsewhere (e.g., at a cloud server).

As described, the mobile network connectivity circuitriesand/orcan facilitate communication between the handheld walkover locatorand the remote display/base stationon the horizontal directional drilling machinevia cellular networks, e.g., where the mobile network connectivity circuitriesand/orare implemented as SIM cards in the walkover locatorand the base station. For example, RF communications between the handheld unit and the display may be subject to range restrictions (e.g., due to physical obstructions). Additionally, RF communications may be subject to data transmission limitations. For instance, when using a GPS RTK station, RF communication may struggle with the large amounts of data used. Moreover, regulatory constraints may become an issue, e.g., when government regulations limit RF transmission power. The use of cellular networks can provide a less restricted range for communications. The use of cellular networks can also provide for seamless high-bandwidth data transfer, especially for GPS RTK corrections. In embodiments, the use of SIM cards/cellular networks can also bypass RF power restrictions while maintaining reliable communications.

In some embodiments, cellular networks are used by the walkover locatorand the remote display/base stationto communicate using internet connectivity, e.g., when available. The use of internet communications can facilitate the transmission of large amounts of data between the walkover locatorand the base station. For example, large amounts of data used for precise GPS data logging can be transmitted by an operator over the Internet while drilling information is transmitted simultaneously via radio frequency communications. For instance, pitch and roll measurements can be transmitted via the RF link, while the mobile network connectivity circuitriesand/orfacilitate internet communication of RTK data. This dual approach can provide faster data transfer to the remote display/base stationthan using only internet communications. For example, slower pitch and roll data rates may hinder drilling efficiency when only internet communications are used. However, when RF range is insufficient to supply drilling data, an operator may send all data via the Internet (e.g., sacrificing speed for range to complete projects). Conversely, when cellular communications are unavailable, all data may be sent via the RF link. In some embodiments, the horizontal directional drilling systemcan briefly connect to a correction service, e.g., to establish RTK correction. The correction service can allow for “survey grade” accuracy without the need for continuous correction services during drilling operations.

Referring now to, a horizontal directional drilling system, including some or all of its components, can operate under computer control. For example, a processor can be included with or in a horizontal directional drilling systemto control the components and functions of horizontal directional drilling systemsdescribed herein using software, firmware, hardware (e.g., fixed logic circuitry), manual processing, or a combination thereof. The terms “controller,” “functionality,” “service,” and “logic” as used herein generally represent software, firmware, hardware, or a combination of software, firmware, or hardware in conjunction with controlling the horizontal directional drilling systems. In the case of a software implementation, the module, functionality, or logic represents program code that performs specified tasks when executed on a processor (e.g., central processing unit (CPU) or CPUs). The program code can be stored in one or more computer-readable memory devices (e.g., internal memory and/or one or more tangible media), and so on. The structures, functions, approaches, and techniques described herein can be implemented on a variety of commercial computing platforms having a variety of processors.

The first and second satellite navigation receiversandcan be coupled with one or more controllersfor controlling the various operations of the receivers, e.g., determining an observed phase of a carrier waveform, communicating an observed phase from the first satellite navigation receiverto the second satellite navigation receiver, determining a relative position of the walkover locatorwith respect to the base station, logging a relative position of the walkover locatorwith respect to the base station, logging a depth of the drilling rigand associating the depth with a particular location of the drilling rig, and so forth. A controllercan include a processor, a memory, and a communications interface.

The processorprovides processing functionality for the controllerand can include any number of processors, micro-controllers, or other processing systems, and resident or external memory for storing data and other information accessed or generated by the controller. The processorcan execute one or more software programs that implement techniques described herein. The processoris not limited by the materials from which it is formed or the processing mechanisms employed therein and, as such, can be implemented via semiconductor(s) and/or transistors (e.g., using electronic integrated circuit (IC) components), and so forth.

The memoryis an example of tangible, computer-readable storage medium that provides storage functionality to store various data associated with operation of the controller, such as software programs and/or code segments, or other data to instruct the processor, and possibly other components of the controller, to perform the functionality described herein. Thus, the memorycan store data, such as a program of instructions for operating the horizontal directional drilling system(including its components), and so forth. It should be noted that while a single memoryis described, a wide variety of types and combinations of memory (e.g., tangible, non-transitory memory) can be employed. The memorycan be integral with the processor, can comprise stand-alone memory, or can be a combination of both.

The memorycan include, but is not necessarily limited to: removable and non-removable memory components, such as random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory (e.g., a secure digital (SD) memory card, a mini-SD memory card, and/or a micro-SD memory card), magnetic memory, optical memory, universal serial bus (USB) memory devices, hard disk memory, external memory, and so forth. In implementations, the horizontal directional drilling systemand/or the memorycan include removable integrated circuit card (ICC) memory, such as memory provided by a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, a universal subscriber identity module (USIM) card, a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), and so on.

The communications interfaceis operatively configured to communicate with components of the horizontal directional drilling system. For example, the communications interfacecan be configured to transmit data for storage in the horizontal directional drilling system, retrieve data from storage in the horizontal directional drilling system, and so forth. The communications interfaceis also communicatively coupled with the processorto facilitate data transfer between components of the horizontal directional drilling systemand the processor(e.g., for communicating inputs to the processorreceived from a device communicatively coupled with the controller). It should be noted that while the communications interfaceis described as a component of a controller, one or more components of the communications interfacecan be implemented as external components communicatively coupled to the horizontal directional drilling systemvia a wired and/or wireless connection. The horizontal directional drilling systemcan also comprise and/or connect to one or more input/output (I/O) devices (e.g., via the communications interface), including, but not necessarily limited to: a display, a mouse, a touchpad, a keyboard, and so on.

The communications interfaceand/or the processorcan be configured to communicate with a variety of different networks, including, but not necessarily limited to: a wide-area cellular telephone network, such as a 3G cellular network, a 4G cellular network, or a global system for mobile communications (GSM) network; a wireless computer communications network, such as a WiFi network (e.g., a wireless local area network (WLAN) operated using IEEE 802.11 network standards); an internet; the Internet; a wide area network (WAN); a local area network (LAN); a personal area network (PAN) (e.g., a wireless personal area network (WPAN) operated using IEEE 802.15 network standards); a public telephone network; an extranet; an intranet; and so on. However, this list is provided by way of example only and is not meant to limit the present disclosure. Further, the communications interfacecan be configured to communicate with a single network or multiple networks across different access points.

Referring now to, a processfor determining a relative position of a walkover locator used in a horizontal directional drilling system is depicted in accordance with example embodiments, e.g., as described with reference to the horizontal directional drilling systemsdiscussed above with reference to. In the process illustrated, a satellite navigation signal is received by a first satellite navigation receiver at a base station of a horizontal directional drilling machine (Block). For example, horizontal directional drilling systemincludes horizontal directional drilling machinewith base station, where base stationincludes first satellite navigation receiverconfigured to receive satellite navigation signaltransmitted on a carrier waveform. Then, the base station determines a first observed phase of the carrier waveform (Block). For instance, base stationdetermines an observed phase of the carrier waveform using one or more carrier-phase tracking techniques to perform carrier phase measurements and determine the phase of the carrier waveform.

The satellite navigation signal is also received by a second satellite navigation receiver at a walkover locator (Block). For example, horizontal directional drilling systemalso includes above ground horizontal directional drilling walkover locator(e.g., portable locator device) communicatively couplable with base station, where walkover locatorincludes second satellite navigation receiver(e.g., satellite navigation device receiver) configured to receive satellite navigation signalbroadcast on the carrier waveform. Next, the walkover locator determines a second observed phase of the carrier waveform (Block). For instance, walkover locatordetermines another observed phase of the carrier waveform.