Horizontal directional drilling systems with satellite navigation correction for data logging

Abstract

A horizontal directional drilling system includes a horizontal directional drilling machine with a base station having a satellite navigation receiver configured to receive a satellite navigation signal transmitted on a carrier waveform. The base station is configured to determine a first observed phase of the carrier waveform. The horizontal directional drilling system also includes a walkover locator. The walkover locator includes a satellite navigation receiver and is configured to determine a second observed phase of the carrier waveform. The base station is configured to transmit the first observed phase of the carrier waveform to the walkover locator, and the walkover locator is configured to compare the second observed phase of the carrier waveform to the first observed phase to determine a relative position of the walkover locator with respect to the base station.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A horizontal directional drilling system comprising:
 a horizontal directional drilling machine including
 a base station having
 a first satellite navigation receiver configured to receive a satellite navigation signal transmitted on a carrier waveform, the base station configured to determine a first observed phase of the carrier waveform, 
 a first radio transmitter/receiver, and 
 first mobile network connectivity circuitry; and 
 
   an above ground horizontal directional drilling walkover locator communicatively couplable with the base station, the walkover locator including
 a second satellite navigation receiver configured to receive the satellite navigation signal broadcast on the carrier waveform, the walkover locator configured to determine a second observed phase of the carrier waveform, the base station configured to transmit the first observed phase of the carrier waveform to the walkover locator, and the walkover locator is configured to compare the second observed phase of the carrier waveform to the first observed phase to determine a relative position of the walkover locator with respect to the base station, 
 a second radio transmitter/receiver, and 
 second mobile network connectivity circuitry, wherein the horizontal directional drilling machine and the walkover locator are operable to communicate with one another via a radio frequency link using the first radio transmitter/receiver and the second radio transmitter/receiver, and are also operable to communicate with one another via a mobile network using the first mobile network connectivity circuitry and the second mobile network connectivity circuitry. 
   
     
     
         2 . The horizontal directional drilling system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first mobile network connectivity circuitry or the second mobile network connectivity circuitry comprises a subscriber identity module (SIM) card and the mobile network comprises a cellular network. 
     
     
         3 . The horizontal directional drilling system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the horizontal directional drilling machine and the walkover locator are configured to communicate with one another using an internet connection established via the cellular network. 
     
     
         4 . The horizontal directional drilling system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a drilling rig including an underground transmitter, wherein the underground transmitter is configured to transmit measurements about a drilling operation to the walkover locator, and the walkover locator is configured to transmit the measurements to the base station via the radio frequency link while transmitting the relative position of the walkover locator with respect to the base station via the mobile network. 
     
     
         5 . The horizontal directional drilling system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the horizontal directional drilling system is configured to connect to a positioning system correction service to establish a positional correction for at least one of the base station or the walkover locator and then disconnect from the positioning system correction service for continuing operations. 
     
     
         6 . The horizontal directional drilling system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a drilling rig including an underground transmitter, wherein the underground transmitter is configured to transmit a locating dipole signal to be received by the walkover locator and used for positioning the walkover locator above the underground transmitter. 
     
     
         7 . The horizontal directional drilling system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the satellite navigation signal is modulated with an information sequence for temporal alignment with a matching information sequence to be generated by the first satellite navigation receiver to determine a time taken by the satellite navigation signal to travel to the first satellite navigation receiver and thereby a distance of the first satellite navigation receiver from a satellite transmitting the satellite navigation signal. 
     
     
         8 . A method for determining a relative position of a walkover locator used in a horizontal directional drilling system, the horizontal directional drilling system including a horizontal directional drilling machine with
 a base station having
 a first satellite navigation receiver configured to receive a satellite navigation signal transmitted on a carrier waveform, 
 a first radio transmitter/receiver, and 
 first mobile network connectivity circuitry; and 
   an above ground horizontal directional drilling walkover locator communicatively couplable with the base station, the walkover locator including
 a second satellite navigation receiver configured to receive the satellite navigation signal broadcast on the carrier waveform, 
 a second radio transmitter/receiver, and 
 second mobile network connectivity circuitry; 
   the method comprising:
 receiving, via the first satellite navigation receiver, the satellite navigation signal; 
 determining, via the base station, a first observed phase of the carrier waveform; 
 receiving, via the second satellite navigation receiver, the satellite navigation signal; 
 determining, via the walkover locator, a second observed phase of the carrier waveform; 
 transmitting, via the base station, the first observed phase of the carrier waveform to the walkover locator; 
 comparing, via the walkover locator, the second observed phase of the carrier waveform to the first observed phase to determine a relative position of the walkover locator with respect to the base station; 
 communicating, via a radio frequency link, between the horizontal directional drilling machine and the walkover locator using the first radio transmitter/receiver and the second radio transmitter/receiver; and 
 communicating, via a mobile network, between the horizontal directional drilling machine and the walkover locator using the first mobile network connectivity circuitry and the second mobile network connectivity circuitry. 
   
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first mobile network connectivity circuitry or the second mobile network connectivity circuitry comprises a subscriber identity module (SIM) card and the mobile network comprises a cellular network. 
     
     
         10 . The method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the horizontal directional drilling machine and the walkover locator are configured to communicate with one another using an internet connection established via the cellular network. 
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the horizontal directional drilling system includes a drilling rig with an underground transmitter, and the method further comprises:
 transmitting, from the underground transmitter to the walkover locator, measurements about a drilling operation; and   transmitting, from the walkover locator to the base station via the radio frequency link, the measurements while transmitting, via the mobile network, the relative position of the walkover locator with respect to the base station.   
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the method further comprising:
 connecting to a positioning system correction service to establish a positional correction for at least one of the base station or the walkover locator; and   disconnecting from the positioning system correction service for continuing operations.   
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the horizontal directional drilling system comprises a drilling rig including an underground transmitter, the method further comprising:
 transmitting, from the underground transmitter to the walkover locator, a locating dipole signal to be received by the walkover locator and used for positioning the walkover locator above the underground transmitter.   
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein the satellite navigation signal is modulated with an information sequence for temporal alignment with a matching information sequence to be generated by the first satellite navigation receiver to determine a time taken by the satellite navigation signal to travel to the first satellite navigation receiver and thereby a distance of the first satellite navigation receiver from a satellite transmitting the satellite navigation signal. 
     
     
         15 . A horizontal directional drilling system comprising:
 a horizontal directional drilling machine including a base station having a first satellite navigation receiver configured to receive a satellite navigation signal transmitted on a carrier waveform, the satellite navigation signal modulated with an information sequence for temporal alignment with a matching information sequence to be generated by the first satellite navigation receiver to determine a time taken by the satellite navigation signal to travel to the first satellite navigation receiver and thereby a distance of the first satellite navigation receiver from a satellite transmitting the satellite navigation signal, the satellite navigation signal having a higher frequency than a frequency of the information sequence, the base station configured to determine a first observed phase of the carrier waveform; and   an above ground horizontal directional drilling walkover locator communicatively couplable with the base station, the walkover locator including a second satellite navigation receiver configured to receive the satellite navigation signal broadcast on the carrier waveform, the walkover locator configured to determine a second observed phase of the carrier waveform, wherein the base station is configured to transmit the first observed phase of the carrier waveform to the walkover locator, and the walkover locator is configured to compare the second observed phase of the carrier waveform to the first observed phase to determine a relative position of the walkover locator with respect to the base station.   
     
     
         16 . The horizontal directional drilling system as recited in  claim 15 , further comprising a drilling rig including an underground transmitter, wherein the underground transmitter is configured to transmit a locating dipole signal to be received by the walkover locator and used for positioning the walkover locator above the underground transmitter. 
     
     
         17 . The horizontal directional drilling system as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the base station includes a first radio transmitter/receiver, and first mobile network connectivity circuitry; and the walkover locator includes a second radio transmitter/receiver, and second mobile network connectivity circuitry, wherein the horizontal directional drilling machine and the walkover locator are operable to communicate with one another via a radio frequency link using the first radio transmitter/receiver and the second radio transmitter/receiver, and are also operable to communicate with one another via a mobile network using the first mobile network connectivity circuitry and the second mobile network connectivity circuitry. 
     
     
         18 . The horizontal directional drilling system as recited in  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the first mobile network connectivity circuitry or the second mobile network connectivity circuitry comprises a subscriber identity module (SIM) card and the mobile network comprises a cellular network. 
     
     
         19 . The horizontal directional drilling system as recited in  claim 18 , wherein the horizontal directional drilling machine and the walkover locator are configured to communicate with one another using an internet connection established via the cellular network. 
     
     
         20 . The horizontal directional drilling system as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the horizontal directional drilling system is configured to connect to a positioning system correction service to establish a positional correction for at least one of the base station or the walkover locator and then disconnect from the positioning system correction service for continuing operations.