Patent ID: 6553322
Filing Date: 2003-04-22
Classification: F16L,G01C

Abstract:
A pipeline surveying system comprising:a pipeline pig; an inertial measurement unit (IMU) located in the pipeline pig, the IMU for providing at least one inertial-measurement output; at least one processor; data storage; a datafile stored on the data storage, the datafile containing reference-pipeline-characteristic data defining at least one distinctive-pipeline-reference feature; and programmable instructions executable by the processor to: calculate the pipeline pig attitude, velocity, and position data based on the at least one inertial-measurement output of the IMU; generate at least one distinctive-pipeline-measured feature using the at least one inertial-measurement output; correlate the at least one distinctive-pipeline-reference feature with the at least one distinctive-pipeline-measured feature to produce at least one estimated-pig-location error; and a filter for providing the at least one estimated-pig-location error to provide at least one corrected-inertial-measurement output.