Patent Publication Number: US-11397274-B2

Title: Tracked distance measuring devices, systems, and methods

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/614,217, entitled TRACKED DISTANCE MEASURING DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS, filed Jan. 5, 2018. The content of that application is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This disclosure relates generally to distance measuring devices, systems, and methods. More specifically, but not exclusively, the disclosure relates to tracked distance measuring devices, systems, and methods for use with utility locating and mapping systems to identify and map points of interest (POIs). 
     BACKGROUND 
     In typical mapping systems, one or more points of interest (POIs) may be included with other map information to show a location or feature within the mapped area. For example, locations of important landmarks or tourist attractions, hospitals or other service facilities, utility assets such as fire plugs, covers, pipe penetrations, electrical boxes, and the like, environmental features that can distort signals (such as those used in utility locating), and other items, features, or characteristics which may be of interest or otherwise desirable to be used in a mapping system may be included. Including POIs in maps can be useful in future work, such as future locate operations. 
     Some POIs may also be arbitrarily selected by a user and need not specifically correspond to an attraction or feature, but may nevertheless provide useful future information. In some mapping systems, particularly digital mapping systems, points of interest may further include metadata associated with each feature (e.g., information about that location or services offered or the like). Creation of such POIs often requires manual input by a user and/or image recognition algorithms to identify them. Manual input of points of interest can be labor intensive and subject to human error, whereas use of image recognition algorithms may fail to correctly identify and/or fail to provide the degree of location accuracy required in some mapping systems. 
     Utility locating systems are frequently used to determine the presence or absence and location of utility lines within the ground (“buried utilities” or “buried objects”) and map their locations. Such systems may include a portable utility locator to measure magnetic field signals emitted from conductive utility lines, and/or other signals within the mapped area to determine the utility&#39;s location (commonly known as a “locate”). In many utility locating operations, various things within the locating operation (which may be POIs) can have a measurable effect on signals received at the utility locator device, affecting locating and mapping accuracy and reliability. For example, other conductive objects in proximity to a utility pipe or cable, other magnetic field sources, and/or environmental conditions may distort magnetic field signals emitted from utilities. In addition, it may be useful to map and provide precise locations for various other utility assets and infrastructure in a locate area, such as, for example, power poles, signs, valves, covers, transformer control systems, metallic structures, and the like. Existing utility locating and mapping systems and devices do not locate, map, or further identify such points of interest, thereby reducing accuracy and reliability. Failure of existing utility mapping systems and devices to identify POIs within the locate area may result in less than ideal fitting of utility location data to actual mapped areas, such as to reference maps. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for improved devices, systems, and methods to address the above described as well as other problems in the art. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, the disclosure relates to a distance measuring system. The distance measurement system may include, for example, a utility locator device including one or more magnetic field antennas, a processing element programmed with instructions for processing received magnetic field signals to determine relative position of one or more magnetic field signal sources and the locator and provide the determined relative position as locator output data and/or store the determined relative position in a non-transitory memory of the locator, a positioning element for determining a location of the signal tracking device in three dimensional space and providing output data defining the determined location, and a tracked distance measuring device. The tracked distance measuring device may include, for example, a housing, a rangefinder element for determining a distance or relative position to a point of interest (POI), and providing rangefinder output data corresponding to the determined distance or relative position to the POI, a magnetic field dipole sonde that may include an alternating current (AC) signal generator including an output for providing an output AC current signal at one or more predetermined frequencies and a magnetic field dipole antenna operatively coupled to the AC signal generator output to receive the output AC current signal and radiate a corresponding magnetic field dipole signal for sensing by the utility locator device. The tracked distance measurement device may further include an actuator mechanism operatively coupled to the rangefinder element and the magnetic field dipole sonde for triggering a distance determination and triggering generation of the magnetic field dipole signal in conjunction with the triggering a distance determination. The system may further include one or more non-transitory memories for storing the output data from the positioning device and the output data from the utility locator device, as well as other data, such as images or video, sensor data, or other system data or information. 
     In another aspect, the disclosure relates to method of measuring distance with a distance measuring system. The method may include, for example, triggering a tracked distance measuring device, in response to a user input, to initiate in conjunction a measurement of distance from a rangefinder element to a point of interest (POI) and transmission of a dipole magnetic field signal from a magnetic field dipole sonde element for sensing by a utility locator. The method may further include providing, from the tracked distance measurement device, the measurement as tracked distance measurement output data and determining absolute positional data at the locator using a positioning element and providing the absolute positional data as an output. The absolute positional data, the output data is processed in conjunction with the tracked distance measurement data, and relative positional data based on sensing of the dipole magnetic field signal at the locator may be processed to determine absolute positional data associated with the POI. 
     In another aspect, a tracked distance measuring device embodiment may include a body element housing a rangefinder element to measure the distance to a point of interest (POI) as well as a position element to determine the position of the tracked distance measuring device in three dimensional space as well as pose of the tracked distance measuring device at that location. An actuator may be included allowing a user to initiate measurement to a POI that may simultaneously correlate to the position of the tracked distance measuring device. The term “position,” as used herein, refers to a location within three dimensional space in a relative or absolute coordinate system and/or as a pose that describes the direction and tilt at that location. The POI may be mapped based on the position data of the tracked distance measuring device and distance data determined therefrom. In some implementations, the POI may be outlined or traced by the tracked distance measuring device such that the outline of the POI may be mapped. Processing elements and data logging elements may further be included within the central body element or in a locator or other associated device to process and store data, which may include mapping information of POIs. 
     The rangefinder element may be a laser rangefinder utilizing a laser beam to determine distance to a POI or other rangefinding devices or systems. For example, in some embodiments, the rangefinder elements may instead be or include other types of rangefinders (e.g., radar, sonar, LiDAR, ultrasonic, and the like). In some embodiments, the rangefinder element may be modular or otherwise user attachable and removable from tracked distance measuring device. For example, the rangefinder element may be a commercially available distance meter device, such as the Leica DISTO™ line of laser distance meters, which may detachably couple to the tracked distance measuring device (e.g., a magnetic field utility locator or other device). 
     The rangefinder element may further be or include an optical ground tracking apparatus to determine position via optically tracking movements as it is moved about the ground surface within a locate area. The optical ground tracking device may further include a laser in a known or reference orientation relative to a camera or cameras on the optical ground tracking device, with the lasers (or other pointing mechanisms) used to direct the camera or cameras towards a POI, as well as for use in a method for determining the precise location of the POI. Camera(s) within the optical ground tracking device may generate images associated with the POI for mapping its location as well as identifying the POI. The optical ground tracking device may be positioned in a known orientation relative to a utility locator device allowing the POI range data generated by the optical ground tracking device to be communicated to and be tracked by the utility locator device. 
     In embodiments where an optical ground tracking device is equipped with two or more cameras collecting stereoscopic images of a single POI, three dimensional modeling of a POI may be implemented. The three dimensional modeled POI may be added to a map or mapping system covering the locate area. 
     The position element may include one or more dipole signal transmitters and associated magnetic antennas for generating and transmitting dipole magnetic field signals for detection by a corresponding signal tracking device, such as a locator&#39;s magnetic field antennas or antenna array. For example, in an exemplary embodiment, the signal tracking device may be a utility locator device such as those described in the incorporated patent and patent applications listed subsequently herein. The utility locator device may receive the transmitted signal or signals and determine and map information about the position including pose of each signal and thereby, information about the location of each POI. Gyroscopic and other inertial sensors may further be included within the position elements of a tracked distance measuring device. 
     The body element may also include various other sensors and other components. Such sensors and components may include, but are not limited to, Bluetooth radios/transceivers, Wi-Fi radios/transceivers, and/or other wireless communication devices, imaging sensors, audio sensors and recorders, gyroscopic sensors, accelerometers, other inertial sensors, and/or global positioning satellite (GPS) sensors or other satellite navigation sensors. The central body element may further include a power module containing batteries or other powering components for providing electrical power to the signal transmitter and/or other components of the tracked measuring device. 
     In exemplary utility locating and mapping system embodiments, the signal tracking device may be a utility locator device as further described in the incorporated patents and patent applications listed subsequently herein. The utility locator device may receive the transmitted signal or signals and determine and map information about the position including pose of each signal and thereby, information about the location of each POI. Gyroscopic and other inertial sensors may further be included within the position elements of a tracked distance measuring device. 
     In another aspect, the utility locator device of systems and methods herein receive the signal or signals from a tracked distance measuring device while simultaneously receiving signals from other sources such as, but not limited to, buried utility lines, pipe Sondes, and/or other system devices, and determine the position of each signal. The utility locator may use a dodecahedral or similar antenna array and associated components configured to make tensor gradient measurements of received magnetic field signals, such as described in the incorporated applications. 
     In another aspect, the present disclosure is directed towards corresponding methods for determining the position, which includes pose, of signals received at a utility locator from a tracked measuring device. 
     In another aspect, embodiment of the present disclosure may include one or more information input elements to associate and/or annotate POIs. The input elements of some embodiments may include methods and apparatus for taking audio notes created by a user and further correlating or associating such audio notes or other information with the POI, mark location, and/or other signal data. Speech-to-text (STT) type or similar or equivalent translating methods may be used to translate audio files and create virtual POIs that may further be used in the map systems containing utility information. 
     In another aspect, image recognition, artificial intelligence, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), or similar or equivalent methods may be used to recognize and generate corresponding POI metadata from POI images. 
     In another aspect, in some stand-alone tracked distance measuring device system embodiments, the position of the device correlating to a POI may be determined and stored within the tracked distance measuring device. Global navigation satellite sensors such as GPS receivers and/or other position and orientation sensors may be used in systems to determine the device&#39;s absolute location information and store the location information correlating to the POI distance data. 
     In another aspect, methods for determining dipole signal location and POI location are described. 
     Various additional aspects, features, and functions are described below in conjunction with the appended Drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present application may be more fully appreciated in connection with the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates details of one embodiment of a tracked distance measuring device and utility locating system. 
         FIG. 2A  illustrates details of an embodiment of a tracked distance measuring device. 
         FIG. 2B  is a section view of details of the tracked distance measuring device embodiment of  FIG. 2A  along line  2 B- 2 B. 
         FIG. 2C  illustrates details of an embodiment of a tracked distance measuring device. 
         FIG. 2D  is a sectional view of details of the tracked distance measuring device embodiment of  FIG. 2C  along line  2 D- 2 D. 
         FIG. 2E  illustrates details of a tracked distance measuring device embodiment. 
         FIG. 2F  is a section view of details of the tracked distance measuring device embodiment of  FIG. 2E  along line  2 F- 2 F. 
         FIG. 2G  illustrates details of an embodiment of a tracked distance measuring device and utility locating system showing aiming of the tracked distance measuring device. 
         FIG. 3A  illustrates details of an embodiment of a method for POI mapping within a tracked distance measuring device and utility locating system. 
         FIG. 3B  illustrates details of an embodiment of a method for POI mapping within a tracked distance measuring device and utility locating system with correlated user input. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates details of an embodiment of a method for calculating dipole signal source information. 
         FIG. 5A  illustrates details of an embodiment of a tracked distance measuring device and utility locating system defining measurement terms for method embodiment  550  of  FIG. 5C . 
         FIG. 5B  is another illustration of details of a tracked distance measuring device and utility locating system embodiment defining measurement terms for method embodiment  550  of  FIG. 5C . 
         FIG. 5C  illustrates details of an embodiment of a method for determining POI location. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates details of a tracked distance measuring device system embodiment using a different signal receiving device. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates details of a standalone tracked distance measuring device embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  illustrates details of a standalone tracked distance measuring device embodiment defining measurement terms for method embodiment  900  of  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 9  illustrates details of an embodiment of a method for locating and mapping POIs from a standalone tracked distance measuring device. 
         FIG. 10A  illustrates details of a standalone tracked distance measuring device embodiment. 
         FIG. 10B  is a sectional view of details of the standalone tracked distance measuring device embodiment of  FIG. 10A  along line  10 B- 10 B. 
         FIG. 11A  illustrates details of an embodiment of a tracked distance measuring device embodiment that accommodates a separate distance meter device. 
         FIG. 11B  is another view of details of the tracked distance measuring device embodiment of  FIG. 11A . 
         FIG. 11C  is a section view of details of the tracked distance measuring device embodiment of  FIG. 11A  along line  11 C- 11 C. 
         FIG. 12  illustrates an example operation for tracing a POI with a tracked distance measuring device embodiment. 
         FIG. 13  illustrates details of an embodiment of a tracked distance measuring device for use in determining the dimensions and geometry of a POI. 
         FIG. 14A  is an illustration details of a locate operation where the distance measuring capabilities are built into an optical ground tracking device embodiment. 
         FIG. 14B  illustrates details of the optical ground tracking device embodiment of  FIG. 14A . 
         FIG. 14C  illustrates details of an embodiment of a method for finding a laser spot corresponding to a POI within two or more subsequent camera frames. 
         FIG. 14D  illustrates details of an embodiment of a method for finding the range to a laser spot corresponding to a POI. 
         FIG. 15  illustrates details of an embodiment of a method for using an optical ground tracking device as a POI mapping device. 
         FIG. 16  illustrates details of an embodiment of a tracked distance measuring device and utility locating system. 
         FIG. 17A  illustrates details of an embodiment showing tracked distance measuring device with a smart phone attached thereto. 
         FIG. 17B  illustrates details of an embodiment of a tracked distance measuring device. 
         FIG. 17C  is a section view of details of the tracked distance measuring device embodiment of  FIG. 17B . 
         FIG. 18  illustrates details of an embodiment of a GPS backpack device used in conjunction with the tracked distance measuring device embodiment of  FIG. 16 . 
         FIG. 19  illustrates details of an embodiment of a POI identification system without a utility locator device. 
         FIG. 20  illustrates details of an embodiment of a method for POI identification system embodiments configured to operate without a utility locator device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Terminology 
     As used herein, the terms “buried objects,” “buried assets,” and “buried utilities” include electrically conductive objects such as water and sewer lines, power lines, and other buried conductors, as well as objects located inside walls, between floors in multi-story buildings, or cast into concrete slabs as well as non-conductive utilities and electronic marker devices. They further include other conductive and nonconductive objects disposed below the surface of the ground. 
     In a typical application a buried object is a pipe, cable, conduit, wire, or other object buried under the ground surface, at a depth of from a few centimeters to meters or more, which has an alternating current flowing in it, with the alternating current generating a corresponding electromagnetic field. Metallic pipes or wires can carry their own conductive current, while non-metallic utilities, such as PVC or EBS pipe, or other non-conductors, may have tracing wires with current flow in them or may have marker devices or other mechanisms to indicate their presence. 
     In a locate operation, a user, such as a utility company employee, construction company employee, homeowner, or other person attempts to find the utility based on sensing magnetic fields generated by the AC current flow in the utility (or in a tracer wire, RFID-like marker, or other tracing element). The sensed information may be used directly or may be combined with other information to mark the utility, map the utility (e.g., by surface position as defined by latitude/longitude or other surface coordinates, and/or also by depth), and/or for other purposes, such as soil conductivity data collection, magnetic field data collection, geological applications, and the like. 
     As noted above, locating buried utilities or other assets may be done by receiving AC magnetic field signals emitted from the utilities and then processing these signals in one or more devices commonly denoted as “utility locating devices”, “utility locators”, or simply “locators.” 
     Utility locators sense the magnetic field component of the electromagnetic signal emitted from a flowing AC current and process the signal accordingly to determine information about the buried object. The fundamentals of utility locating by sensing magnetic fields in well-known and described in the art. Typical locators use one or more horizontal antenna elements to determine when the locator is directly above the utility, and then use vertical or omnidirectional antenna coil arrays to determine depth. 
     Applicant SeeScan, Inc., a global leader in the field, provides more advanced locators using additional antenna elements, such as multiple omnidirectional antenna arrays, dodecahedral antenna arrays, and other advanced sensing and signal processing techniques and devices, such as, for example, those described in the incorporated applications, to determine additional information about the buried utilities as well as their associated environment by measuring and processing multiple magnetic field signals in two or three orthogonal dimensions and over time, position, frequency, phase, as well as other parameters. 
     Utility locators used in embodiments as described herein may be of the variety described in the incorporated patents and patent applications below, or others as are known or developed in the art. Such utility locators include one or more antennas or antenna arrays and electronic circuitry to receive and process magnetic field signal components of electromagnetic signals emitted from multiple sources and/or at multiple frequencies to determine each source&#39;s relative (e.g., the user&#39;s position over the ground or to some other reference) or to an absolute position (e.g., such as determined by a positioning system receiver such as a GPS receiver, GLONASS, Galileo, or other satellite or terrestrial position system receiver) based on its emitted signals. 
     As used herein, the term “position” refers to a location in space, typically in three-dimensional (X, Y, Z coordinates or their equivalent) space, as well as a “pose” of the source at that location relative to some other device or location. The pose may be the orientation at that particular location. For example, a signal emitted from a tracked distance measuring device embodiment may be used to determine a position that includes a location in three dimensional space relative to a corresponding device, such as an associated utility locator device or other signal receiving device, as well as the pose or orientation describing the direction and degree of tilt of the signal at that location (with respect to the utility locator or some other reference). 
     As used herein, “points of interests” or “POIs” may be any point of area or location within the mapped or locate area in which a distance is measured by the rangefinder element of a tracked distance measuring device. The POI may be location or object within a locate area that may affect locating equipment or signals within the locate area or mapping of the area. In some uses, a POI may be any arbitrary point within the work or mapped area that is designated as a POI by a user or device. 
     Overview 
     This disclosure relates generally to tracked distance measuring devices. More specifically, but not exclusively, the disclosure relates to tracked distance measuring devices used within utility locating and mapping systems used to identify and map points of interest. 
     The disclosures herein may be combined in various embodiments with the disclosures in Applicant&#39;s co-assigned patents and patent applications, including transmitter and locator devices and associated apparatus, systems, and methods, as are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,009,399, issued Mar. 7, 2006, entitled OMNIDIRECTIONAL SONDE AND LINE LOCATOR; U.S. Pat. No. 7,136,765, issued Nov. 14, 2006, entitled A BURIED OBJECT LOCATING AND TRACING METHOD AND SYSTEM EMPLOYING PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS ANALYSIS FOR BLIND SIGNAL DETECTION; U.S. Pat. No. 7,221,136, issued May 22, 2007, entitled SONDES FOR LOCATING UNDERGROUND PIPES AND CONDUITS; U.S. Pat. No. 7,276,910, issued Oct. 2, 2007, entitled COMPACT SELF-TUNED ELECTRICAL RESONATOR FOR BURIED OBJECT LOCATOR APPLICATIONS; U.S. Pat. No. 7,288,929, issued Oct. 30, 2007, entitled INDUCTIVE CLAMP FOR APPLYING SIGNAL TO BURIED UTILITIES; U.S. Pat. No. 7,332,901, issued Feb. 19, 2008, entitled LOCATOR WITH APPARENT DEPTH INDICATION; U.S. Pat. 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No. 9,465,129, issued Oct. 11, 2016, entitled IMAGE-BASED MAPPING LOCATING SYSTEM; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/331,570, filed Oct. 21, 2016, entitled KEYED CURRENT SIGNAL UTILITY LOCATING SYSTEMS AND METHODS; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/339,766, filed Oct. 31, 2016, entitled GRADIENT ANTENNA COILS AND ARRAYS FOR USE IN LOCATING SYSTEMS; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/345,421, filed Nov. 7, 2016, entitled OMNI-INDUCER TRANSMITTING DEVICES AND METHODS; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/360,979, filed Nov. 23, 2016, entitled UTILITY LOCATING SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND METHODS USING RADIO BROADCAST SIGNALS; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/376,576, filed Dec. 12, 2016, entitled MAGNETIC SENSING BURIED OBJECT LOCATOR INCLUDING A CAMERA; U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/435,681, filed Dec. 16, 2016, entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ELECTRONICALLY MARKING AND LOCATING BURIED UTILITY ASSETS; U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/438,069, filed Dec. 22, 2016, entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ELECTRONICALLY MARKING, LOCATING, AND DISPLAYING BURIED UTILITY ASSETS; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/396,068, filed Dec. 30, 2016, entitled UTILITY LOCATOR TRANSMITTER APPARATUS AND METHODS; U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/444,310, filed Jan. 9, 2017, entitled DIPOLE-TRACKED LASER DISTANCE MEASURING DEVICE; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/425,785, filed Feb. 6, 2017, entitled METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR HIGH-SPEED DATA TRANSFER EMPLOYING SELF-SYNCHRONIZING QUADRATURE AMPLITUDE MODULATION (QAM); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/434,056, filed Feb. 16, 2017, entitled BURIED UTILTY MARKER DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/457,149, filed Mar. 13, 2017, entitled USER INTERFACES FOR UTILITY LOCATOR; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/457,222, filed Mar. 13, 2017, entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR LOCATING BURIED OR HIDDEN OBJECTS USING SHEET CURRENT FLOW MODELS; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/457,897, filed Mar. 13, 2017, entitled UTILITY LOCATORS WITH RETRACTABLE SUPPORT STRUCTURES AND APPLICATIONS THEREOF; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/470,642, filed Mar. 27, 2017, entitled UTILITY LOCATING APPARATUS AND SYSTEMS USING MULTIPLE ANTENNA COILS; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/470,713, filed Mar. 27, 2017, entitled UTILITY LOCATORS WITH PERSONAL COMMUNICATION DEVICE USER INTERFACES; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/483,924, filed Apr. 10, 2017, entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DATA TRANSFER USING SELF-SYNCHRONIZING QUADRATURE AMPLITUDE MODULATION (QAM); U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/485,082, filed Apr. 11, 2017, entitled MAGNETIC UTILITY LOCATOR DEVICES AND METHODS; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/485,125, filed Apr. 11, 2017, entitled INDUCTIVE CLAMP DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/490,740, filed Apr. 18, 2017, entitled NULLED-SIGNAL UTILITY LOCATING DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/497,040, filed Apr. 25, 2017, entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR LOCATING AND/OR MAPPING BURIED UTILITIES USING VEHICLE-MOUNTED LOCATING DEVICES; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/590,964, filed May 9, 2017, entitled BORING INSPECTION SYSTEMS AND METHODS; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/623,174, filed Jun. 14, 2017, entitled TRACKABLE DIPOLE DEVICES, METHODS, AND SYSTEMS FOR USE WITH MARKING PAINT STICKS; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/626,399, filed Jun. 19, 2017, entitled SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR UNIQUELY IDENTIFYING BURIED UTILITIES IN A MULTI-UTILITY ENVIRONMENT; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/633,682, filed Jun. 26, 2017, entitled BURIED OBJECT LOCATING DEVICES AND METHODS; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/681,409, filed Aug. 20, 2017, entitled WIRELESS BURIED PIPE AND CABLE LOCATING SYSTEMS; U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/564,215, filed Sep. 27, 2017, entitled MULTIFUNCTION BURIED UTILITY LOCATING CLIPS; U.S. Pat. No. 9,798,033, issued Oct. 24, 2017, entitled SONDE DEVICES INCLUDING A SECTIONAL FERRITE CORE; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/811,361, filed Nov. 13, 2017, entitled OPTICAL GROUND TRACKING APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS; and U.S. Pat. No. 9,841,503, issued Dec. 12, 2017, entitled OPTICAL GROUND TRACKING APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS. The content of each of the above-described patents and applications is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The above applications may be collectively denoted herein as the “co-assigned applications” or “incorporated applications.” 
     In one aspect, the disclosure relates to a distance measuring system. The distance measurement system may include, for example, a utility locator device including one or more magnetic field antennas, a processing element programmed with instructions for processing received magnetic field signals to determine relative position of one or more magnetic field signal sources and the locator and provide the determined relative position as locator output data and/or store the determined relative position in a non-transitory memory of the locator, a positioning element for determining a location of the signal tracking device in three dimensional space and providing output data defining the determined location, and a tracked distance measuring device. The tracked distance measuring device may include, for example, a housing, a rangefinder element for determining a distance or relative position to a point of interest (POI), and providing rangefinder output data corresponding to the determined distance or relative position to the POI, a magnetic field dipole sonde that may include an alternating current (AC) signal generator including an output for providing an output AC current signal at one or more predetermined frequencies and a magnetic field dipole antenna operatively coupled to the AC signal generator output to receive the output AC current signal and radiate a corresponding magnetic field dipole signal for sensing by the utility locator device. The tracked distance measurement device may further include an actuator mechanism operatively coupled to the rangefinder element and the magnetic field dipole sonde for triggering a distance determination and triggering generation of the magnetic field dipole signal in conjunction with the triggering a distance determination. The system may further include one or more non-transitory memories for storing the output data from the positioning device and the output data from the utility locator device, as well as other data, such as images or video, sensor data, or other system data or information. 
     In another aspect, the disclosure relates to method of measuring distance with a distance measuring system. The method may include, for example, triggering a tracked distance measuring device, in response to a user input, to initiate in conjunction a measurement of distance from a rangefinder element to a point of interest (POI) and transmission of a dipole magnetic field signal from a magnetic field dipole sonde element for sensing by a utility locator. The method may further include providing, from the tracked distance measurement device, the measurement as tracked distance measurement output data and determining absolute positional data at the locator using a positioning element and providing the absolute positional data as an output. The absolute positional data, the output data is processed in conjunction with the tracked distance measurement data, and relative positional data based on sensing of the dipole magnetic field signal at the locator may be processed to determine absolute positional data associated with the POI. 
     In another aspect, a tracked distance measuring device embodiment may include a body element housing a rangefinder element to measure the distance to a point of interest (POI) as well as a position element to determine the position of the tracked distance measuring device in three dimensional space as well as pose of the tracked distance measuring device at that location. An actuator may be included allowing a user to initiate measurement to a POI that may simultaneously correlate to the position of the tracked distance measuring device. The term “position,” as used herein, refers to a location within three dimensional space in a relative or absolute coordinate system and/or as a pose that describes the direction and tilt at that location. The POI may be mapped based on the position data of the tracked distance measuring device and distance data determined therefrom. In some implementations, the POI may be outlined or traced by the tracked distance measuring device such that the outline of the POI may be mapped. Processing elements and data logging elements may further be included within the central body element or in a locator or other associated device to process and store data, which may include mapping information of POIs. 
     The rangefinder element may be a laser rangefinder utilizing a laser beam to determine distance to a POI. In some embodiments, the rangefinder elements may instead be or include other types of rangefinders (e.g., radar, sonar, LiDAR, ultrasonic, and the like). 
     The rangefinder element may further be or include an optical ground tracking device, such as described in the incorporated applications, to determine position via optically tracking movements as it is moved about the Earth&#39;s surface. The optical ground tracking device may further include a laser in a known orientation to the camera or cameras on the optical ground tracking device used to direct the camera or cameras towards a POI as well as be used in a method for determining the precise location of the POI. Cameras within the optical ground tracking device my generate images associated with the POI for mapping it&#39;s location as well as identifying the POI. The optical ground tracking device may be positioned in a known or reference orientation relative to a utility locator device allowing the POI range data generated by the optical ground tracking device to be communicated to and be tracked by the utility locator device. In embodiments wherein the optical ground tracking device is equipped with two or more cameras collecting stereoscopic images of a single POI, three dimensional modeling of a POI may be achieved. The three dimensional modeled POI may be added to a map or mapping system covering the locate area. 
     The position element may include a dipole signal transmitter and associated magnetic antenna for generating and transmitting dipole magnetic field signals for detection by a corresponding signal tracking device. Within utility locating and mapping system embodiments, the signal tracking device may be a magnetic field sensing utility locator device (also known as a buried object locator or just “locator” for brevity) as further described in the incorporated patents and patent applications listed previously herein. The utility locator device may receive the transmitted signal or signals and determine and map information about the position including pose of each signal and thereby, information about the location of each POI. The positioning element of the embodiments may further be or include Global Positioning System (GPS) and/or other global navigation satellite systems as well as gyroscopic and other inertial sensors. In some tracked distance embodiments, the positioning element may also include arrays of GPS receivers and/or RTK GPS systems. 
     The body element may also include various other sensors and other components. Such sensors and components may include, but are not limited to, Bluetooth radios/transceivers, Wi-Fi radios/transceivers, and/or other wireless communication devices, imaging sensors, audio sensors and recorders, gyroscopic sensors, accelerometers, other inertial sensors, and/or global positioning satellite (GPS) sensors or other satellite navigation sensors. The central body element may further include a power module containing batteries or other powering components for providing electrical power to the signal transmitter and/or other components of the tracked measuring device. 
     Within utility locating and mapping system embodiments, the signal tracking device may be a utility locator device as described in the incorporated patents and patent applications listed previously herein. The utility locator device may receive the transmitted signal or signals and determine and map information about the position including pose of each signal and thereby, information about the location of each POI. Gyroscopic and other inertial sensors may further be included within the position elements of a tracked distance measuring device. 
     In another aspect, the utility locator device of systems and methods herein may receive the signal or signals from a tracked distance measuring device while simultaneously receiving signals from other sources such as, but not limited to, buried utility lines, pipe Sondes (magnetic field dipole signal generators), and other system devices and determine the position of each signal. The utility locator device may be equipped with a dodecahedral or equivalent or similar antenna array and associated components capable of tensor gradient measurements of received magnetic field signals, such as described in the incorporated applications. 
     In another aspect, the present disclosure relates to methods for determining the position or positions, which include location and pose, of signals received at a utility locator from a tracked measuring device. 
     In another aspect, the present disclosure may include one or more input elements. The input element of some embodiments may include methods and devices for taking audio notes created by a user and further correlating such audio notes with the POI, mark location, and/or other signal data. Speech-to-text (STT) type or similar translating methods may be used to translate audio files and create virtual POIs that may further be used in map systems containing utility information. 
     In another aspect, digital image recognition algorithms or similar, artificial intelligence techniques, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), or equivalent methods may be used to recognize and generate corresponding POI metadata from generated POI images. 
     In another aspect, the tracked distance measuring devices herein may include one or more imaging sensors for generating still or video images of POIs. In some embodiments, the tracked distance measuring device may include a graphical user interface for displaying images and allowing the tracked distance measuring device to be aimed appropriately at a POI. Images may be stored on the tracked distance measuring device and/or communicated and stored on one or more other system devices (e.g., a utility locator, tablet, smart phone, other computing device, or the like). The stored images may further be included in mapping systems of the work area. Image recognition techniques, artificial intelligence techniques, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), or like techniques may be employed to identify POIs from images taken within the locating system or other mapping system. 
     In another aspect, in some stand-alone tracked distance measuring device embodiments, the position of the device correlating to a POI may be determined and stored within the tracked distance measuring device. Internal global navigation satellite sensors and/or other position and orientation sensors may be configured to determine the device&#39;s location and store the location correlating to the POI distance data. 
     In another aspect, the rangefinder element of some tracked distance measuring devices may be modular or otherwise user removable from tracked distance measuring device. For instance, the rangefinder element may be a commercial available distance meter device such as the Leica DISTO™ line of laser distance meters that may attach to the tracked distance measuring device. 
     In another aspect, the rangefinder element may include an optical ground tracking device such as described in the incorporated applications. 
     In another aspect, methods for determining dipole signal location and POI location are described. 
     In another aspect, the tracked distance measuring device may include multiple dipole antennas for generating signals for tracking. The dipole antennas may be orthogonal to one another. Each antenna may broadcast a different frequency or all antennas may broadcast the same frequency. 
     In another aspect, global navigation sensors may by located in a GPS backpack device carried by the user. The GPS backpack device may include antennas to measure dipole signals from a tracked distance measuring device to determine the location and pose of the tracked distance measuring device in space. 
     Example Embodiments 
     Various additional aspects, features, and functions are described below in conjunction with the embodiments shown in  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 20  of the appended Drawings. 
     It is noted that as used herein, the term, “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect, detail, function, implementation, and/or embodiment described herein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects and/or embodiments unless specifically described as such. 
     Turning to  FIG. 1 , a utility locating and POI identification system embodiment  100  may include a utility locator device  110 , a locating system transmitter device  120 , a backpack device such as a GPS backpack device  130 , and a tracked distance measuring device  140 . The utility locator  110  receives one or more electromagnetic signals, such as signal  122  emitted from utility  150  (based on AC current flow in the utility  150 ), and processes the received magnetic field signal component of the electromagnetic signal to determine utility position and/or depth below the ground surface (e.g., as described in the incorporated applications). The locator  110  may also receive signal  182  emitted from an electronic marking device  180 , such as those described in the incorporated marking device applications (e.g., “UFID” devices or other RFID type devices) and process that signal as described in the incorporated marker device applications to likewise determine location information. 
     Signal  122  emitted from utility  150  may result from AC current provided to utility  150  from transmitter  120 , which may be coupled to utility  150  via direct conductive contact or inductively or capacitively. Signal  182  may be sent by electronic marking device  180  in response to an excitation signal (e.g., as or similar to an RFID device) that may be generated from the locator, with the reply signal then received by the utility locator device  110  to determine the location of the electronic marking device  180  as well as orientation, tilt, pose, and depth within the ground. 
     In some embodiments, the electronic marking device  180  may communicate information (e.g., information regarding the utility line  150  or other buried asset or the like, rather than just a CW signal) to the utility locator device  110  via a signal  182  (e.g., using amplitude shift keying, phase shift keying, frequency shift keying, or other encoding technique of signal  182 ). Marking device  180  may be of the type described in incorporated marking device applications such as U.S. Pat. No. 9,746,572, issued Aug. 29, 2017, entitled ELECTRONIC MARKER DEVICES AND SYSTEMS and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/434,056, filed Feb. 16, 2016, entitled BURIED UTILITY MARKER DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS. 
     In some embodiments, a distance measurement system may include a utility locator device with hardware and software configured to receive and process passive signals caused by, for example, current flow induced in the utility from broadcast signals such as AM broadcast radio transmissions, other radio frequency transmissions, other ambient signals, and/or active signals caused by currents intentionally induced onto the line through the use of a transmitter device or induction stick device (e.g., signal  122  emitted from transmitter  120 ) or lines that otherwise have inherent current flow therein, such as from nearby conductors carrying current. Examples of embodiments of locators with passive broadcast signal processing hardware and disclosed in, for example, incorporated U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/360,979, filed Nov. 23, 2016, entitled UTILITY LOCATING SYSTEMS, DEVICES, AND METHODS USING RADIO BROADCAST SIGNALS. 
     An absolute or reference location of the utility locator device  110  may be determined or refined using a satellite system receiver (e.g., a GPS, GLONASS, or other receiver) as a positioning element and/or or may be determined with a GPS backpack device  130 , which provides precision GPS positional data using a high precision GPS receiver, or other high precision device, and in conjunction provides a sonde signal detectable by a locator to determine the relative position/distance between the locator and sonde. Example GPS backpack devices are described in, for example, incorporated U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 13/851,951 and 14/332,268. Other devices or systems for receiving positioning signals and processing them as known or developed in the art to determine a reference position (e.g., in latitude/longitude or other reference coordinates) may also used, either alone or in combination. 
     In some system embodiments, GPS and/or other positioning receivers or other sensor devices may be incorporated in a utility locator device, a tracked distance measuring device, and/or other connected system devices, and such systems do not require a GPS backpack device such as the GPS backpack device  130  of  FIG. 1 ; however, use of such a device may improve positional accuracy. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 1 , user  160  may identify one or more points of interest (POIs) within the locate area. For example, POI  170  may be a metal manhole cover, and the metal of the manhole may affect magnetic fields in its proximity. A utility locating system, upon identifying and locating the presence of a POI with such a signal effect, may be configured to automatically compensate for this effect and allow for increased accuracy in identifying and mapping utility locations by adjusting for the magnetic field anomaly. In other uses, determination and storage of POI type, location, and/or other data may be desirable for mapping or other purposes besides signal distortion correction. 
     Tracked distance measuring device  140  may include a magnetic field dipole device (commonly referred to in the art as a “sonde,” which includes an AC current signal source and a dipole antenna, with an optional battery and/or other elements such as described in the incorporated sonde applications), and the sonde may be actuated or triggered to generate and send an AC magnetic field dipole signal, such as magnetic dipole signal  142  as shown in  FIG. 1 , in conjunction with measuring the distance to POI  170  (e.g., a laser distance determination of using other rangefinder distance determination methods). For example, a trigger, switch, lever, pushbutton, or other actuation mechanism may be included on or within a tracked distance measuring device (e.g., actuator mechanism  204  on tracked distance measuring device  200  illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B ) for actuating the synchronization of signal transmission and distance measuring actions. 
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  illustrate details of tracked distance measuring device embodiment  200 . The tracked distance measuring device  200  may be or share aspects with the tracked distance measuring device  140  or other tracked distance measuring devices described herein. As illustrated in  FIG. 2B , the tracked distance measuring device  200  may include a housing  202  and a trigger or actuator mechanism  204 , which may be positioned externally. In other embodiments, other types of user input mechanisms (e.g., pushbutton controls, switches, levers, touch screens or buttons, etc.) may be used to allow user actuation. The actuator  204  may be triggered in a single action or in a continuous tracing mode (as described subsequently with respect to  FIG. 12 ) if held in a depressed position. 
     As further illustrated in  FIG. 2B , the actuator  204  may pass into an internal cavity within the housing  202  such that the actuator  204  communicates with PCB  206 , such as via electrical connections, mechanical connections, or other mechanisms to trigger generation of a magnetic field dipole signal to be emitted via antenna  208 , as well as to trigger a distance measurement to a POI via rangefinder element  210 . 
     The rangefinder element  210  may, for example, be a laser distance measurement rangefinder or other optical rangefinder, an acoustic rangefinder, or other distance measuring devices as known or developed in the art. For example, in alternate embodiments, the rangefinder element may be or include other types of rangefinders (e.g., radar, sonar, LiDAR, ultrasonic, or the like). The PCB  206  may contain a processing element using a processor or processors and associated memory that is programmed to generate, receive, and process various signals (e.g., dipole signal for tracking, data signals from sensors and mechanisms and/or other system devices, and the like) as well as user input signals recorded via an audio input device such as microphone  212 . 
     The tracked distance measuring device embodiment  200  may further include an electrical power source such as a battery  214 . PCB  206  may further include various other sensors and modules such as gyroscopic sensors, other inertial navigation sensors, radio transceiver modules for communicating with various system devices (e.g., Bluetooth, WIFI, or other wireless communications transceivers), cellular data transceivers, and the like. In some embodiments, a tracked distance measuring device may include other sensors and modules including, but not limited to, GPS or other satellite and/or land based navigation system receivers and associated antennas, cameras and imaging sensors, audio microphones and recorders, as well as graphical user interfaces to provide visual data displays to a user, such as on LCD or other panel or screen types. 
     For example, tracked distance measuring device embodiment  220  of  FIG. 2C  may include a graphical user interface  222  on which information may be displayed to a user. The tracked distance measuring device  220  may include a housing  224  and an actuator/trigger mechanism  226 . The actuator mechanism  226  may allow a user to actuate operation of the tracked distance measuring device  220 . As further illustrated in  FIG. 2D , the actuator mechanism  226  may pass into an internal cavity within the housing  224  such that the actuator mechanism  226  communicates with PCB  228  to generate a dipole signal emitted via antenna  230 , as well as initiating a correlating distance measurement via rangefinder element  232  which, in an exemplary embodiment, is a laser distance measurement rangefinder that determines distance to a particular target (e.g., a POI), by sending a laser pulse or other signal and measures the time of travel (or otherwise sends, receives, and processes light to determine a precise distance between a reference point on the tracked distance measuring device and the target/POI). As noted before, rangefinders different than laser-based may also be used in alternate embodiments. 
     The tracked distance measuring device embodiment  220  may include or be operatively coupled to a positioning system antenna and corresponding receiver  234  having one or more antennas and associated circuitry for receiving GPS, GLONASS, or other global navigation system or other positioning system signals. Positioning data from the devices may be used with distance measuring device  220  and location of POIs in further processing and data association/mapping. For example, in addition to position, the orientation, tilt, and pose of the tracked distance measuring device  220  may be determined from the GPS. 
     Orientation, tilt, and pose of the tracked distance measuring device  220  may further be determined or refined via gyroscopic or other inertial sensors on PCB  228  or on other electronic circuitry (not shown). For example, PCB  228  may include a processing element using a processor or processors and associated memory that may be used to generate, receive, and process signals (e.g., dipole signal for tracking, data signals from sensors and mechanisms and/or other system devices, and the like) as well as user input signals recorded via microphone  236 . 
     The tracked distance measuring device  220  may further include a portable electrical power source such as battery  238 . Battery  238  may be a smart or “intelligent” battery as described in incorporated U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/532,721, filed Jun. 25, 2012, entitled MODULAR BATTERY PACK APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/925,636, filed Jun. 24, 2013, entitled MODULAR BATTERY PACK APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS INCLUDING VIRAL DATA AND/OR CODE TRANSFER. 
     Turning to  FIG. 2E , tracked distance measuring device embodiment  240  may include a graphical user interface  242 , such as a flat screen panel (which may be positioned externally on or within a housing), a housing  244 , which may be gun-shaped as shown, and an actuator/trigger mechanism  246  disposed on and/or within the housing. The actuator  246  allows a user to actuate tracked distance measuring device  240  such as described previously herein. As further illustrated in  FIG. 2F , the actuator  246  may extend into an internal cavity within the housing  244  as shown, and may otherwise communicate actuation to PCB  248  such that the actuator  246  provides communication to PCB  248  to initiate generation of a dipole signal emitted via antenna  250 , as well as to initiate a correlating distance measurement via rangefinder element  252 , which may be a laser rangefinder as described previously herein, or another type of rangefinder in alternate embodiments. 
     Tracked distance measuring device  240  may include one or more cameras or imaging sensors and associated optics and electronics, such as the telephoto camera  254  or wide angle camera  256 . In embodiment  240 , the cameras  254  and  256  may take still images or video of a targeted POI and/or the surrounding environment. Such images may be stored in a non-transitory memory, displayed on graphical user interface  242 , and/or communicated to a separate communicatively connected system device for display, storage, or further processing. 
     Images may also be stored in a memory or database, and correlated with received and processed dipole magnetic field signals and distance to POI data. Display of imagery from cameras  254  and/or  256  on graphical user interface  242  may be done to allow a user to effectively aim the tracked distance measuring device  240  at a POI (e.g., POI  270  of  FIG. 2G ). Imagery collected may, for example, using artificial intelligence signal processing, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) processing, and/or image recognition image processing, be used to identify the POI and create and map the POI (POI data/records may also include metadata identifying the POI type or other characteristics or associated information). 
     Tracked distance measuring device  240  may include a laser  257 , which may be a green laser or other color or other daylight visible laser, to emit a laser beam in a desired direction and allow or aid a user in aiming the tracked distance measuring device  240 . The PCB  248  may include a processing element with a processor or processors and associated non-transitory memory that may be used to generate, receive, and process signals (e.g., dipole signal for tracking, POI imagery, data signals from sensors and mechanisms and/or other system devices, and the like) as well as user input signals recorded via microphone  258 . 
     The tracked distance measuring device  240  may further include an electrical power source, such as battery  260 . Battery  260  may be an intelligent battery as described in incorporated U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/532,721, filed Jun. 25, 2012, entitled MODULAR BATTERY PACK APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/925,636, filed Jun. 24, 2013, entitled MODULAR BATTERY PACK APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS INCLUDING VIRAL DATA AND/OR CODE TRANSFER. 
       FIG. 2G  illustrates an example use of a tracked measurement system device. As shown in  FIG. 2G , tracked distance measuring device embodiment  240  may be held by a user  265  such that the user looks at the GUI  242  to aim device  240  towards a POI  270 , in a way similar to pointing a gun at a target (i.e., the POI). The vertical orientation of the graphical user interface  242  and forward facing cameras  254  and  256  (as shown in  FIG. 2F ) may be configured on the housing to allow a straight line of sight towards POI  270 . Likewise, laser  257  (as shown in  FIG. 2F ) may be directed towards POI  270  to assist in aiming the tracked distance measuring device  240 . When actuated, the tracked distance measuring device  240  may generate and send a dipole magnetic signal  275 . Magnetic field signal  275  may then be received and processed at utility locator  280 , such as using signal processing as described in the incorporated applications, to determine position (location and pose) and mapping of the POI  270 . 
     In addition to the magnetic field signal  275 , utility locator  280  may simultaneously receive signals from other signal sources. For example, utility locator  280  may receive signal  282  emitted by utility line  284  and signal  286  emitted from electronic marking device  288  (marking device  288  is typically excited by an external source to operate in an RFID-like functionality by scavenging electromagnetic energy to send a reply signal which may optionally include encoded data). 
     The location, orientation, tilt, pose, and depth within the ground of utility line  284  and electronic marking device  288  from the respective signals  282  and  286  may be stored in a non-transitory memory, may be associated so as to link them as part of a common measurement, may be displayed upon a graphical user interface  290  of the utility locator  280 , and/or may be communicated as data to other electronic computing devices, system devices, and/or remote mapping systems. As illustrated in  FIG. 2G , graphical user interface  290  may display a POI indication  292 , which may correspond to the mapped location of POI  270 , a line  294  corresponding to the mapped location of utility line  284 , and/or a marker indication  298  corresponding to the mapped location of electronic marking device  288 . Other displays using some or all of this information, and/or other data or information, may be presented to a user and/or stored, displayed, and/or processed remotely in a memory or database. 
     In some embodiments data processing, including position and mapping data, may be done in real time or near real time in the utility locator device, other signal receiving device, the tracked distance measuring device, and/or another connected electronic computing device or other devices. For example, distance measurements generated via a tracked distance measuring device such as described herein may be communicated as data to the utility locator device, other signal receiving device, or other computing device for processing of data and mapping POI location. 
     In some embodiments, such communication of data may be implemented by modulating the dipole tracking signal emitted by the tracked distance measuring device (e.g., amplitude shift keying, frequency shift keying, phase shift keying, or the like) in an electronic circuit. In other embodiments, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or other wireless data connections may be established between system devices or other computing devices (e.g., smart phones, tablets, notebook computers, and the like) to process data and determine and map POI locations. In other embodiments, data may be stored within the tracked distance measuring device, utility locator device, or other system device for post processing of data and mapping POIs. 
       FIG. 3A  illustrates details of a method/process embodiment  300  for determining the location and mapping of a POI. In step  302 , a user may identify a POI within the locate area or other area being mapped or sensed, such as by visual sighting, reference to an image or printed map, or via other identification methods. In step  304 , a tracked distance measuring device may be directed at the POI and actuated such as described previously herein. Upon actuation, the tracked distance measuring device may generate a distance measurement to the POI, for example with a laser rangefinder, while simultaneously generating a magnetic field dipole signal which may be CW or may be modulated with data. 
     In step  306 , the dipole signal may be received at an associated utility locator or other signal sensing/tracking device. In step  308 , the position of the signal source emitted from the tracked distance measuring device may be determined. This position data may include a location and pose in three-dimensional space relative to the utility locator or other signal tracking device. Step  308  may utilize a method such as method  400  of  FIG. 4  (described subsequently herein), or other similar signal position determination methods. 
     In step  310 , the distance measurement data to the POI and position data of the tracked distance measurement device may be used to determine POI location relative to the utility locator or other signal tracking device based on geometrically processing the data. This step  310  may utilize a method such as method  550  of  FIG. 5C  (described subsequently herein). In step  312 , the location of the utility locator device or other signal sensing/tracking devices relative to the Earth&#39;s surface may be determined from position determining systems (e.g., GPS or other global navigation receivers, inertial navigation sensors, terrestrial receivers, or other position determining devices that determine position relative to the Earth&#39;s surface). In step  314 , the location of the POI relative to the Earth&#39;s surface may be determined by processing the data. In step  316 , the POI may be included in a map or map system, such as by incorporated it into map data or associated the position with other map data or information, either locally or remotely. 
     In some embodiments, user input may be provided to identify or add notes associated with or correlating to the POIs. For instance, using a microphone and associated audio recording electronics, a spoken description of a POI may be provided by the user at the tracked distance measuring device, utility locator device, or other system device, and stored in memory on a file or other data structure. This annotation data may be associated with other collected data as described herein, such as linking records in a database or using other data association methods. 
     Computer Speech Recognition (CSR) or Speech to Text (STT) processing and associated hardware may be included as separate elements or implemented in shared functionality processing elements. CSR and/or STT may be used transcribe spoken notes and provide metadata during locate or other field operations to provide a virtual POI within a map system. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a user  160  may create an audio note  165 , which may data stored in non-transitory memory in a file format such as standard audio files like MP3 or other audio file format. The audio note  165 , corresponding to the illustrate manhole POI, may be the English language (or other language) word “manhole cover” or other description of POI  170  (other POIs would typically have a file with a description or other identifier corresponding to the POI type or other POI characteristics). 
     The tracked distance measuring device  140 , utility locator device  110 , and/or other system devices may include audio recording hardware and software to receive and record the audio note  165 , and may also associated the audio note  165  with POI  170  using, for example, a data linkage structure or other data association mechanism as used in databases or other linked data systems. The utility locating system  100  may further implement in hardware and/or software Computer Speech Recognition (CSR), Speech to Text (STT), or other signal processing methods to transcribe and generate metadata such that system  100  may recognize that POI  170  is a manhole cover (or other POI type). Pushbuttons or other input methods and associated hardware and software apparatus may be include on a tracked distance measuring device, utility locator device, or other system device allowing a user to directly input POI metadata and/or other data associated with the POI and/or associated operations (e.g., a utility locate operation, field survey operation, etc.). 
     Methods for determining the location of and mapping a POI may include such user input POI metadata in subsequent data processing. For example, a method such method embodiment  350  illustrated in  FIG. 3B  may be used. Method  350  may start at step  352 , wherein a user identifies a POI within the locate or other map are, such as through visual sighting, field surveying or map data collection based on hard copy maps or images, use of predefined coordinates, and the like). 
     In step  354 , a tracked distance measuring device may be directed at the POI and actuated, such as by pointing the device as described previously herein. Upon actuation, the tracked distance measuring device may determine a distance measurement to the POI, which may be in one or more orthogonal coordinate systems (e.g., as a scalar distance or vector distance data) while simultaneously, or in conjunction with the aiming and trigger actuation, generate a magnetic field dipole signal for detection by an associated utility locator. In step  356  user input and/or POI images may be received/captured. The user input may include, for example, pushbutton input, spoken audio notes, images generated by cameras or other imaging sensors within some tracked distance measuring devices or through separate cameras and/or other user generated input received and recorded by the tracked distance measuring device  140 , utility locator device  110 , and/or by or from other system devices. 
     In optional step  358 , CSR, STT, artificial intelligence (AI) and/or other speech recognition signal processing algorithms may be applied to transcribe/determine meaning associated with the user input (e.g., to speech-recognize that the user stated “manhole cover” in the example of  FIG. 1  and covert this to text or another digital format). 
     In step  360 , the user input and/or images of POI may be correlated/associated with the POI such as through data linkage or other association data association methods known or developed in the art. In step  362 , the magnetic dipole signal may be received at a utility locator or other magnetic field signal detection/tracking device. In step  364 , the position of the signal source emitted from the tracked distance measuring device may be determined, for example, using locator detection and signal processing techniques as described in the incorporate applications and/or as known or developed in the art, which may include determining data defining a location and pose in three dimensional space relative to the utility locator or other signal tracking device, thereby providing a vector representing the relative position between the tracked distance measurement device and the locator. 
     At step  364 , a method such as method embodiment  400  of  FIG. 4  or other similar or equivalent signal position determining methods. In step  366 , the distance measurement data to the POI and position data of the tracked distance measurement device determined in prior steps may be used to determine POI location relative to the utility locator or other signal tracking device, which may be in one or more dimensional space (e.g., as a scalar or vector value, typically a vector in three dimensions, but alternately a scalar magnitude and directional angle, or as distance data in another coordinate system). Step  366  may implement a method such as method embodiment  550  described in  FIG. 5C . 
     Returning to  FIG. 3B , in step  368 , the location of the utility locator device (or other signal detection/tracking device) relative to the Earth&#39;s surface may be determined from positioning elements. For example, inertial navigation sensors, GPS or other global navigation systems receivers, or other position determination devices and methods (e.g., terrestrial navigation systems, etc.) may be used to determine the locator&#39;s (or other signal detection/tracking device, or mapping device) position in absolute coordinates, such as latitude longitude or other reference coordinates. In step  370 , the location of the POI relative to the Earth&#39;s surface may be determined in absolute coordinates (e.g., latitude/longitude or other reference coordinates) by combining the relative position or distance data between the locator (or other signal detection/tracking device, or mapping device) with the absolute position data determined from the positioning element/elements (e.g., GPS or other satellite receiver, inertial sensor and initial reference, etc.). In step  372 , the POI may be included in a map or map system as a data point or record, and may be associated with other data as described herein, either locally or in a remote database system. 
     Referring back to  FIG. 1 , in the example operation illustrated therein, the dipole magnetic field signal  142  emitted by tracked distance measuring device  140  may be received at a utility locator device, such as at magnetic field antennas or antenna arrays (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) of utility locator device  110 , and may then be processed in electronic circuitry in the utility locator device, such as is known or developed in the art and/or as described in examples in the incorporated applications, to determine relative positional data. The relative positional data which may include location and pose of the tracked distance measuring device  140  in three dimensional space. For example, method  400  of  FIG. 4  may be implemented using a dipole magnetic field signal  142  received at utility locator device  110  to determine location, orientation, and pose of tracked distance measuring device  140  relative to the locator (or other signal sensing/tracking device). The utility locator and/or other computing device may further include hardware and software to determine and map POI location based on distance data and position data. 
     If the tracked distance measuring device  140  is moved during use and electromagnetic dipole signals  142  are sent during movement, the utility locator device  110  may be programmed to track and store the tracked distance measuring device  140 &#39;s position, movements, and/or orientations over time, such as by taking a series of data points as the tracked distance measurement device is moved about a locate site. The resulting data may be stored in a non-transitory memory in or operatively coupled to the locator. This information may further be associated with additional information such as data determined from the buried utility locator device  110  using utility locator signal processing circuitry, position data, such as may be provided as an input to the locator using inertial sensors or satellite navigation systems or sensors (e.g., GPS receivers, GLONASS receivers, etc.). 
     In various system embodiments, the utility locator device  110  may be any of a variety of utility locator devices known or developed in the art, including, for example, the various utility locator device embodiments disclosed in the incorporated applications, for receiving magnetic field components of electromagnetic signals emitted from flowing AC current in a utility or electromagnetic sonde and determining information about the associated utility. For example, the locator may receive and process a magnetic field signal from a tracked distance measuring device sonde, while simultaneously receiving one processing or more signals from other sources (e.g., a buried utility line or other conductor, a pipe sonde, a buried marker device, or other signal generating sources). 
     From these multiple magnetic field sources, the utility locator device may then determine, in multi-dimensional space (typically in three-dimensional space), the position and pose of each source. Examples of simultaneously receiving and processing multiple magnetic field signals from different sources are described in various of the incorporated applications. In an exemplary embodiment, the utility locator may include a dodecahedral antenna array or other similar antenna array to receive and process multiple simultaneous signals and determine magnetic field tensor gradients associated with the source. Examples of signal processing circuitry and implementation details for determining positional information from received magnetic field signals in a utility locator device, including with a dodecahedral antenna array or other similar antenna array configurations that provide multiple simultaneous signals usable to determine magnetic field tensor gradients associated with the source, are described in the various co-assigned incorporated patent and patent applications, including, for example, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/339,766 as well as other of the incorporated applications. 
     In implementations with a dodecahedral antenna array or other similar or equivalent antenna array configurations (such as, for example, octahedral antenna arrays, multiple nested antenna arrays, and the like oriented to receive magnetic field signal information sufficient to calculate tensor data), the utility locator device may include hardware and software for determining magnetic field tensor values associated with the magnetic fields provided from the tracked distance measuring device and optionally one or more buried utilities or other conductors, and store this information in a non-transitory memory for subsequent processing or transmission to a post-processing computing device or system. 
     In some system embodiments, the utility locator device may determine position data that includes a location and pose of a received signal using a method such as method embodiment  400  as illustrated in  FIG. 4 . For example, at step  402  of method  400 , magnetic field measurements of a received signal, which may be or may include voltage measurements, gradient tensor measurements, gradient vectors, b-field vectors and the like, may be determined from received signals at each antenna coil of the locator antenna array(s). In an exemplary embodiment, the antenna array(s) include a dodecahedral antenna array which includes twelve antenna coils mounted in a dodecahedral shape on a corresponding dodecahedral frame. This set of measurements by the antenna array is notated herein as M s . In step  404 , an approximate signal origin location estimate in three dimensional space, notated herein as S p  may be determined using measurement set M s  from step  402 . 
     In some method embodiments, M s  values may be fit into or be used to determine values for a lookup table providing the approximate signal origin location, S p . The lookup table may, for example, be derived from inverse trigonometric relationships between measured b-field vectors with gradient vectors. In some embodiments, the angle between the magnetic field and the gradient of the magnitude may be calculated from measurement set M s  values. The resultant angle may be used with a lookup table to determine a magnetic latitude descriptive of the signal&#39;s source position relative to the utility locator. In other embodiments, rather than a lookup table, an approximate origin location estimate S p  may be calculated in step  404 . For example, S p  may be calculated from the inverse trigonometric relationship between measured b-field vectors with gradient vectors. 
     In step  406 , a predicted signal source orientation and power, notated herein as B m , may be determined based on approximate origin location S p , at step  404 , and b-field values may be determined from signals at one or more antenna arrays. For instance, b-field values may be b-field measurements from a tri-axial antenna array or b-field estimates from a dodecahedral antenna array given an origin location S p . In step  408 , a set of expected field measurements defined as C s  may be determined from the magnetic field model of a dipole signal at approximate signal source location S p  having a predicted orientation and power B m  given a known antenna array configuration, such as a dodecahedral antenna array. In step  410 , an error metric Err may be determined, where Err=|M s −C s |. In step  412 , the approximate signal origin estimate S p  may be iteratively varied, providing a corresponding update to C s , until a minimum Err is achieved. In step  414 , the C s  set resulting in the minimized E rr  value may be determined, representative of the signal model for the received signal having a position (a location in space and orientation) and power. 
     In alternate method embodiments for determining the position of received signals, data from accelerometers, magnetometers, gyroscopic sensors, other inertial sensors and/or other similar sensor types, as well as additional global navigation sensors within the tracked distance measurement device, may be used to determine or refine position, which ma include location and pose/orientation data. Such method embodiments may be used in, for example, utility locator devices or other signal detection/tracking devices with antennas or antenna arrays and processing circuitry that is unable to calculate gradient tensors, or where gradient tensor calculations are not used for signal processing. Such methods may be used to determine the origin location of the received signal or signals using, for example, steps  402  and  404  of method  400  described in  FIG. 4 . Pose/orientation information, determined through accelerometers, magnetometers, gyroscopic, and/or like sensors within the tracked distance measuring device, may be communicated to the utility locator device, for instance, through Bluetooth or other wireless communications or wired communications. Such methods, including method embodiment  400  of  FIG. 4 , may be implemented in real-time or in post processing at the utility locator device or other system device. 
     In various embodiments where the tracked distance measuring device has a position determined by or is tracked using a dipole signal, the axis of distance measurement may be aligned with or otherwise positioned in a known, predefined orientation to the axis of the dipole signal so that a reference axis of the magnetic field dipole sonde is axially oriented with an aiming direction of the rangefinder, or both are otherwise commonly aligned so that the distance measurement from the rangefinder is in a common direction relative to the sonde dipole magnetic field. 
     For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 5A , the direction of the distance d POI  measurement made by tracked distance measuring device  520  may be set in alignment with the axis of the emitted dipole signal  522  as show. Further illustrated in  FIG. 5A , values for the radial distance r md  with an angle a md  from the horizontal plane from the center of the antenna node at the utility locator device  510  towards the origin of signal  522  from the tracked distance measuring device  520  may be determined from a method such as method embodiment  400  illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The radial distance from utility locator device  510  to the source of signal  522  projected into the horizontal plane may be notated as hr md . 
     Pose of signal  522  may be determined from a method such as method embodiment  400  illustrated in  FIG. 4  such that a tilt angle a POI  value in a known pose direction is determined. A radial distance from the source of signal  522  emitted by tracked distance measuring device  520  to POI  530  projected into the horizontal plane may be notated herein as hr POI . As illustrated in  FIG. 5B , a value for angle a xy  in the horizontal plane may be determined from pose calculations of signal  522  emitted by the tracked distance measuring device  520  as described with respect to method  400  of  FIG. 4 . A calculation may be made to determine a radial distance in the horizontal plane from the utility locator device  510  to POI  530  (which is notated herein as POI xy ). 
     Method embodiment  550  of  FIG. 5C  uses notation and terms defined with respect to  FIGS. 5A and 5B  (and the correlating Specification language) to calculate a value for the POI  530  radial distance along the ground surface, POI xy , and its direction relative to the utility locator device  510 . In step  552 , the dipole signal position (location and pose) relative to the utility locator device  510  may be found using a signal position method (e.g., method  400  of  FIG. 4 ). In step  554 , a value for hr md , the radial distance from the utility locator device to the signal source emitted by the tracked distance measuring device in the horizontal plane, may be determined, where hr md =r md *cos a POI . In step  556 , a value for hr POI , the radial distance from the signal source emitted by the tracked distance measuring device in the horizontal plane, may be found, where hr POI =d POI *sin a POI . In step  558 , a value for POI xy , the radial distance of the POI location in the horizontal plane along the ground surface, may be found, where POI xy =√{square root over (hr md   2 +hr POI   2 −2*hr md *hr POI *cos a xy )}. In step  560 , a direction towards the POI in the horizontal plane along the ground surface may be determined using known angle direction between the utility locator device to the signal source and known pose of the tracked distance measuring device. 
     In some system embodiments, the tracked distance measuring device may be detected or tracked by devices other than a utility locator device. In typical forms of these embodiments, the other detection/tracking devices include magnetic field signal antennas ans signal processing elements providing similar functionality to those of a portable utility locator. 
     For example, some alternate system embodiments may be used for POI locating and mapping without simultaneous locating of buried utilities. An exemplary POI locating and mapping system showing an example is illustrated in embodiment  600  of  FIG. 6 . System embodiment  600  may include a tracked distance measuring device  610  configured to emit a dipole signal  612  that may be received and tracked at a signal tracking device  620  while simultaneously measuring a distance to a POI  630  using a rangefinder, such as a laser rangefinder. The tracked distance measuring device  610  may be or share aspects with the tracked distance measuring device  200  illustrated in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , or with other tracked distance measurement devices described herein. The signal tracking device  620  may be a base station that remains stationary as the user  640  walks around a work area and locates and measure POIs such as POI  630 . 
     As the user  640  actuates the tracked distance measuring device  610 , thereby triggering and initiating a distance measurement to POI  630  and the simultaneous transmission of signal  612 , the signal tracking device  620  may receive and track the signal  612  to determine a position including location and pose in three dimensional space of signal  612  and associated tracked distance measuring device  610  (e.g., utilizing method  400  of  FIG. 4 ). The signal tracking device  620  may include one or more antenna arrays for receiving signal  612  which may be or include dodecahedral or similar antenna array and associated electronics and signal processing components configured to implement tensor gradient measurements of received signals such as described previously herein as well as in certain of the incorporated applications. 
     The signal tracking device  620  may further include GPS or other satellite navigation system sensors and/or other position sensors to determine an absolute location/position relative to the Earth&#39;s surface. Measurement data and/or other data from the tracked distance measuring device  610  may be communicated to the signal tracking device  620  via modulation of signal  612  (e.g., amplitude signal keying, frequency signal keying, or the like), via a separate radio transceiver device within the tracked distance measuring device  610  (e.g., Bluetooth, WIFI, or the like), and/or communicated via wired or other wireless connection in post processing to a utility locator device or other computing or base station device. The location of POI  630  may further be determined via method  550  described within  FIG. 5C . The tracked distance measuring device  610  may further be configured with a microphone for receiving and recording audio notes and/or other input mechanisms (e.g., pushbuttons, levers, touchscreens, and the like) which may further be correlated with POI data. 
     Further tracked distance measuring device embodiments may be standalone devices wherein tracking of positions may be implemented within the tracked distance measuring device and not a separate utility locator or other signal tracking device. As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , a tracked distance measuring device embodiment  710  held by a user  720  may direct and actuate the tracked distance measuring device  710  at a POI  730 , thereby initiating a measurement of distance to POI  730  correlating with the recording of the position including location in three dimensional space and pose at that location of tracked distance measuring device  710 . The tracked distance measuring device  710  may include one or more position elements which may further be or include GPS or other global navigation sensors, inertial navigation sensors, altimeters or other elevation/height determining sensors, as well as gyroscopic sensors, accelerometers, or other like sensors. 
     Distance to POI  730  may be determined via one or more rangefinder elements. Within tracked distance measuring device  710  the rangefinder element may be a laser rangefinder. Rangefinder elements of other standalone embodiments may be or include radar, sonar, LiDAR, ultrasonic, and/or other rangefinder mechanism or sensor. The location of POI  730  may be determined via distance data as well as correlated position data which may use method  900  described within  FIG. 9 . Processing of data within tracked distance measuring device  710  may be done through an included processing element. The processing element may be or include processor or processors and associated memory configured to perform the method and signal processing functions described herein. In some embodiments, processing may occur in real time or near real time in tracked distance measuring device  710  or other connected device. For instance, Bluetooth or WIFI connection may be established with a smart phone, tablet, or other computing device and data may be communicated to this device for processing. In yet other embodiments, tracked distance measuring device  710  may store raw measurements and signal data and be communicated via wired or wireless connection to a separate computing device for post processing of data and mapping POIs. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , a tracked distance measuring device embodiment  810  measures a distance notated as d POI  towards POI  820 . The tracked distance measuring device  810  may be of the variety or share aspects with the standalone tracked distance measuring device  710  described in connection with  FIG. 7  herein, or with other devices described herein. For example, tracked distance measuring device  810  may include an internal position element configured to determine, track, and record position that includes location in three dimensions and pose at that location of the tracked distance measuring device  810 . For instance, tracked distance measuring device  810  may include GPS or other global navigation system receivers to determine location and gyroscopic or other inertial sensors to determine pose of tracked distance measuring device  810  at that location. An angle measurement a POI  towards POI  820  may be determined from measurements of pose through gyroscopic or like sensor. Through known values, a radial measurement, r POI , may be calculated for instance, using method embodiment  900  as illustrated in  FIG. 9 . 
     Method embodiment  900  of  FIG. 9  may include step  902 , wherein r POI  is calculated wherein r POI =d POI *sin a POI . In step  904 , pose measurements of the standalone tracked distance measuring device may be used to determine direction toward POI in the horizontal plane. In step  906 , POI location may be determined and mapped from radial distance measurement r POI  and direction towards POI from prior steps. 
     Details of a stand-alone tracked distance measuring device are illustrated with the tracked distance measuring device embodiment  1000  shown in  FIGS. 10A and 10B . The tracked distance measuring device  1000  may be or share aspects with the tracked distance measuring device embodiment  810  of  FIG. 8  or those described within method embodiment  900  of  FIG. 9 . 
     Turning to  FIG. 10A , the tracked distance measuring device embodiment  1000  may include a housing  1002  in which a graphical user interface  1004  is positioned. An actuator  1006  may allow a user to actuate tracked distance measuring device  1000 . In other embodiments, other types of user input mechanisms (e.g., pushbutton controls, switches, levers, touch screens) may be used. The tracked distance measuring device  1000  may further include a GPS receiver  1008  which may be a real time kinematic (RTK) receiver for providing RTK signal processing for improved accuracy. A battery  1010 , which may be a smart battery as described in the incorporated applications, may be used to provide electrical power to the tracked distance measuring device  1000 . 
     As further illustrated in  FIG. 10B , the actuator  1006  may communicate with a PCB  1012  and initiate a distance measurement via rangefinder element  1014  that may correlate to a position (location and pose) of the tracked distance measuring device  1000 . The rangefinder element  1014  may be a laser distance measurement rangefinder. In other embodiments, the rangefinder element may be or include other types of rangefinders (e.g., radar, sonar, LiDAR, ultrasonic, or the like). 
     The PCB  1012  may include a processing element using a processor or processors and associated memory that may be used to generate, receive, and process signals (e.g., data signals from sensors and mechanisms and/or other system devices, and the like) as well as user input signals recorded via microphone  1016 . The PCB  1012  may further include various other sensors and modules such as gyroscopic sensors or other inertial navigation sensors, radio transceiver modules for communicating with various system devices (e.g., Bluetooth, WIFI, or other wireless communications transceivers), and so on. 
     The tracked distance measuring device  1000  may further include one or more cameras, such as the telephoto camera  1018  and wide angle camera  1020 . In embodiment  1000 , the cameras  1018  and  1020  may take still or video images of a targeted POI and/or the surrounding environment. Such images may further be displayed on graphical user interface  1004  and/or communicated to a connected system device for display. Images may further be stored and correlated/associated with the dipole signals and distance to POI data. Displaying of imagery provided by cameras  1018  and/or  1020  on graphical user interface  1004  may provide a visual reference to allow a user to effectively aim the tracked distance measuring device  1000  at a POI. Imagery collected may be used to identify the POI and create and map the POI which may also include metadata identifying the POI type or other characteristics through artificial intelligence, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), or image recognition methods. 
     The tracked distance measuring device  1000  may further include a laser  1022 , which may be a green laser or other color or other daylight visible laser, which may emit a laser beam and allow or aid to visually determine and aim the tracked distance measuring device  1000  by providing a precise visual reference of where the tracked distance measurement device is being aimed. 
     In some embodiments, a tracked distance measuring device may include the signal transmitter and associated electronics with the distance measuring aspects implemented in a separate distance meter (e.g., commercially available Leica DISTO™ line of laser distance meters or similar or equivalent devices). For example, as illustrated in  FIGS. 11A and 11B , a tracked distance measuring device embodiment  1100  may include a housing  1102  in which a graphical user interface  1104  may be positioned. An actuator/trigger mechanism  1106  may allow a user to actuate tracked distance measuring device  1100 . In other embodiments, other types of user input mechanisms (e.g., pushbutton controls, switches, levers, touchscreens. Etc/) may be used. The tracked distance measuring device  1100  may be configured to work with a distance meter device  1108 , which may be a commercially available distance meter. 
     For example, as demonstrated in  FIG. 11B , the distance meter device  1108  may be removably attachable to the tracked distance measuring device  1100 . The tracked distance measuring device  1100  may further include a battery  1110 , which may be a smart battery as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/532,721, filed Jun. 25, 2012, entitled MODULAR BATTERY PACK APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/925,636, filed Jun. 24, 2013, entitled MODULAR BATTERY PACK APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS INCLUDING VIRAL DATA AND/OR CODE TRANSFER of the incorporated applications, configured to provide electrical power to the tracked distance measuring device  1100 . 
     The tracked distance measuring device  1100  illustrated in  FIGS. 11A and 11B  may further include a stowable satellite navigation antenna array  1112 . The stowable satellite navigation antenna array  1112  may include multiple individual antennas, as well as associated circuitry, for receiving GPS and/or other satellite navigation signals in order to determine location and/or tilt, orientation, and pose of the tracked distance measuring device  1100 . The individual antennas may be positioned along an arm that may be further configured to fold in and be stored when not in use or folded out and extend outward when in use. For instance, the arms may be configured to fold along direction of arrows  1113 . 
     As further illustrated in  FIG. 11C , the actuator  1106  may communicate with a PCB  1114  and initiate a dipole magnetic field signal from antenna  1116  and a distance measurement via distance meter device  1108 , that may correlate to a position (location and pose) of the tracked distance measuring device  1100 . The PCB  1114  may include a processing element using a processor or processors and associated memory that may be used to generate, receive, and process signals (e.g., data signals from sensors and mechanisms, distance meter device  1108 , and/or other system devices, and the like) as well as user input signals recorded via microphone  1118 . 
     The PCB  1114  may include other sensors and modules, such as gyroscopic sensors or other inertial navigation sensors, radio transceiver modules for communicating with various system devices (e.g., Bluetooth, WIFI, or other wireless communications transceivers), and so on. The tracked distance measuring device  1100  may further include one or more cameras such as the telephoto camera  1120  and wide angle camera  1122 . In embodiment  1100 , the cameras  1120  and  1122  may take still or video images of a targeted POI and/or the surrounding environment. Such images may further be displayed on graphical user interface  1104  and/or communicated to a connected system device for display. Images may further be stored and correlated with the dipole signals and distance to POI data. Displaying of imagery provided by cameras  1120  and/or  1122  on graphical user interface  1104  may allow a user to effectively aim the tracked distance measuring device  1100  at a POI. Imagery collected may be used to identify the POI and create and map the POI which may also include metadata identifying the POI type or other characteristics through artificial intelligence, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), or image recognition methods. 
     The tracked distance measuring device  1100  may further include a laser  1124 , which may be a green laser or other color or other daylight visible laser, which may emit a laser beam and allow or aid to visually determine the aim of the tracked distance measuring device  1100 . 
     The various tracked distance measuring devices as described herein may be used in a tracking mode to draw out or outline POIs. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 12 , a user  1210  may be equipped with a tracked distance measuring device  1220 , which may be any of the types described herein or similar or equivalent types, to outline POI  1230 . The locations associated with POI  1230  may further be communicated to a utility locator  1240 , one or more computer mapping devices  1250 , and/or other computer systems and system devices. The mapped POI location  1232  may further be displayed on the graphical user interface  1242  of the utility locator  1240 , display  1252  of computer mapping device  1250 , and/or displayed on other system devices. 
     Tracked distance measuring device embodiments may also be used to determine dimensions and or geometry of POIs or other objects within the work area. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 13 , tracked distance measuring device embodiment  1300 , which may be of any embodiment of the types described herein or equivalent or similar devices, may be held by a user  1310  who may further hold a utility locator device  1320  and a GPS backpack device  1330 . The tracked distance measuring device  1300  may be directed at a POI  1340  and may generate one or more tracked measurements of POI  1340 . Within  FIG. 13 , user  1310  is shown generating three different tracked measurements of POI  1340  though a different number of measurements may be used to determine a POI&#39;s height or other dimensions or the POI&#39;s geometry. 
     In some embodiments, tracked distance measuring capabilities may be built into an optical ground tracking device disposed upon a utility locator such as those described in the incorporated applications. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 14A , a utility locator device embodiment  1400  may include an optical ground tracking device  1410  disposed upon the utility locator  1400 &#39;s mast to optically track movements and locations of utility locator device  1400  as it is moved across a locate area. 
     As further shown in  FIG. 14B , optical ground tracking device embodiment  1410  may further include a laser  1412 , which may be a green laser or other color or other daylight visible laser, that may emit a laser beam onto the ground surface. The optical ground tracking device  1410  may further include a series of cameras  1414  and  1416  configured to track the ground and determine movement of the utility locator device  1400  ( FIG. 14A ). Each camera may have a respective optical axis  1415  and  1417  which may be parallel and oriented in the same direction as the beam emitted by laser  1412 . The laser  1412  may be located midway along the baseline between cameras  1414  and  1416  wherein the baseline may have a known measured distance notated as D. Each camera  1414  and  1416  may have an angle of total possible field of view notated as ϕ bisected by the optical axis  1415  or  1417  that may include measured areas truncated from view of the internal imager sensor within the respective camera  1414  or  1416 . Likewise, the total distance from the optical axis to the edge of frame measured in pixels is notated herein as f. 
     Another angle, notated herein as θ, may represent the angle between the optical axis  1415  or  1417  towards laser spot  1420 . The distance within the frame measured along the optical axis  1415  or  1417  and laser spot  1420  measured in pixels may be notated herein as p. Within the optical ground tracking device  1410  illustrated in  FIG. 14B , the angle ϕ may be known and the pixel measurements of f and p may be determined from the frame collected by the camera containing the laser spot such as laser spot  1420  within the frame collected by camera  1414 . A further calculation may be made to determine angle θ wherein 
             θ   =         (     ϕ   *   p     )       2   *   f       .           
The optical ground tracking device  1410  may be of the variety described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/752,834, filed Jun. 27, 2015, entitled GROUND TRACKING APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/187,785, filed Jun. 21, 2016, entitled BURIED UTILITY LOCATOR GROUND TRACKING APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS of the incorporated patent and patent applications with the addition of a laser such as laser  1412 .
 
     Returning to  FIG. 14A , the laser  1412  ( FIG. 14B ) may emit a laser beam and create a laser spot  1420  along the ground surface visually identifiable by a user  1430  and allowing or aiding the user  1430  to aim the cameras  1414  and  1416  ( FIG. 14B ). As illustrated in  FIG. 14A , the field of view  1440  of the cameras  1414  and  1416  ( FIG. 14B ) of optical ground tracking device  1410  may be aimed towards a POI  1450 . The laser  1412  ( FIG. 14B ) may be oriented within optical ground tracking device  1410  such that the laser spot  1420  may be located within the field of view  1440 . 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 14A , the laser spot  1420  may be located within the center of the field of view  1440 . As the field of view  1440  is directed towards POI  1450 , the optical ground tracking device  1410  may collect imagery from field of view  1440  as well as determine and map the location of the POI  1450  (e.g., method  1500  of  FIG. 15 ). The imagery collected, which may include that of the laser spot  1420  and the POI  1450  within the field of view  1440  may further be displayed upon a graphical user interface  1402  on the utility locator device  1400  (e.g., POI indication  1404  or laser spot indication  1406 ) and/or communicated to other mapping systems or other computing devices (not illustrated). 
     An optical ground tracking embodiment including a laser, such as optical ground tracking device  1410  of  FIGS. 14A and 14B , may use a method such as method embodiment  1460  as illustrated in  FIG. 14C  to determine a POI&#39;s location within the field of view of one or more cameras of the optical ground tracking device. In step  1462 , the laser may be turned on to create laser spot, such as laser spot  1420 , along the ground surface within the field of view of one or more of the cameras on the optical ground tracking device and recorded within a first frame or set of overlapping adjacent frames. Within this method, the laser spot may correlate to the POI location on the ground. The recorded image(s) of the frame(s) from step  1462  may be stored within a memory. In step  1464 , the laser may be turned off within another frame or set of overlapping frames captured by the camera or cameras and further stored within memory. 
     Due to frame rate of images collected within the subsequent frames and/or the user directing the laser of the optical ground tracking device towards a POI and holding the device aimed in the same direction between frames, the subsequent frames or frame sets may be of the same approximate location. In a step  1466 , differencing of subsequent frames or search lines known to contain the laser spot may be carried out in order to find a peak of light corresponding to the location of the laser spot within the frame. In some embodiments, the orientation of the laser relative to the camera or cameras (e.g., the orientation of cameras  1414  or  1416  relative to laser  1412  of optical ground tracking device  1410  illustrated in  FIG. 14B ) may determine that the laser spot may occur within a single search line such as search line  1418  of  FIG. 14B . In some such method embodiments, motion compensation signal processing may be used to compensate for movement between subsequent frames. For instance, a sum of absolute difference, other block-matching method, or other motion compensation methods may be used. 
     Within the optical ground tracking device  1410  illustrated in  FIG. 14B , the laser  1412  may be oriented midway between cameras  1414  and  1416  and oriented such that the laser emitted may be parallel to the optical axes  1415  and  1417 . Given such a geometry, the distance to laser spot  1420 , which may correspond to a POI location in use, is notated as d POI  and may be determined by method  1470  described in  FIG. 14D . Various terms illustrated in  FIG. 14B  may be used within the method  1470  of FIG. D. Method embodiment  1470  of FIG. D may include step  1472  in which the location of the laser spot may be determined in at least one camera. This step may be implemented via method  1460  of step  14 C. In step  1474 , a value for angle θ may be determined wherein 
             θ   =         (     ϕ   *   p     )       2   *   f       .           
As the optical axis and laser beam direction are parallel (e.g. optical axis  1415  and beam from laser  1412  of optical ground tracking device  1410  illustrated in  FIG. 14B ), the angle θ and the angle originating from laser spot between the camera and laser may be equivalent. In step  1476 , the measurement or range between the laser and laser spot (e.g., laser  1412  and laser spot  1420  of  FIG. 14B ) notated as d POI  may be calculated wherein d POI =D/(2*tan θ). With a d POI  value determined through method  1470 , the location of a POI corresponding to the laser may further be determined (e.g., through the use of method  900  of  FIG. 9 ). The illustration of optical ground tracking device embodiment  1410  of  FIG. 14B  and method embodiment  1470  of  FIG. 14D  only illustrate using a single camera (e.g., camera  1414  of  FIG. 14B ) to determine a d POI  value. The method  1470  of  FIG. 14D  may, in some embodiments, be implemented with the other camera (e.g., camera  1416  of  FIG. 14B ) or via both cameras or with additional cameras or imaging sensors (not shown).
 
     In tracking distance measuring device embodiments equipped with an optical ground tracking having two or more cameras, such as for stereoscopic imaging, three dimensional modeling of a POI may be done. For example, the optical ground tracking device embodiment  1410  illustrated in  FIG. 14B  may have spatially spaced apart cameras  1414  and  1416  that may each generate an image of the same POI (e.g., a POI marked by laser spot  1420 ) from different known angles. Methods known or developed in the art for three dimensional reconstructions from multiple images may be applied to the overlapping images of the POI generated by cameras  1414  and  1416  to generate a three dimensional model of the POI. The three dimensional POI model may further be added to a map or mapping system covering the locate area. 
       FIG. 15  illustrates details of a method embodiment  1500  that may be used for POI identification and mapping using an optical ground tracking device configured for distance measuring, such as the optical ground tracking device embodiment of  FIGS. 14A and 14B , or other optical ground tracking device embodiments as described in the incorporated applications or as known or developed in the art. Process  1500  may begin at step  1510 , wherein the laser and optical ground tracking device may be aimed/pointed or otherwise positioned towards a POI. In step  1520 , as images of the POI come into a viewing frame of the optical ground tracker they may be displayed on the graphical user interface of the utility locator and/or other communicatively coupled system device. For example, the utility locator may be held momentarily in a position with the optical ground tracking device directed towards the POI. In some embodiments, the laser may be pulsed on and off so that it appears only in certain imaging fields, such as, for example, in every other field of view collected by one or more cameras, or in frames collected by the multiple cameras with overlapping frames as described in the incorporated optical ground tracking applications. 
     A sum of absolute differences or other similar or equivalent algorithms for motion estimation may be used to difference the frames and provide relative location of the in frame POI relative to the utility locator. In step  1530 , an indication may be provided that a POI is at the location in frame at the optical ground tracking device. For example, a user may press a button on the utility locator or provide an audio note to a microphone on the utility locator or other like indication to the presence of a POI. In some embodiments, POI identification may be done using image analysis, computer vision, artificial intelligence, and/or other machine learning algorithms and methods as known or developed in the art, in either real time or in post processing. 
     In step  1540 , the location of the utility locator device may be determined, such as, for example, is described previously herein with respect to satellite or terrestrial positioning system receivers, inertial sensors, or other positioning devices. For example, the utility locator may be equipped with GPS and/or other satellite navigation receiver, as well as the optical ground tracking device. The GPS receiver may determine the location of the utility locator relative to the Earth&#39;s surface and provide a corresponding output with positional data. In step  1550 , images of the POI may be generated, associated with the POI data, and stored in a non-transitory memory. Such images may be generated through the cameras within the optical ground tracking device, or, in some embodiments, via separate cameras or imaging sensors. 
     In step  1560 , the location of the POI may be determined and stored within the memory as data. For example, from the utility locator location data determined in a prior step and the known geometry of cameras and laser on the optical ground tracking device relative to the utility locator, the location of the POI may be determined by calculation using the various determined distances and angles and combining them in three-dimensional vector space. 
     Step  1560  may be implemented by a process such as that illustrated in the method embodiment  1460  of  FIG. 14C  for determining the location of the POI marked by the laser within the camera frame, method  1470  of  FIG. 14D  to determine range to the POI marked by the POI, and/or method  900  of  FIG. 9  to determine the location of the POI relative to the Earth&#39;s surface and map the POI. The various steps described in method  1500  may be implemented in either real time within the utility locator and/or in post processing either within the utility locator or other system or electronic computing device. 
     Optionally, the POI imagery and/or other imagery collected by cameras and optical ground tracking devices as described within the various embodiments may be orthorectified and aligned with aerial imagery of the Earth&#39;s surface. 
       FIG. 16  illustrates details of an embodiment  1600  of a tracked distance measuring device and utility locating system. As shown, a utility locating and POI identification system may include a utility locator device  1610 , a transmitter  1620 , a backpack device  1630  (interchangeably referred to as GPS backpack device  1630 ), and a tracked distance measuring device  1640 . A smart phone  1650  (also illustrated in the  FIG. 17A  as smart phone  1750  associated with the tracked distance measuring device  1710 ) may secure to the tracked distance measuring device  1640  allowing the user  1660  to view device or system data, aim the tracked distance measuring device  1640 , process and/or store POI and/or utility locate and mapping data. Optionally, the smart phone  1650  may take photographs and/or video of the work area. For instance, a data link (wired or wirelessly utilizing Bluetooth, WIFI, or like wireless communications transceivers) may be established between the tracked distance measuring device  1640  and the smart phone  1650 . Upon actuation of the tracked distance measuring device  1640 , the smart phone  1650  may record imagery of a targeted POI such as POI  1680 . Likewise, the smart phone  1650  may communicate other sensor data with the tracked distance measuring device  1640  and/or other system devices. In some embodiments, the smart phone  1650  may process and/or store the tracked distance measuring device  1640  and/or other system device data. In some embodiments, the smart phone  1650  may further communicate data to a cloud computing system for storage and/or processing of data. 
     The utility locator device  1610  may sense one or more electromagnetic signals, such as signal  1622  emitted from utility line  1670  and determine the location of utility line  1670  (as well as depth within the ground therefrom). Signal  1622  emitted from utility line  1670  may be generated from transmitter  1620  coupled to utility line  1670 . Likewise, the utility locator device  1610  may measure various other electromagnetic signals present in the environment to determine and map such signals that may further be used to determine the location and orientation of various signal sources within the locate environment (e.g., other utility lines or buried conductor emitting signals, overhead powerlines, radio broadcast towers, electronic marking devices, Sondes, or other signal sources). 
     In some embodiments, a system in keeping with the present disclosure may include one or more utility locator devices configured for use with passive signals generated due to, for example, current flow induced in the utility from broadcast signals such as AM broadcast radio transmissions or other ambient signals, and/or active signals generated upon coupling or inducing current onto the utility line  1670  by using a transmitter device (e.g. signal  1622  from transmitter  1620  coupled to utility line  1670 ) or inductive couplers or lines that otherwise have inherent current flow therein. Within system  1600 , such signals measured at the utility locator device  1610  may include dipole signals  1635 - 1639  emitted by the GPS backpack device  1630  and/or dipole signals  1642  and  1644  emitted by the tracked distance measuring device  1640  to determine the location and pose of the GPS backpack device  1630  and tracked distance measuring device  1640  relative to the utility locator device  1610  and further use such information to determine the location of and map signals measured by the utility locator device  1610  and any POIs identified by a tracked distance measuring device such as POI  1680  of  FIG. 16  identified by tracked distance measuring device  1640  (e.g., through methods described herein in connection with  FIGS. 3A-4, 5C, and 9 ). Additional wireless communication may be established between the utility locator device  1610 , GPS backpack device  1630 , tracked distance measuring device  1640 , and smart phone  1650  for exchange of data and control over various system devices. 
       FIG. 17A  illustrates details of an embodiment showing additional details of a tracked distance measuring device  1710  with a smart phone  1750  attached or secured thereto. The tracked distance measuring device  1710  with smart phone  1750  may be of the variety or share aspects with the tracked distance measuring device  1610  and smart phone  1650  described in connection with  FIG. 16  or other tracked distance measuring devices as disclosed herein. The tracked distance measuring device  1710  may externally include a housing  1712  and an actuator or trigger mechanism  1714 . The actuator/trigger mechanism  1714  may allow a user to actuate tracked distance measuring device  1710 . In other embodiments, other types of user input mechanisms (e.g., pushbutton controls, switches, levers, touch screens, or through an attached smart phone) may be included. The actuator/trigger mechanism  1714  may be actuated in a single action or in a continuous tracing mode (as described within  FIG. 12 ) if held depressed. A battery  1716  may secure to tracked distance measuring device  1710  to provide electrical power. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 17B and 17C , the smart phone  1750  ( FIG. 17A ) may be secured to the tracked distance measuring device  1710  via bracket  1718 . The bracket  1718  may be designed to allow an unobstructed view of a targeted POI and surrounding work area via the connected smart phone (such as smart phone  1750  of  FIG. 17A ). In some embodiments, the bracket may be made adjustable to accommodate the dimensions of different smart phones, tablets, or other like computing devices. 
     As further illustrated in  FIG. 17C , the actuator/trigger mechanism  1714  may pass into an internal cavity within the housing  1712  such that the actuator/trigger mechanism  1714  may allow for communication to a PCB  1720  and actuate the generation of dipole signals emitted via antennas  1722  and  1724  as well as initiate a correlating distance measurement via rangefinder element  1726 . The antennas  1722  and  1724  may be arranged orthogonal to one another in a known arrangement within the tracked distance measuring device  1710 . The dipole signals produced by each antenna  1722  and  1724  may be the same frequency or different frequencies known at the utility locator device. The rangefinder element  1726  may be a laser distance measurement rangefinder. In other embodiments, the rangefinder element may be or include other types of rangefinders (e.g., radar, sonar, LiDAR, ultrasonic, or the like). One or more cameras, such as camera  1727  may be included to collect still and or video images of a POI and/or the surrounding work area in addition to or in lieu of an attached smart phone (e.g., smart phone  1750  of  FIG. 17A ). The PCB  1720  may contain a processing element using a processor or processors and associated memory that may be used to generate, receive, and process signals (e.g., dipole signal for tracking, data signals from sensors and mechanisms and/or other system devices, and the like) as well as user input signals recorded via microphone  1728 . 
     The PCB  1720  may further include various other sensors and modules such as gyroscopic sensors or other inertial navigation sensors, radio transceiver modules for communicating with various system devices (e.g., Bluetooth, WIFI, or other wireless communications transceivers), and so on. In embodiments with wireless transceivers, a wireless connection may be established between various system devices. For instance, as illustrated in  FIG. 16 , various devices may communicate wirelessly within the system embodiment  1600 . In some embodiments, a tracked distance measuring device may further include other sensors and modules including, but not limited to, GPS or other satellite and/or land based navigation system sensors and associated antennas, various cameras and imaging sensors, audio recording capabilities and sensors, as well as graphical user interfaces to display data to a user. A wired connector  1730  may further be provided to a smart phone such as the smart phone  1750  of  FIG. 17A  allowing a connection to tracked distance measuring device  1710 . In some embodiments, a wireless connection (e.g., Bluetooth, WIFI, or other wireless communications transceivers) may instead or additionally be used. 
       FIG. 18  illustrates details of an embodiment of a GPS backpack device  1800  used in conjunction with the tracked distance measuring device embodiment of  FIG. 16 . The GPS backpack device  1800  may be of the variety or share aspects with the GPS backpack device  1630  of  FIG. 16  or other GPS backpack devices described herein. The GPS backpack device  1800  may be used to determine or refine the geolocation of a utility locator device such as the utility locator device  1610  of  FIG. 16 . The GPS backpack device  1800  may include a frame  1810  onto which electronics and other components may secure, and straps  1820  allowing a user to carry the GPS backpack device  1800 . The GPS backpack device  1800  may further include a GPS antenna  1830  may be of a high precision. For instance, GPS antenna  1830  may be a Viva GS-16 GNSS antenna commercially available from Leica Geosystems or other high precision GPS antennas for receiving signals from global positioning satellites and determining location along the Earth&#39;s surface. The GPS backpack device  1800  may emit various signals, such as signals  1635 - 1639  emitted from GPS backpack device  1630  of  FIG. 16 , that may be measured at a utility locator device to determine or refine the position and pose of the utility locator device relative to the GPS backpack device and the Earth&#39;s surface. 
     Further, the GPS backpack device  1800  may include a number of antennas or antenna arrays such as beacon antennas  1835 - 1838  as well as beacon antenna  1839  secured circumferentially about the GPS antenna  1830  that may be used to transmit signals. A different frequency may be transmitted at each beacon antenna  1835 - 1839  that may be received and measured at a utility locator device such as the utility locator device  1610  of  FIG. 16 . In some system and device embodiments, the various beacon antennas of a GPS backpack device may be centered around 600 Hz. The use of 600 Hz may be advantageous be the lowest common harmonic of 50 and 60 Hz ideal for accurate tracking. For instance, the various beacon antennas of the GPS backpack device  1800  illustrated in  FIG. 18  may include first step frequencies set to plus or minus 8 Hz (608 and 592 Hz), second step frequencies set to plus or minus 7 Hz from the first step frequencies (615 and 585 Hz), third step frequencies set to plus or minus 8 Hz from the second step frequencies (622 and 578 Hz), fourth step frequencies set to plus or minus 7 Hz from the third step frequencies (629 and 571 Hz), fifth step frequencies set to plus or minus 8 Hz from the fourth step frequencies (636 and 564 Hz), and so on. As such, within the GPS backpack device  1800  the beacon antenna  1835  may be set to broadcast a signal at 608 Hz, beacon antenna  1837  may be set to broadcast a signal at 592 Hz, beacon antenna  1836  may be set to broadcast a signal at 615 Hz, beacon antenna  1838  may be set to broadcast a signal at 585 Hz, and beacon antenna  1839  may be set to broadcast a signal at 622 Hz. Such signals measured at a utility locator device may be used to determine the location and pose of the GPS backpack device  1800  relative to the utility locator device. The GPS backpack device  1800  may further include one or more inertial sensors such as sensors  1840 ,  1842 ,  1844 , and  1846  to aid in determining the pose of GPS backpack device  1800 . A battery  1850  may further secure to GPS backpack device  1800  and provide electrical power to the various powered components thereof. 
     In some POI identification system embodiments including a GPS backpack device, the GPS backpack device may include antennas to receive and measure the signals emitted from a tracked distance measuring device so as to use such signals to determine the location and pose of the tracked distance measuring device. The GPS backpack device embodiment may further process and/or store tracked distance measuring device data and associated POI location data. For instance, the GPS backpack embodiment may utilize the method embodiments described in conjunction with  FIGS. 3A-4, 5C, and 9  to determine location and pose of the tracked distance measuring device and further determine the location of POIs relative to the Earth&#39;s surface. Such systems allow POI identification and mapping without use of a utility locator device. 
       FIG. 19  illustrates details of an embodiment of a POI identification system  1900  without a utility locator device. The POI identification system embodiment  1900  may include a GPS backpack device  1930  and a tracked distance measuring device  1940 . A smart phone  1950  (such as smart phone  1750  illustrated in  FIG. 17A ) may be secured to the tracked distance measuring device  1940  allowing the user  1960  to view device or system data, aim the tracked distance measuring device  1940 , process and/or store POI and/or utility locate and mapping data. The GPS backpack device  1930  may be of the variety or share aspects with the GPS backpack device  1800  described in conjunction with  FIG. 18 . For instance, the GPS backpack device  1930  may include the four beacon antennas along the four corner of the frame of the GPS backpack device  1930  as well as the antenna secured circumferentially about the GPS antenna. Within GPS backpack device  1930 , some such beacon antennas may be switched from broadcasting signals to instead receive the signals. For instance, signals  1942  and  1944  emitted by the tracked distance measuring device  1940  may be received by antennas within the GPS backpack device  1930  to determine the position and pose of the tracked distance measuring device  1940  relative to the GPS backpack device  1930 . Such information may further be used to determine the location of and map any POIs identified by the tracked distance measuring device  1940  such as POI  1980 . Within system  1900 , the GPS backpack device  1930 , tracked distance measuring device  1940 , smart phone  1950 , and/or other various system devices may include wireless transceivers (e.g., Bluetooth, WIFI, or other wireless communications transceivers) for wireless communication of data and/or control commands. 
       FIG. 20  illustrates details of an embodiment of a method  2000  for POI identification system (such as the system  1900  illustrated in  FIG. 19 ) embodiments configured to operate without a utility locator device. In a first step  2010  of the method  2000 , a user equipped with a GPS backpack device and tracked distance measuring device may walk the work area. The GPS backpack device includes one or more antennas or antenna arrays to receive and measure signals emitted by the tracked distance measuring device to determine its location and pose relative to the GPS backpack device. In a second step  2020 , the user may identify a POI and mark the POI with the tracked distance measuring device. The user may aim the tracked distance measuring device at the POI and actuate the tracked distance measuring device, for instance, by pulling a trigger/actuator or pushing a button on the tracked distance measuring device. Upon actuating the tracked distance measuring device, the tracked distance measuring device may emit one or more signals (e.g., signals  1942  and  1944  of  FIG. 19 ) as well as collect a distance measurement. In a step  2030 , the distance measurement data may be communicated and stored by a connected system device. For instance, the tracked distance measuring device, the GPS backpack device, a smart phone, and/or other connected system device may receive the distance measurement data generated by the tracked distance measuring device using method  400  of  FIG. 4  and method  550  of  FIG. 5C . 
     In a step  2040 , the signal(s) emitted by the tracked distance measuring device are measured at one or more antennas at the GPS backpack device. In a step  2050 , the location and pose data is communicated to and/or stored by a system device (e.g., a smart phone, internal storage within a GPS backpack device or tracked distance measuring device, and/or other system device). In a step  2060 , the POI location is determined from the distance measurement data from step  2030  and the location and pose data from step  2050 . This step may utilize the method  400  described with  FIG. 4  and/or method  550  of  FIG. 5C . In a step  2070 , the POI locations are correlated with maps of the work area. In an optional step  2080 , map data containing POI locations from step  2070  may be correlated with other maps of the work area. For instance, a user later equipped with a mapping utility locator device may walk the work area measuring and mapping electromagnetic signals within the work area to determine the presence, absence, location, depth, and other utility data of utility lines buried within the Earth. The utility locate map created may be merged with the POI location map from step  2080 . 
     The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, functions, and circuits described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein and, for example, in a processor or processing element as described herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, firmware, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. A processing element may further include or be coupled to one or more non-transitory memory storage elements such as ROM, RAM, SRAM, or other memory elements for storing instructions, data, and/or other information in a digital storage format. 
     In some configurations, embodiments of a tracked distance measuring device and/or associated utility locator device or other devices or systems as described herein may include means for performing various functions as described herein. In one aspect, the aforementioned means may be in a processing element using a processor or processors and associated memory in which embodiments reside, and which are configured to perform the functions recited by the aforementioned means. The aforementioned means may be, for example, modules or apparatus residing in a printed circuit board element or modules, or other electronic circuitry modules, to perform the functions, methods, and processes as are described herein. In another aspect, the aforementioned means may be a module or apparatus configured to perform the functions recited by the aforementioned means. 
     In one or more exemplary embodiments, the functions, methods and processes described may be implemented in whole or in part in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or encoded as one or more instructions or code on a non-transitory processor-readable medium and may be executed in one or more processing elements. Processor-readable media includes computer storage media. Storage media may be any available non-transitory media that can be accessed by a computer, processor, or other programmable digital device. 
     By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer. Disk and disc, as used herein, includes compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and Blu-ray disc where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media. 
     It is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps or stages in the processes and methods disclosed are examples of exemplary approaches. Based upon design preferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps in the processes may be rearranged while remaining within the scope of the present disclosure. Any method claims may present elements of the various steps in a sample order, and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented or inclusion of all steps or inclusion of alternate or equivalent steps unless explicitly noted. 
     Those of skill in the art would understand that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof. 
     Those of skill would further appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps may have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the disclosure. 
     The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, processes, methods, and/or circuits described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed in a processing element with a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. 
     The steps or stages of a method, process or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. A software module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium such as a non-transitory memory may be externally coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium and/or read and execute instructions from the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a device such as described herein another device. In the alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components. Instructions to be read and executed by a processing element to implement the various methods, processes, and algorithms disclosed herein may be stored in a non-transitory memory or memories of the devices disclosed herein. 
     It is noted that as used herein that the terms “component,” “unit,” “element,” or other singular terms may refer to two or more of those things. For example, a “component” may comprise multiple components. Moreover, the terms “component,” “unit,” “element,” or other descriptive terms may be used to describe a general feature or function of a group of components, units, elements, or other items. For example, an “RFID unit” may refer to the primary function of the unit, but the physical unit may include non-RFID components, sub-units, and such. 
     The presently claimed invention is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but is to be accorded the full scope consistent with the disclosures herein and their equivalents as reflected by the claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean “one and only one” unless specifically so stated, but rather “one or more.” Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term “some” refers to one or more. A phrase referring to “at least one of” a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. As an example, “at least one of: a, b, or c” is intended to cover: a; b; c; a and b; a and c; b and c; and a, b and c. 
     The previous description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use embodiments of the presently claimed invention. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, the presently claimed invention is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the appended Claims and their equivalents.