Patent ID: 7111693

Claim:
A system for use with a horizontal directional drilling machine to monitor the position and orientation of a downhole tool assembly, the system comprising: a first beacon supported by the downhole tool assembly having at least one orientation sensor and adapted to transmit signals indicative of the position and orientation of the downhole tool assembly; a second beacon supported by the downhole tool assembly and spatially separated from the first beacon, wherein the second beacon has at least one orientation sensor and is adapted to transmit signals indicative of the position and orientation of the downhole tool assembly; and a receiving assembly comprising: an antenna arrangement adapted to detect signals emanating from the first beacon and the second beacon; a processor supported by the receiving assembly and adapted to receive the detected signals, to process the detected signals, to generate a composite of the relative positions of the receiving assembly, the first beacon, the second beacon, and the downhole tool assembly; and a display adapted to visually communicate the composite of the relative positions of the receiving assembly, the first beacon, the second beacon, and the downhole tool assembly and the orientation of the downhole tool assembly, the first beacon and of the second beacon.