Patent ID: 6859037

Claim:
An apparatus for locating a utility conveyance beneath a body of water, comprising: a submersible housing having a detector including: a first signal generator for impressing a conveyance-locating signal on the conveyance so that the conveyance radiates a first electromagnetic field; a second signal generator for impressing a conveyance-confirmation signal that is pulsed in a particular pattern unique to the conveyance to be located, so that the conveyance radiates a second electromagnetic field unique to the conveyance; a first signal detector for sensing where the first field is strongest to establish a region where the conveyance is generally located; a plurality of second detectors, each of the second detectors being capable of detecting the presence of the second field; and means connected to the plurality of second detectors for vectoring the location of the conveyance in response to the presence of the second field detected at each of the second detectors; and ballast means associated with the housing for selectively controlling the buoyancy of the apparatus including: at least one fluid ballast chamber storage volume associated with the housing; an inlet and outlet for respectively communicating a fluid into and out of the ballast chamber storage volume; and an inlet for introducing pressurized air into the at least one chamber, and an outlet for evacuating air from the at least one chamber.