Surface tracker

Abstract

A surface tracker includes a tubular marker body having an interior electronic marker and a visual indicator attached to an upper end of the marker body which extends away from the marker body. When deployed, the marker body is mostly underground and the visual indictor extends upwardly from ground level to provide above-ground visual recognition. The electronic marker may be a passive electronic marker that includes a ferrite core assembly having a longitudinal axis which is generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the marker body. The visual indicator may be a plurality of resilient filaments which pass through a hole in a tab portion of the marker body at its upper end, the filaments being folded about the tab portion and secured to the tab portion using a heat-shrink tube. In an exemplary embodiment, the filaments extend about six inches from the marker body and are brightly colored.

1 .- 8 . (canceled) 
   
   
       9 . An article comprising:
 an elongate casing having a longitudinal axis;   passive electronic marker sealed in an interior portion of said casing, said passive electronic marker having a wire coil defining a longitudinal axis which is generally aligned with the longitudinal axis of said casing; and   a visual indicator attached to an end of said casing, said visual indicator including at least one resilient member extending away from said casing along the longitudinal axis thereof.   
   
   
       10 . (canceled) 
   
   
       11 . The article of  claim 9  wherein said electronic marker includes a ferrite core assembly. 
   
   
       12 . (canceled) 
   
   
       13 . The article of  claim 9  wherein said casing includes an end cap which seals an open end of said casing. 
   
   
       14 . The article of  claim 9  wherein said visual indicator comprises a plurality of resilient filaments extending away from said casing. 
   
   
       15 . The article of  claim 14  wherein portions of the filaments are bundled in different length sections with flags bearing height/depth indications. 
   
   
       16 . The article of  claim 14  wherein said casing has a tab at one end with a hole in said tab, and said plurality of filaments pass through said hole and are folded about said tab. 
   
   
       17 . The article of  claim 16  wherein said filaments are secured to said tab using a heat-shrink tube. 
   
   
       18 . A surface tracker comprising:
 a tubular marker body having an interior chamber, a lower end, and an upper end;   a protrusion at said lower end of said tubular marker body to facilitate insertion of said tubular marker body into the ground;   an electronic marker located inside said interior chamber of said tubular marker body; and   a visual indicator attached to said upper end of said tubular marker body and extending away from said tubular marker body.   
   
   
       19 . The surface tracker of  claim 18  wherein said lower end of said tubular marker body has an opening, and further comprising an end cap which seals said opening. 
   
   
       20 . The surface tracker of  claim 18  wherein said electronic marker is a passive electronic marker and includes a ferrite core assembly having a longitudinal axis which is generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of said tubular marker body. 
   
   
       21 . The surface tracker of  claim 18  wherein said visual indicator comprises a plurality of resilient filaments. 
   
   
       22 . The surface tracker of  claim 21  wherein portions of the filaments are bundled in different length sections with flags bearing height/depth indications. 
   
   
       23 . The surface tracker of  claim 21  wherein said filaments pass through a hole in a tab portion of said tubular marker body at said upper end thereof, and are folded about said tab portion to extend away from said tubular marker body and are secured to said tab portion using a heat-shrink tube. 
   
   
       24 . The surface tracker of  claim 21  wherein said filaments extend about six inches or more from said marker body. 
   
   
       25 .- 27 . (canceled) 
   
   
       28 . A method of deploying a surface tracker having a body portion and a visual indicator attached to and extending away from the body portion, the method comprising:
 orienting the surface tracker such that the visual indicator extends vertically upward from the body portion;   placing the body portion in the ground, with an electronic marker located inside the body portion adapted to emit an electromagnetic locating signal; and   substantially burying the body portion in the ground with the visual indicator extending vertically above the ground.   
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the visual indicator includes at least one resilient filament, and further comprising attaching a flag to said filament, the flag bearing a height/depth indication. 
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 28  further comprising:
 determining global positioning satellite (GPS) coordinates of the buried electronic marker; and   recording a log entry indicative of the GPS coordinates.