US12624937 - Method of managing a blast system
The patent describes a method for managing a blasting system that involves deploying an antenna to transmit a through-the-earth magnetic signal, measuring its strength at various locations, and defining an operative zone where detonators can be activated. The process includes verifying the antenna’s position before sending a fire command to ensure safety and effectiveness in the blasting operation.
Claim 1
1 . A method of managing a blasting system at a site which includes the steps of: deploying an antenna at a predetermined position at the site, determining original positional data of the antenna’s said predetermined position, logging said original positional data, transmitting a through-the-earth magnetic signal of a predetermined signal strength from the antenna, at each of a plurality of spaced apart locations at the site, obtaining positional data of the location, and obtaining a measure of the strength of the through-the-earth magnetic signal received at the location, using the positional data of the locations and the measures of the received signal strength to define an operative zone, at the site, within which operative zone each of the measures of the received signal strength is above a threshold value, deploying a plurality of detonator assemblies at spaced apart positions at the site, allowing a detonator assembly to be tagged and thereby to be included in the blasting system only if the position of the detonator assembly is situated within the operative zone, again deploying the antenna at said predetermined position at the site, determining a current positional data of the again deployed antenna, comparing the current positional data of the antenna to said original positional data, and only if the current positional data and said original positional data correlate, transmitting from the antenna to each tagged detonator assembly a fire command signal which has a signal strength which is equal to or greater than said predetermined signal strength. deploying an antenna at a predetermined position at the site, determining original positional data of the antenna’s said predetermined position, logging said original positional data, transmitting a through-the-earth magnetic signal of a predetermined signal strength from the antenna, at each of a plurality of spaced apart locations at the site, obtaining positional data of the location, and obtaining a measure of the strength of the through-the-earth magnetic signal received at the location, using the positional data of the locations and the measures of the received signal strength to define an operative zone, at the site, within which operative zone each of the measures of the received signal strength is above a threshold value, deploying a plurality of detonator assemblies at spaced apart positions at the site, allowing a detonator assembly to be tagged and thereby to be included in the blasting system only if the position of the detonator assembly is situated within the operative zone, again deploying the antenna at said predetermined position at the site, determining a current positional data of the again deployed antenna, comparing the current positional data of the antenna to said original positional data, and only if the current positional data and said original positional data correlate, transmitting from the antenna to each tagged detonator assembly a fire command signal which has a signal strength which is equal to or greater than said predetermined signal strength.
Google Patents
https://patents.google.com/patent/US12624937
USPTO PDF
https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12624937