US Patent Issued to Merlin Technology on Feb. 10 for "Horizontal directional drilling area network and methods" (Washington Inventor)

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 11 -- United States Patent no. 12,546,209, issued on Feb. 10, was assigned to Merlin Technology Inc. (Kent, Wash.).

"Horizontal directional drilling area network and methods" was invented by Thomas J. Hall (Bainbridge Island, Wash.).

According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A drilling area network hub is located proximate to a drill rig and includes an uphole transceiver in bidirectional communication with a downhole transceiver by utilizing the drill string as an electrical conductor. Certain information is collected including rig-based and/or location information. At least one field report is generated based on the certain information to characterize at least one of an inground op...