A formation evaluating system including a sonic sensor device attached to a drill string adjacent to a bit includes a sonic source and a first sonic receiver aligned adjacent to the sonic source, and a second sonic receiver aligned with a horizontal offset X. Three kind of two-way trip times are measured: from the sonic source to a) the first receiver after a reflection at the borehole wall, b) the first receiver after propagation in a layer below the borehole wall, an invaded zone, and a reflection at an interface below the borehole wall, and c) the second receiver after oblique propagations in the invaded zone and a reflection at the interface. After determining a sonic speed in the drilling mud and a sonic speed in a matrix of the invaded zone, a porosity and a thickness of the invaded zone are estimated based on a time average equation.