MARKING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20080245299A1
• Filed: 04/04/2007
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Certusview Technologies LLC (Dycom Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Dycom Identity, LLC (Dycom Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nielsen, Steven, Chambers, Curtis, Farr, Jeffrey, Vazquez, Rene A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,060,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/712
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/203 comprising an extension rod located between the aerosol container and the hand grip setting-out line markings on playing courts A63C19/065; marking-out on finished paving by spraying from aerosol containers E01C23/227
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/02 Means for marking measuring points
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10376 the interrogation device being adapted for being moveable

Abstract

A marking system may hold a container from which markers are dispensed and identify a marker characteristic regarding the markers in the container. The marking system may also receive activation of a trigger, dispense a marker from the container when the trigger is activated, and store the marker characteristic and time data when the trigger is activated.

Claims

1. A marking system, comprising:

a marker dispenser to hold and dispense a marker;

a processor to determine at least one characteristic regarding the marker; and

a triggering system in communication with the marker dispenser and the processor to trigger the marker dispenser to dispense the marker and the processor to store the at least one characteristic regarding the marker and time data associated with the dispensing of the marker.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a tag is associated with the marker, the tag storing the at least one characteristic;

and

wherein the system further comprises;

a tag reader to read the at least one characteristic from the tag.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the tag is affixed to a container that holds the marker.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the tag is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and the tag reader is an RFID reader.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises a type of the marker, a color of the marker, or a shape of the marker.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to present the at least one characteristic on a user interface.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the user interface is configured to identify the at least one characteristic and a type of utility line to which the at least one characteristic corresponds.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the user interface is configured to request confirmation that the at least one characteristic is correct before the triggering system can trigger the marker dispenser or the processor.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a user interface to;

present a number of possible marker characteristics, and

receive selection of at least one of the possible marker characteristics as the at least one characteristic.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the marker dispenser comprises:

a paint canister holder adapted to support a paint canister, and

an actuation mechanism to dispense paint from the paint canister when the triggering system is activated.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the triggering system comprises:

a trigger,

an actuation mechanism to cause a marker container to dispense the marker when the trigger is activated, and

a signal generator to send a signal to the processor when the trigger is activated.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the marker container comprises an aerosol canister and the actuation mechanism comprises a rigid material that applies pressure to a nozzle on the aerosol canister when the trigger is activated.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein a decision of whether the trigger is permitted to be activated is based on the at least one characteristic.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the decision is based on a comparison of the at least one characteristic to information from a ticket.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the decision is based on a confirmation that the at least one characteristic is correct.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the time data indicates when the marker was dispensed or an amount of time that the marker was dispensed.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein triggering system is configured to:

receive a trigger activation, and

cause the processor to increase a count value in response to the trigger activation.

18. A marking tool, comprising:

a marker dispenser to hold and dispense a marker from a marker container, a tag being affixed to the marker container, the tag storing information regarding at least one characteristic of the marker;

a tag reader to read the information from the tag;

a processor to receive the information from the tag reader; and

a triggering system to trigger the marker dispenser to dispense the marker from the marker container and the processor to store the information and time data associated with the dispensing of the marker by the marker dispenser.

19. The tool of claim 18, wherein the tag is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and the tag reader is an RFID reader.

20. The tool of claim 18, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises a type of the marker, a color of the marker, or a shape of the marker.

21. The tool of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to present the information on a user interface.

22. The tool of claim 21, wherein the user interface is configured to identify the at least one characteristic and a type of utility line to which the at least one characteristic corresponds.

23. The tool of claim 21, wherein the user interface is configured to request confirmation that the at least one characteristic is correct before the triggering system can trigger the marker dispenser or the processor.

24. The tool of claim 18, wherein the marker dispenser comprises:

a paint canister holder adapted to support a paint canister, and

an actuation mechanism to dispense paint from the paint canister when the triggering system is activated.

25. The tool of claim 18, wherein the triggering system comprises:

a trigger,

an actuation mechanism to cause the marker container to dispense the marker when the trigger is activated, and

a signal generator to send a signal to the processor when the trigger is activated.

26. The tool of claim 25, wherein the marker container comprises an aerosol canister and the actuation mechanism comprises a rigid material that applies pressure to a nozzle on the aerosol canister when the trigger is activated.

27. The tool of claim 25, wherein a decision of whether the trigger is permitted to be activated is based on the at one characteristic.

28. The tool of claim 27, wherein the decision is based on a comparison of the at least one characteristic to information from a ticket.

29. The tool of claim 27, wherein the decision is based on a confirmation that the at least one characteristic is correct.

30. The tool of claim 18, wherein the time data indicates when the marker was dispensed or an amount of time that the marker was dispensed.

31. The tool of claim 18, wherein the triggering system is further configured to:

receive a trigger activation, and

cause the processor to increase a count value based on the received trigger activation.

32. The tool of claim 18, further comprising:

a sensor to detect a weight of the marker container.

33. The tool of claim 32, wherein information regarding the weight of the marker container is provided to a user of the tool.

34. A method, comprising:

identifying a marker characteristic regarding a marker loaded into a marking tool;

receiving activation of a trigger of the marking tool;

dispensing the marker when the activation of the trigger is received; and

storing the marker characteristic and time data when the activation of the trigger is received.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein a tag is associated with the marker, the tag storing the marker characteristic;

and

wherein identifying the marker characteristic includes;

reading the marker characteristic from the tag.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the tag is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the marker characteristic comprises a type of the marker, a color of the marker, or a shape of the marker.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein identifying the marker characteristic includes:

presenting a number of possible marker characteristics on a user interface, and

receiving selection of one of the possible marker characteristics as the marker characteristic.

39. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

determining whether to permit the trigger to be activated based on the marker characteristic.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the determination is based on a comparison of the marker characteristic to information from a ticket.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the determination is based on a confirmation that the marker characteristic is correct.

42. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

increasing a count value when the activation of the trigger is received.

43. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

presenting information regarding the marker characteristic audibly or visually.

44. A system, comprising:

means for holding a container from which a marker is dispensed;

means for identifying a marker characteristic regarding the marker in the container;

means for receiving activation of a trigger;

means for dispensing the marker from the container when the trigger is activated; and

means for storing the marker characteristic and a timestamp when the trigger is activated.

45. The system of claim 44, further comprising:

means for storing an elapsed time that indicates an amount of time that the marker was dispensed.

46. The system of claim 44, further comprising:

means for storing a count value that indicates a number of times that the trigger is activated.

47. The system of claim 44, further comprising:

means for determining a weight value associated with the container; and

means for visually or audibly providing information regarding the weight value.

48. A system, comprising:

means for holding a container from which a marker is dispensed;

means for identifying a marker characteristic regarding the marker in the container;

means for receiving activation of a trigger;

means for dispensing the marker from the container when the trigger is activated; and

means for increasing a count value when the trigger is activated.

49. The system of claim 48, further comprising:

means for determining a weight value associated with the container; and

means for visually or audibly providing information regarding the weight value.

50. A marking system, comprising:

means for providing a holder for a container from which a marker is dispensed; and

means for identifying a marker characteristic regarding the marker in the container only when the container is initially placed into the holder.