Method and apparatus for auditing utility poles

• US 20090037485A1
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chaitman, Eric, Radel, William A., Morris, Dana
• Granted Patent: US 7,752,234 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

An apparatus and method for managing utility pole information is provided in the illustrative embodiments. A method for managing the utility pole information may include creating several audit forms and searching those forms for an audit of a selected pole. The method may further include pre-populating the audit form with data from a repository of engineering work orders. The method may further include recording general pole information, a pole inspection information, a pole test information, a first attachment information, and inspector'"'"'s notes about the selected pole on the audit form resulting in an updated audit form. The method may then transfer the updated audit form to a repository of utility poles audit information.

Claims

1. A method for managing utility pole information, the method comprising:

creating a plurality of audit forms;

searching for an audit form from the plurality of audit forms for an audit of a selected pole;

pre-populating the audit form with data from a repository of engineering work orders;

recording utility pole audit information of the selected pole audited by an auditor on the audit form;

forming a updated audit form; and

transferring the updated audit form to a repository of utility poles audit information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if the selected pole has been previously audited;

searching for an audit form including audit information about the selected pole if the selected pole has been previously audited;

tracking an open item in the audit information; and

updating the audit information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a report from at least one of the repository of utility poles audit information and repository of engineering work orders.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring the updated audit form to a repository of utility poles audit information includes transferring updates of:

an inspection date;

one of a company pole identification, and a foreign pole identification;

a lead;

a pole structure;

a wire center,

one of a grid code, and an original grid code;

one of a global positioning location, and other location information;

an inspector'"'"'s name;

a status of the utility pole wherein the status indicates one of a non-existence of the utility pole, and the utility pole being a foreign pole;

a height of the utility pole in an engineering work order;

a measured height of the utility pole;

a class of the utility pole in the engineering work order;

a material of the utility pole in the engineering work order;

a year of placement of the utility pole in the engineering work order;

an indication of a type inspection test conducted;

an indication of one of inspection passed, and inspection failed;

an indication of the utility pole being one of overstressed and not overstressed;

notations of a set of regulatory violations;

data for a set of attachments on the utility pole;

a set of work activities to be performed on the utility pole;

a notation of the inspector'"'"'s recommendation; and

a notation of the inspector'"'"'s comments on the set of work activities.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the repository of engineering work orders using the updated audit form.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

controlling user access for creating and searching functions.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an improper plant condition ticket if the completed audit form includes an indication of a regulatory violation.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an entity based on a boundary map that identifies the entity likely to install the attachment in a given geographical area.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the first attachment information of the selected pole to a second attachment information of the selected pole in a database; and

adjusting billing and taxation information based on a difference between the attachment information and the second information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the utility pole audit information includes general pole information, a pole inspection information, a pole test information, a first attachment information, and inspector'"'"'s notes about the selected pole.

11. A system for managing utility pole information, the system comprising:

a first database configured to manage information associated with a plurality of utility poles;

a first processing unit in communication with the first database and configured to extract at least a portion of the information in the first database to form extracted information;

a second database in communication with the first processing unit and configured to store the extracted information;

a second processing unit in communication with the second database and configured to execute a software program that, when executed by the second processing unit, causes a graphical user interface to be presented to a user to verify and update the utility pole information stored in the second database.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the second processing unit operates within a portable computing device, the system further comprising:

a third database operating in the portable computing device and configured to store at least a portion of the information in the second database.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the second processing unit is configured to operate with the third database, and at least one of update the information in the second database and update the information in the third database.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the first database is an engineering work order database.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the second database includes additional fields of information not included in the first database, and wherein the additional fields include at least one of information for corrective action to a utility pole, and information of a utility pole not complying with a regulatory standard.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the second processing unit is configured to update the first database with updated information in the second database.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the extracted information includes a global positioning information associated with a location of a utility pole.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a third processing unit in communication with the first database and configured to generate at least one report.

19. A method for managing utility pole information, the method comprising:

managing information associated with a plurality of utility poles in a first database;

extracting using a first processing unit in communication with the first database, at least a portion of the information in the first database to form extracted information;

storing the extracted information in a second database in communication the first processing unit; and

presenting a graphical user interface to a user to verify and update the utility pole information stored in the second database using a second processing unit in communication with the second database.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second processing unit operates within a portable computing device, the method further comprising:

storing at least a portion of the information in the second database in a third database operating in the portable computing device.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

updating at least one of the information in the second database and the information in the third database, using the second processing unit configured to operate with the third database.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the first database is an engineering work order database.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the second database includes additional fields of information not included in the first database, and wherein the additional fields comprise at least one of information for corrective action to a utility pole, and information of a utility pole not complying with a regulatory standard.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

updating the first database with updated information in the second database, using the second processing unit.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the extracted information includes a global positioning information associated with a location of a utility pole.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

generating at least one report using a third processing unit in communication with the first database.

27. A method for auditing utility poles, the method comprising:

selecting a utility pole from a plurality of utility poles arranged according to a plurality of wire centers;

finding an audit form associated with the utility pole, the audit form being one of a new audit form and a in-progress audit form, the new audit form having a set of data fields pre-populated from information about the utility pole in a repository of engineering work orders;

updating the audit form with updated information about the utility pole to form an updated audit form; and

transmitting the updated audit form to a repository of utility poles audit information.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein updating the audit form comprises:

tracking an open item in the audit form.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein updating the audit form comprises:

recording general pole information, pole inspection information, pole test information, an attachment information, and inspector'"'"'s notes about the selected pole on the audit form.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the attachment information includes information of ownership of an attachment, wherein the ownership of the attachment is determined based on a boundary map, and wherein the boundary map identifies an entity likely to install the attachment in a given geographical area.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein transmitting the updated audit form is one of an online transmission and an offline transmission.