METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR OVERLAYING ELECTRONIC LOCATE INFORMATION ON FACILITIES MAP INFORMATION AND/OR OTHER IMAGE INFORMATION DISPLAYED ON A LOCATE DEVICE
First Claim
1. A locate receiver to detect a presence or an absence of an underground facility, the locate receiver comprising:
- a housing;
an RF antenna for receiving a magnetic field and outputting an output signal;
a processing circuit, for receiving the output signal from the RF antenna and determining a magnetic field strength of the magnetic field;
a display device coupled to the housing;
at least one memory; and
at least one processor, coupled to the processing circuit, the display device and the at least one memory, configured to;
display on the display device a map image that is generated based on first map data selected by the at least one processor and that includes a geographic location at which an indication of detection of a facility line was generated; and
overlay at least one electronic marking on the first map image at a position on the first map image corresponding to a location at which the indication of detection of a facility line was generated.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A locate device for a locate operation to detect a presence or an absence of one or more underground facilities is configured to access and display facilities map information, and/or other image information, as a visual aid to facilitate the locate operation. In various aspects, methods and apparatus relate to: selection of an appropriate “base” facilities map, or information from a database of facilities map data, relating to a given work site/dig area; selection of an appropriate pan and/or zoom (resolution) for displaying facilities map information; appropriately updating displayed facilities map information while a locate device is used during a locate operation (e.g. changing pan, zoom and/or orientation); overlaying on the displayed facilities map information locate information and/or landmark information relating to the locate operation; and storing locally on the locate device, and/or transmitting from the locate device, facilities map information and/or overlaid locate/landmark information (e.g., for further processing, analysis and/or subsequent display).
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Citations
65 Claims
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1. A locate receiver to detect a presence or an absence of an underground facility, the locate receiver comprising:
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a housing; an RF antenna for receiving a magnetic field and outputting an output signal; a processing circuit, for receiving the output signal from the RF antenna and determining a magnetic field strength of the magnetic field; a display device coupled to the housing; at least one memory; and at least one processor, coupled to the processing circuit, the display device and the at least one memory, configured to; display on the display device a map image that is generated based on first map data selected by the at least one processor and that includes a geographic location at which an indication of detection of a facility line was generated; and overlay at least one electronic marking on the first map image at a position on the first map image corresponding to a location at which the indication of detection of a facility line was generated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method for displaying information on a locate receiver having a housing, an RF antenna for receiving a magnetic field and outputting an output signal, a processing circuit, for receiving the output signal from the RF antenna and determining a magnetic field strength of the magnetic field, a display device coupled to the housing, at least one memory;
- and at least one processor, coupled to the processing circuit, the display device and the at least one memory, the method comprising;
displaying on the display device a map image that is generated based on first map data selected by the at least one processor and that includes a geographic location at which an indication of detection of a facility line was generated; and overlaying at least one electronic marking on the first map image at a position on the first map image corresponding to a location at which the indication of detection of a facility line was generated. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
- and at least one processor, coupled to the processing circuit, the display device and the at least one memory, the method comprising;
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65. At least one computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed on at least one processor in a locate receiver having a housing, an RF antenna for receiving a magnetic field and outputting an output signal, a processing circuit, for receiving the output signal from the RF antenna and determining a magnetic field strength of the magnetic field, a display device coupled to the housing, at least one memory;
- and at least one processor, coupled to the processing circuit, the display device and the at least one memory, causes the at least one processor to perform a method comprising;
displaying on the display device a map image that is generated based on first map data selected by the at least one processor and that includes a geographic location at which an indication of detection of a facility line was generated; and overlaying at least one electronic marking on the first map image at a position on the first map image corresponding to a location at which the indication of detection of a facility line was generated.
- and at least one processor, coupled to the processing circuit, the display device and the at least one memory, causes the at least one processor to perform a method comprising;
Specification