VIRTUAL WHITE LINES (VWL) FOR DELIMITING PLANNED EXCAVATION SITES OF STAGED EXCAVATION PROJECTS
First Claim
1. An apparatus for facilitating detection of a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area may be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the apparatus comprising:
- a communication interface;
a display device;
at least one user input device;
a memory to store processor-executable instructions; and
a processing unit coupled to the communication interface, the display device, the at least one user input device, and the memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the processing unit, the processing unit;
controls the communication interface to electronically receive source data representing at least one input image of a geographic area including the first dig area and the at least one additional dig area, wherein the first dig area corresponds to a first stage of an staged excavation project and the at least one additional dig area corresponds to at least one subsequent stage of the staged excavation project;
controls the display device to display at least a portion of the at least one input image;
acquires at least one first user input from the at least one user input device;
generates a first generation marked-up digital image including at least one first indicator overlaid on the at least one input image to provide at least one indication of the first dig area;
acquires at least one second user input from the at least one user input device;
generates a multi-generational marked-up digital image including at least one additional indicator overlaid on the first generation marked-up digital image to provide at least one indication of the at least one additional dig area; and
further controls the communication interface and/or the memory to electronically transmit and/or electronically store information relating to the multi-generational marked-up digital image so as to facilitate the detection of the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility within the plurality of dig areas.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for facilitating detection of a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area. Source data representing one or more input images of a geographic area including the dig area is electronically received at a first user location, which may be remote from the dig area. The source data is processed so as to display at least a portion of the input image(s) on a display device. One or more indicators are added to the displayed input image(s), via a user input device associated with the display device, to provide at least one indication of the dig area and thereby generate a marked-up digital image. In the case of a staged excavation project, the input image, or a plurality of associated images, may include indicia of multiple dig areas corresponding to multiple stages of the staged excavation project.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An apparatus for facilitating detection of a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area may be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the apparatus comprising:
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a communication interface; a display device; at least one user input device; a memory to store processor-executable instructions; and a processing unit coupled to the communication interface, the display device, the at least one user input device, and the memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the processing unit, the processing unit; controls the communication interface to electronically receive source data representing at least one input image of a geographic area including the first dig area and the at least one additional dig area, wherein the first dig area corresponds to a first stage of an staged excavation project and the at least one additional dig area corresponds to at least one subsequent stage of the staged excavation project; controls the display device to display at least a portion of the at least one input image; acquires at least one first user input from the at least one user input device; generates a first generation marked-up digital image including at least one first indicator overlaid on the at least one input image to provide at least one indication of the first dig area; acquires at least one second user input from the at least one user input device; generates a multi-generational marked-up digital image including at least one additional indicator overlaid on the first generation marked-up digital image to provide at least one indication of the at least one additional dig area; and further controls the communication interface and/or the memory to electronically transmit and/or electronically store information relating to the multi-generational marked-up digital image so as to facilitate the detection of the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility within the plurality of dig areas. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. At least one computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by at least one processing unit, perform a method for facilitating detection of a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area may be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the method comprising:
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A) electronically receiving source data representing at least one input image of a geographic area including the first dig area and the at least one additional dig area, wherein the first dig area corresponds to a first stage of an staged excavation project and the at least one additional dig area corresponds to at least one subsequent stage of the staged excavation project; B) processing the source data so as to display at least a portion of the at least one input image on a display device; C) receiving at least one first user input via at least one user input device associated with the display device; D) adding, based on the at least one first user input, at least one first indicator to the displayed at least one input image to provide at least one indication of the first dig area and thereby generate a first generation marked-up digital image; E) receiving at least one second user input via the at least one user input device; F) adding, based on the at least one second user input, at least one additional indicator to the first generation marked-up digital image to provide at least one indication of the at least one additional dig area and thereby generate a multi-generational marked-up digital image; and G) electronically transmitting and/or electronically storing information relating to the multi-generational marked-up digital image so as to facilitate the detection of the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility within the plurality of dig areas. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for facilitating detection of a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a plurality of dig areas comprising a first dig area and at least one additional dig area, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of dig areas may be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the method comprising:
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A) electronically receiving source data representing at least one input image of a geographic area including the first dig area and the at least one additional dig area, wherein the first dig area corresponds to a first stage of an staged excavation project and the at least one additional dig area corresponds to at least one subsequent stage of the staged excavation project; B) processing the source data so as to display at least a portion of the at least one input image on a display device; C) adding, via at least one user input device associated with the display device, at least one first indicator to the displayed at least one input image to provide at least one indication of the first dig area and thereby generate a first generation marked-up digital image; D) adding, via the at least one user input device, at least one additional indicator to the first generation marked-up digital image to provide at least one indication of the at least one additional dig area and thereby generate a multi-generational marked-up digital image; and E) electronically transmitting and/or electronically storing information relating to the multi-generational marked-up digital image so as to facilitate the detection of the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility within the plurality of dig areas. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification