METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ASSOCIATING A VIRTUAL WHITE LINE (VWL) IMAGE WITH CORRESPONDING TICKET INFORMATION FOR AN EXCAVATION PROJECT

• US 20100205195A1
• Filed: 06/01/2009
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Certusview Technologies LLC (Dycom Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Certusview Technologies LLC (Dycom Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chambers, Curtis, Farr, Jeffrey, Nielsen, Steven E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,296,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06313 Resource planning in a project environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/203 Drawing of straight lines or curves
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/61 Scene description
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00

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. The marked-up digital image may be electronically bundled with information from a corresponding ticket. A descriptor file may be used to identify one or more marked-up images corresponding to a ticket.

Claims

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 memory to store processor-executable instructions; and

a processing unit coupled to the communication interface and the memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the processing unit, the processing unit;

digitally searches the memory to identify a descriptor file corresponding to a ticket;

based on identifying information in the descriptor file, identifies at least one image corresponding to the ticket, the at least one image comprising at least one indication of at least one dig area;

electronically bundles the at least one image with ticket information from the ticket to generate the ticket bundle; and

provides the ticket bundle to at least one party associated with the at least one underground facility.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor electronically transmits the ticket bundle, via the communication interface, to the at least one party associated with the at least one underground facility.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor provides electronic access to the ticket bundle, to the at least one party associated with the at least one underground facility, via the communication interface.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one dig area comprises a plurality of dig areas.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one indication comprises markings delimiting the at least one dig area.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the descriptor file comprises information identifying the ticket.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the information identifying the ticket comprises a ticket number.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the descriptor file comprises information identifying the at least one image corresponding to the ticket.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the information identifying the at least one image corresponding to the ticket comprises an image name.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the descriptor file comprises an XML file.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ticket bundle comprises a file including the at least one image and the ticket information.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ticket bundle comprises associated files including the at least one image and the ticket information.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ticket bundle comprises a file including the ticket information and information specifying or permitting access to the at least one image.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information specifying or permitting access to the at least one image comprises a link to the at least one image.

15. 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:

A) digitally searching a memory to identify a descriptor file corresponding to a ticket;

B) based on identifying information in the descriptor file, digitally searching for at least one image corresponding to the ticket, the at least one image comprising at least one indication of at least one dig area;

C) electronically bundling the at least one image with ticket information from the ticket to generate a ticket bundle; and

D) providing the ticket bundle to at least one party associated with the at least one underground facility.

16. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one dig area comprises a plurality of dig areas.

17. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one indication comprises markings delimiting the at least one dig area.

18. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the descriptor file comprises information identifying the ticket and information identifying the at least one image corresponding to the ticket.

19. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the information identifying the ticket comprises a ticket number.

20. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein D) comprises electronically transmitting the ticket bundle to at least one party associated with the at least one underground facility.

21. A method for facilitating detection of a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within at least one dig area, wherein at least a portion of the at least one dig areas may be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the method comprising:

A) digitally searching a memory to identify a descriptor file corresponding to a ticket;

B) based on identifying information in the descriptor file, digitally searching for at least one image corresponding to the ticket, the at least one image comprising at least one indication of at least one dig area;

C) electronically bundling the at least one image with ticket information from the ticket to generate a ticket bundle; and

D) providing the ticket bundle to at least one party associated with the at least one underground facility.

22. 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 memory to store processor-executable instructions; and

a processing unit coupled to the communication interface and the memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the processing unit, the processing unit;

electronically receives, via the communication interface, at least one image corresponding to at least one ticket or at least one link to the at least one image, the at least one image comprising at least one indication of at least one dig area, and data relating to the at least one image;

based on the data relating to the at least one image, identifies ticket information in the memory corresponding to the at least one ticket;

electronically bundles the at least one image or the at least one link with the ticket information to generate a ticket bundle; and

provides the ticket bundle, via the communication interface, to at least one party associated with the at least one underground facility.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the processor electronically transmits the ticket bundle, via the communication interface, to the at least one party associated with the at least one underground facility.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the processor provides electronic access to the ticket bundle, to the at least one party associated with the at least one underground facility, via the communication interface.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the processing unit electronically receives at least one image corresponding to at least one ticket.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the at least one image is encrypted so as to be viewable only using a corresponding encrypted image file viewer.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the processing unit electronically bundles the at least one image and the ticket information with the corresponding encrypted image file viewer to generate the ticket bundle.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the encrypted image file viewer prevents write access to the at least one image.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the encrypted image file viewer prevents save access to the digital virtual white line image.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the encrypted image file viewer prevents copy access to the digital virtual white line image.

31. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the at least one image is password protected.

32. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the at least one image is access limited.

33. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the processing unit electronically receives at least one link to the at least one image.

34. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the data relating to the at least one image comprises metadata associated with the at least one image.

35. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the data relating to the at least one image comprises a descriptor file.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the descriptor file comprises an XML file.

37. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the data relating to the at least one image comprises information identifying the ticket.

38. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the data relating to the at least one image comprises a ticket number.

39. 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:

A) electronically receiving at least one image corresponding to at least one ticket or at least one link to the at least one image, the at least one image comprising at least one indication of at least one dig area, and data relating to the at least one image;

B) based on the data relating to the at least one image, identifying ticket information corresponding to the at least one ticket;

C) electronically bundling the at least one image or the at least one link with the ticket information to generate a ticket bundle; and

D) providing the ticket bundle to at least one party associated with the at least one underground facility.

40. A method for facilitating detection of a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within at least one dig area, wherein at least a portion of the at least one dig areas may be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the method comprising:

A) receiving at least one image corresponding to at least one ticket or at least one link to the at least one image, the at least one image comprising at least one indication of at least one dig area, and data relating to the at least one image;

B) based on the data relating to the at least one image, identifying ticket information corresponding to the at least one ticket;

C) electronically bundling the at least one image or the at least one link with the ticket information to generate a ticket bundle; and

D) providing the ticket bundle to at least one party associated with the at least one underground facility.