VIRTUAL WHITE LINES (VWL) FOR DELIMITING PLANNED EXCAVATION SITES OF STAGED EXCAVATION PROJECTS

• US 20100205555A1
• 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 8,356,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• 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. 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.

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 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 first source data representing a first input image of a geographic area including a first dig area, wherein the first dig area corresponds to a first stage of an staged excavation project;

controls the display device to display at least a portion of the first input image on the display device;

acquires at least one first user input from the at least one user input device;

generates a first marked-up digital image including at least one first indicator overlaid on the first input image to provide at least one indication of the first dig area;

controls the communication interface to electronically receive second source data representing a second input image of a geographic area including a second dig area, wherein the second dig area corresponds to a subsequent stage of the staged excavation project;

controls the display device to display at least a portion of the second input image on the display device;

acquires at least one second user input from the at least one user input device;

generates a second marked-up digital image including at least one second indicator overlaid on the second input image to provide at least one indication of the second dig area; and

further controls the communication interface and/or the memory to electronically transmit and/or electronically store first information relating to the first marked-up digital image together with second information relating to the second 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 first and second dig areas.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

adding a first indication to the first marked-up digital image that first dig area corresponds to the first stage of the staged excavation project.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

adding a second indication to the second marked-up digital image that second dig area corresponds to the subsequent stage of the staged excavation project.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

adding a first excavation date corresponding to the first dig area to the first marked-up digital image.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

adding a second excavation date corresponding to the second dig area to the second marked-up digital image.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein I) comprises:

electronically storing the first and second information with a corresponding descriptor file comprising information identifying at least one ticket number.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one ticket number comprises a first ticket number corresponding to the first stage of the staged excavation project and at least one additional ticket number corresponding to the subsequent stage of the staged excavation project.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the descriptor file further comprises a first stage identifier corresponding to the first stage of the staged excavation project and a second stage identifier corresponding to the subsequent stage of the staged excavation project.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the descriptor file further comprises a first stage date corresponding to the first stage of the staged excavation project and a second stage date corresponding to the subsequent stage of the staged excavation project.

10. 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 first source data representing a first input image of a geographic area including a first dig area, wherein the first dig area corresponds to a first stage of an staged excavation project;

B) processing the first source data so as to display at least a portion of the first input image on the 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 first input image to provide at least one indication of the first dig area and thereby generate a first marked-up digital image;

E) electronically receiving second source data representing a second input image of a geographic area including a second dig area, wherein the second dig area corresponds to a subsequent stage of the staged excavation project;

F) processing the second source data so as to display at least a portion of the second input image on the display device;

G) receiving at least one second user input via the at least one user input device;

H) adding, based on the at least one second user input, at least one second indicator to the displayed second input image to provide at least one indication of the second dig area and thereby generate a second marked-up digital image; and

I) electronically transmitting and/or electronically storing first information relating to the first marked-up digital image together with second information relating to the second 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 first and second dig areas.

11. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first and second marked-up digital images each comprise geographical metadata, and wherein the method further comprises:

using the geographical metadata, digitally configuring at least a portion of the first and second marked-up digital images in a contiguous manner.

12. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising:

adding a first indication to the first marked-up digital image that first dig area corresponds to the first stage of the staged excavation project.

13. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

adding a second indication to the second marked-up digital image that second dig area corresponds to the subsequent stage of the staged excavation project.

14. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising:

adding a first excavation date corresponding to the first dig area to the first marked-up digital image.

15. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising:

adding a second excavation date corresponding to the second dig area to the second marked-up digital image.

16. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein I) comprises:

electronically storing the first and second information with a corresponding descriptor file comprising information identifying at least one ticket number.

17. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the at least one ticket number comprises a first ticket number corresponding to the first stage of the staged excavation project and at least one additional ticket number corresponding to the subsequent stage of the staged excavation project.

18. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the descriptor file further comprises a first stage identifier corresponding to the first stage of the staged excavation project and a second stage identifier corresponding to the subsequent stage of the staged excavation project.

19. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the descriptor file further comprises a first stage date corresponding to the first stage of the staged excavation project and a second stage date corresponding to the subsequent stage of the staged excavation project.

20. 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 a second dig area, wherein at least a portion of the first and second dig areas may be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the method comprising:

A) electronically receiving first source data representing a first input image of a geographic area including a first dig area, wherein the first dig area corresponds to a first stage of an staged excavation project;

B) processing the first source data so as to display at least a portion of the first input image on the display device;

C) adding, via at least one user input device associated with the display device, at least one first indicator to the displayed first input image to provide at least one indication of the first dig area and thereby generate a first marked-up digital image;

D) electronically receiving second source data representing a second input image of a geographic area including a second dig area, wherein the second dig area corresponds to a subsequent stage of the staged excavation project;

E) processing the second source data so as to display at least a portion of the second input image on the display device;

F) adding, via the at least one user input device, at least one second indicator to the displayed second input image to provide at least one indication of the second dig area and thereby generate a second marked-up digital image; and

G) electronically transmitting and/or electronically storing first information relating to the first marked-up digital image together with second information relating to the second 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 first and second dig areas.