MARKING APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION REGARDING UNDERGROUND FACILITY MARKING OPERATIONS, AND ASSOCIATED METHODS AND SYSTEMS

• US 20100256825A1
• Filed: 06/09/2010
• Published: 10/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Certusview Technologies LLC (Dycom Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Certusview Technologies LLC (Dycom Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nielsen, Steven, Chambers, Curtis, Farr, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,731,830 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/283
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/0026 to inhibit delivery
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/004 comprising sensors for monitoring the delivery, e.g. by displaying the sensed value or generating an alarm B05B12/08 takes precedence; registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus in general G07C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/08 responsive to condition of liquid or other fluent material to be discharged, of ambient medium or of target ; responsive to condition of spray devices or of supply means, e.g. pipes, pumps or their drive means
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/12 responsive to conditions of ambient medium or target, e.g. humidity, temperature position or movement of the target relative to the spray apparatus B05B12/082, B05B12/084 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/124 responsive to distance between spray apparatus and target
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/126 responsive to target velocity, e.g. to relative velocity between spray apparatus and target B05B9/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/02 performed by spraying
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/203 comprising an extension rod located between the aerosol container and the hand grip setting-out line markings on playing courts A63C19/065; marking-out on finished paving by spraying from aerosol containers E01C23/227
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/20 for forming markings in situ
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/22 by spraying E01C23/206 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/227 the marking material being supplied in aerosol containers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/04 Permanent marks; Boundary markers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/06 Surveyors' staffs; Movable markers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/08 Construction

Abstract

Methods, apparatus and systems for marking a presence or absence of an underground facility. Marking material is dispensed, via actuation of an actuation system of a marking device, onto a target surface. Environmental information regarding at least one environmental condition of an environment in which the marking device is located is received via at least one communication interface of the marking device, and marking information is logged into local memory of the marking device. In one aspect, the stored marking information includes at least some of the environmental information.

Claims

1. An apparatus for marking a presence or absence of an underground facility, the apparatus comprising:

at least one actuator to control dispensing of a marking material for marking the presence or absence of the underground facility;

a memory to store processor-executable instructions;

at least one communication interface; and

at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one actuator, the memory, and the at least one communication interface, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions, the processor;

controls the at least one communication interface to receive environmental information regarding at least one environmental condition of an environment in which the apparatus is located; and

stores at least some of the received environmental information in the memory.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one environmental condition is ambient temperature.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one environmental condition is ambient humidity.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one environmental condition is an altitude of a location at which the apparatus is located.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one communication interface communicatively couples the apparatus to a network, and wherein the environmental information is received over the network.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the network is the Internet.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one communication interface is a wireless communication interface.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the at least one communication interface is configured to wirelessly couple the apparatus to a network.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one environmental condition is at least one first environmental condition, and wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one input device communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to sense at least one second environmental condition of the environment in which the apparatus is located and provide an output signal to the at least one processor indicative of the at least one second environmental condition.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions, the processor processes in combination the output signal of the at least one input device and the environmental information received by the at least one communication interface.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one first environmental condition differs from the at least one second environmental condition .

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, upon execution of the processor-executable instructions, the processor:

controls the at least one communication interface to receive the environmental information periodically.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, upon execution of the processor-executable instructions, the processor:

controls the at least one communication interface to receive the environmental information upon actuation of the at least one actuator.

14. A method for performing a marking operation to mark a presence or absence of at least one underground facility using a marking device, the method comprising:

A) dispensing, via actuation of an actuation system of the marking device, marking material onto a target surface;

B) receiving, via at least one communication interface of the marking device, environmental information regarding at least one environmental condition of an environment in which the marking device is located; and

C) logging into local memory of the marking device marking information relating at least in part to A) and B).

15. The method of claim 14, wherein B) comprises receiving an ambient temperature of the environment in which the marking device is located.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein B) comprises receiving a humidity of the environment in which the marking device is located.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein B) comprises receiving an altitude of a location at which the marking device is located.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one communication interface communicatively couples the marking device to a network, and wherein B) comprises receiving the environmental information over the network.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the network is the Internet.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the network is a local area network.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one communication interface is a wireless communication interface and wherein B) comprises wirelessly receiving the environmental information.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one communication interface is configured to wirelessly couple the marking device to a network, and wherein B) comprises wirelessly receiving the environmental information over the network.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one environmental condition is at least one first environmental condition, and wherein the method further comprises:

D) detecting, via at least one input device of the marking device, at least one second environmental condition of the environment in which the marking device is located, and wherein C) comprises logging into local memory of the marking device marking information relating at least in part to A), B) and D).

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

E) processing in combination the marking information relating to B) and D).

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least one first environmental condition differs from the at least one second environmental condition.

26. The method of claim 14, wherein B) comprises receiving the environmental information periodically.

27. The method of claim 14, wherein B) is performed in response to A).

28. At least one computer readable storage medium storing processor-executable instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, perform a method for facilitating a marking operation to mark a presence or absence of at least one underground facility using a marking device, the method comprising:

A) receiving, via at least one communication interface of the marking device, environmental information regarding at least one environmental condition of an environment in which the marking device is located; and

B) logging into local memory of the marking device at least some of the environmental information received in A).