SYSTEMS FOR AND METHODS OF SIMULATING FACILITIES FOR USE IN LOCATE OPERATIONS TRAINING EXERCISES

• US 20100330542A1
• Filed: 06/18/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Certusview Technologies LLC (Dycom Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Certusview Technologies LLC (Dycom Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chambers, Curtis, Nielsen, Steven, Farr, Jeffrey, Bachelder, Thomas William
• Granted Patent: US 8,585,410 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/219
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26

Abstract

Systems for and methods of simulating facilities for use in locate operations training exercises are disclosed. Embodiments of the simulated facilities systems include a floor system in which one or more concealed wires may be energized to simulate underground facilities for the purpose of performing, for example, locate operations training, updating, and/or certification exercises for locate technicians. Embodiments of the simulated facilities systems include configurable pedestals by which either non-electric power line type of facilities and/or electric power line types of facility may be simulated. In some embodiments, simulated facilities systems may be configured manually and/or by use of a system controller.

Claims

1. A simulated facilities system to simulate underground facilities, comprising:

a floor system configured to define a simulated dig area, the floor system including a simulated marking surface to permit location and marking of simulated facilities, and one or more simulated facilities concealed in the floor system below the marking surface; and

a system controller including one or more locate routines to control configuration and operation of the simulated facilities.

2. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 1, wherein the simulated facilities include one or more wires located in the floor system below the marking surface.

3. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 1, wherein the simulated facilities include two or more wires at different depths.

4. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 3, wherein at least two of the wires at different depths cross to simulate crossing underground facilities.

5. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 1, wherein the simulated facilities define at least one branch.

6. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 1, wherein the floor system further includes at least one pedestal having a connection to at least one of the simulated facilities.

7. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 6, wherein the pedestal permits connection of one or more of the simulated facilities to an AC signal or to a detection signal.

8. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 6, wherein the pedestal includes a first circuit to supply a detection signal to one or more of the simulated facilities and a second circuit to supply an AC signal to one or more of the simulated facilities.

9. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 1, wherein the floor system further includes at least one manhole having a connection to at least one of the simulated facilities.

10. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the simulated facilities comprises a wire including wire segments interconnected by respective inline circuits.

11. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 10, wherein each of the inline circuits includes a switch connected in series with the wire segments and an amplifier to condition a signal on the wire segments.

12. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 1, wherein the marking surface comprises a surface of the floor system.

13. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 1, wherein the marking surface is replaceable.

14. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 1, wherein the simulated facilities include at least one wire that follows a facilities path and an embedded light generator that follows the facilities path, wherein the embedded light generator includes a plurality of illumination devices.

15. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 1, wherein the simulated facilities include light elements that are energized by actuation of a marking device in proximity to the light elements.

16. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 1, wherein the simulated facilities comprise a programmable wire matrix including a plurality of interconnectable wire segments.

17. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 8, wherein the system controller is configured to enable operation of the pedestal.

18. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 8, wherein the system controller is configured to set a mode of operation of the pedestal.

19. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 8, wherein the system controller is configured to control one or more settings of the first and second circuits in the pedestal.

20. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 11, wherein the system controller is configured to control the switch in the inline circuit.

21. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 11, wherein the system controller is configured to control the amplifier in the inline circuit.

22. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 16, wherein the system controller is configured to control interconnection of the wire segments of the programmable wire matrix.

23. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 14, wherein the system controller is configured to control the illumination devices of the embedded light generator.

24. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 1, wherein the floor system further includes at least one pedestal configured for manual control of at least one of the simulated facilities.

25. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the simulated facilities is programmable.

26. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 1, wherein the floor system comprises a raised floor having the marking surface thereon.

27. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 1, wherein the marking surface is contoured to simulate the dig area.

28. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 1, wherein the marking surface is textured to simulate the dig area.

29. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 1, wherein one or more of the simulated facilities are movable within the floor system.

30. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 1, wherein the floor system is configured for indoor installation.

31. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 1, wherein the floor system is configured for outdoor installation.

32. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 1, wherein the floor system is configured to be carried in a vehicle.

33. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 32, wherein the floor system is dimensioned and shaped to fit within and be carried by a vehicle.

34. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 32, wherein at least part of the floor system is extendable from the vehicle during simulation operations.

35. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 32, wherein the floor assembly is configured to be installed in a trailer.

36. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 35, wherein at least a section of the floor assembly slides or folds from a side or an end of the trailer.

37. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 32, wherein the floor assembly is configured to permit location and marking of the simulated facilities when the floor system is at least partially within the vehicle.

38. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 32, wherein the floor system is removable from the vehicle to permit location and marking of the simulated facilities.

39. A simulated facilities system as defined in claim 1, wherein the simulated facilities are located in the floor system at depths less than actual depths of underground facilities and wherein the system controller is configured to scale the locations of the simulated facilities to simulate the actual depths of underground facilities.

40. A method for simulating underground facilities, comprising:

providing a floor system configured to define a simulated dig area, the floor system including a simulated marking surface to permit location and marking of simulated facilities, and one or more simulated facilities concealed in the floor system below the marking surface;

controlling the configuration and operation of the simulated facilities to define a facility locate routine; and

performing location and marking of the simulated facilities according to the defined facility locate routine.

41. A method as defined in claim 40, wherein controlling includes configuring the simulated facilities to simulate one or more of a beginner routine, an intermediate routine, an expert routine, a broken tracer wire routine, a long run routine, a crossing facilities routine, a branch routine, and a manhole routine.

42. A method as defined in claim 40, wherein controlling includes selecting a complexity level of the facility locate routine from two or more different complexity levels of the facility locate routine.

43. A method for facility locate training comprising:

providing a floor system configured to define a simulated dig area, the floor system including a simulated marking surface to permit location and marking of simulated facilities, and one or more simulated facilities concealed in the floor system below the marking surface;

configuring the simulated facilities to define a facility locate routine;

performing, by a user, simulated location and marking operations in accordance with the defined facility locate routine;

evaluating the simulated location and marking operations; and

coaching the user based on the evaluation of the simulated location and marking operations.

44. A floor system to simulate underground facilities in a simulated dig area, comprising:

a simulated marking surface to permit location and marking of simulated facilities in the simulated dig area; and

one or more simulated facilities concealed in the floor system below the marking surface.

45. A mobile simulated facilities system to simulate underground facilities, comprising:

a floor system configured to be carried in a vehicle and to define a simulated dig area, the floor system including a simulated marking surface to permit location and marking of simulated facilities, and one or more simulated facilities concealed in the floor system below the marking surface; and

a system controller including one or more locate routines to control configuration and operation of the simulated facilities.

46. A method for simulating underground facilities, comprising:

providing a floor system configured to be carried in a vehicle and to define a simulated dig area, the floor system including a simulated marking surface to permit location and marking of simulated facilities, and one or more simulated facilities concealed in the floor system below the marking surface;

transporting the floor system in the vehicle;

controlling the configuration and operation of the simulated facilities to define a facility locate routine; and

performing location and marking of the simulated facilities according to the defined facility locate routine.

47. A method for facility locate training comprising:

providing a floor system configured to be carried in a vehicle and to define a simulated dig area, the floor system including a simulated marking surface to permit location and marking of simulated facilities, and one or more simulated facilities concealed in the floor system below the marking surface;

transporting the floor system in the vehicle;

configuring the simulated facilities to define a facility locate routine;

performing, by a user, simulated location and marking operations in accordance with the defined facility locate routine;

evaluating the simulated location and marking operations; and

coaching the user based on the evaluation of the simulated location and marking operations.

48. A mobile floor system to simulate underground facilities in a simulated dig area, comprising:

a simulated marking surface to permit location and marking of simulated facilities in the simulated dig area; and

one or more simulated facilities concealed in the mobile floor system below the marking surface, the mobile floor system configured to be carried in a vehicle.

49. A mobile simulated facilities system to simulate underground facilities, comprising:

a vehicle including a trailer;

a floor system configured to be carried in the trailer and to define a simulated dig area, the floor system including a simulated marking surface to permit location and marking of simulated facilities, and one or more simulated facilities concealed in the floor system below the marking surface; and

a system controller including one or more locate routines to control configuration and operation of the simulated facilities.