SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COLLECTING AND UPDATING GEOGRAPHICAL DATA

• US 20110241936A1
• Filed: 05/02/2011
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Prostar Geocorp, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Global Precision Solutions, Llp
• Inventors: Sawyer, Tom Y. JR., Tucker, Page, Beckner, Mark, Jones, Scott Austin
• Granted Patent: US 8,144,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 342/357.48
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/00 Surveying instruments or accessories not provided for in groups G01C1/00 - G01C13/00

Abstract

A system and method for generating a geographical data transaction including information about a topography of a region and utilities within the region. The method and system include providing information about the topography of the region; receiving information from a user collecting data related to one or more utilities in the region; receiving information about time and date of the collected data; receiving information about each of the utilities; and receiving information about location of each of the utilities. The system and method further include receiving information about revisions made to the information about the map; and integrating the received information with the information about the topography of the region into a geographical data transaction.

Claims

1. A method for generating a geographical data transaction including information about a topography of a region and utilities within the region, the method comprising:

providing information about the topography of the region;

receiving information from a user collecting data related to one or more utilities in the region;

receiving information about time and date of the collected data;

receiving information about each of the utilities;

receiving information about location of each of the utilities;

receiving information about revisions made to the information about the topography; and

integrating the received information with the information about the topography of the region into a geographical data transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information about each of the utilities includes information about one or more of area, points, lines, and meta data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information about each of the utilities comprises reading information from an RFID associated with each of the utilities.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a geographical grid from the geographical data transaction.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising utilizing the geographical grid to identify and locate a utility in the region.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising displaying the geographical data transaction with reference to imagery of the area in real time.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing current location of the user relative to the location of a utility and displaying the geographical data transaction with reference to the imagery of the area as the user moves in any direction.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising creating a moving map from the precision integrated grid in real time and displaying the moving map for showing the location of the user in relation to a utility.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising pedigreeing the geographical data transaction.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising broadcasting the geographical data transaction into a portal.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a plurality of geographical data transactions for a respective plurality of owners and combining the plurality of geographical data transactions to generate a precision integrated grid.

12. A method for generating a geographical grid for a region, the method comprising:

storing information about a user collecting data related to one or more utilities in the region, meta data related to each of the utilities, location of each of the utilities, and revisions made to the meta data and the location of each of the utilities;

generating a geographical grid from the stored information; and

utilizing the geographical grid to identify and locate a utility in the region.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the meta data related to each of the utilities includes information about one or more of area, points, and lines.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising displaying the geographical grid in real time with reference to imagery of the area.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising creating a moving map from the grid in real time and displaying the moving map for showing the location of the user in relation to a utility.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising pedigreeing the stored information.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein generating a precision integrated grid from the stored information comprises generating a plurality of geographical data transactions for a respective plurality of owners and combining the plurality of geographical data transactions to generate the precision integrated grid.

18. A geographical data transaction record including information about a topography of a region and utilities within the region comprising:

a first record for storing information about the topography of the region;

a second record for storing information about a user collecting data related to one or more utilities in the region;

a third record for storing information about time and date of the collected data;

a fourth record for storing information about each of the utilities;

a fifth record for storing information about location of each of the utilities;

a sixth record for storing information about revisions made to the information about the topography.

19. A system for generating a geographical grid in a region comprising:

a database for storing information about a topography of the region, a user collecting data related to one or more utilities in the geographical region, meta data related to each of the utilities, location of each of the utilities, and revisions made to the meta data and the location of each of the utilities;

a processor for generating a geographical grid from the stored information; and

means for utilizing the geographical grid to identify and locate a utility in the region.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a display screen for displaying the geographical grid in real time with reference to imagery of the area.