LOCATING EQUIPMENT DOCKING STATION COMMUNICATIVELY COUPLED TO OR EQUIPPED WITH A MOBILE/PORTABLE DEVICE

• US 20110249394A1
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• 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, Davani, Tony
• Granted Patent: US 8,805,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1635 Details related to the integration of battery packs and other power supplies such as fuel cells or integrated AC adapter
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A docking station to dock locating equipment (e.g., marking devices, locate devices, combined locate and marking devices) may be communicatively coupled to and/or equipped with a mobile/portable device (e.g., a mobile phone, personal digital assistant or other portable computing device) that provides processing, electronic storage, electronic display, user interface, communication facilities and/or other functionality (e.g., GPS-enabled functionality) for the docking station. A mobile/portable device may be mechanically and/or electrically coupled to the docking station. The mobile/portable device may provide redundant, shared and/or backup functionality for the docking station to enhance robustness. In one example, the mobile/portable device itself serves as a docking station for the locating equipment.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a docking station to dock locating equipment for locating and/or marking a presence or an absence of an underground facility, the docking station comprising a mobile device interface to facilitate mechanical, electrical and/or communicative coupling of a mobile or portable computing device to the docking station.

2. A docking system comprising:

the docking station of claim 1; and

the mobile or portable computing device communicatively coupled to the docking station via the mobile device interface.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the mobile or portable computing device comprises a cellular telephone.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the mobile or portable computing device comprises a personal digital assistant.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the mobile or portable computing device serves as a user interface of the docking station.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the docking station includes:

a locating equipment interface to facilitate mechanical and/or electrical coupling of the locating equipment to the docking station.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising the locating equipment, wherein the locating equipment includes a marking device.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising the locating equipment, wherein the locating equipment includes a locate device.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising the locating equipment, wherein the locating equipment includes a combined locate and marking device.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the mobile device interface facilitates at least the electrical coupling of the mobile or portable computing device to the docking station, and wherein the mobile or portable computing device receives power from the docking station via the mobile device interface.

11. The system of claim 2, wherein the mobile or portable computing device is mechanically coupled to or integrated with the docking station.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the mobile or portable computing device includes a mechanical coupling to facilitate removal and reattachment of the mobile or portable computing device to the mobile device interface of the docking station.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein the mobile or portable computing device includes one or more of:

at least one first processor;

at least one first memory;

at least one first communication interface; and

at least one first user interface.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile or portable computing device includes the at least one first communication interface, and wherein the at least one first communication interface includes a wired interface for wired communication with the docking station.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile or portable computing device includes the at least one first communication interface, and wherein the at least one first communication interface includes a wireless interface for wireless communication with the docking station.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile or portable computing device includes the at least one first communication interface, and wherein the at least one first communication interface facilitates transfer of locating equipment information to and from the docking station.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one first processor of the mobile or portable computing device controls the at least one first memory and the at least one first communication interface of the mobile or portable computing device so as to log at least some of the locating equipment information transferred from the locating equipment docked in the docking station.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile or portable computing device includes the at least one first user interface, and wherein the at least one first user interface includes a touch screen to receive user inputs and to display information to a user.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile or portable computing device includes the at least one first user interface, and wherein the at least one first user interface includes a display device to display information associated with docking station operation.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile or portable computing device further includes a location tracking system to determine geographical coordinates for use by the docking station.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the at least one first memory stores processor-executable instructions; and

via execution by the at least one first processor of the processor-executable instructions, and/or via retrieval of external instructions, external applications, and/or other external information via the at least one first communication interface, the mobile or portable device provides essentially all processing and related functionality required to operate the docking station.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the at least one first memory stores processor-executable instructions; and

via execution by the at least one first processor of the processor-executable instructions, and/or via retrieval of external instructions, external applications, and/or other external information via the at least one first communication interface, the mobile or portable device provides only some portion of functionality required to operate the docking station.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the at least one first memory stores processor-executable instructions; and

via execution by the at least one first processor of the processor-executable instructions, and/or via retrieval of external instructions, external applications, and/or other external information via the at least one first communication interface, the mobile or portable device provides redundant, shared, and/or backup functionality for the docking station.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile or portable computing device includes a timing system to provide a current date and time for logging of docking station operations.

25. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the at least one first memory stores processor-executable instructions; and

via execution by the at least one first processor of the processor-executable instructions, and/or via retrieval of external instructions, external applications, and/or other external information via the at least one first communication interface, the mobile or portable device implements a diagnostics routine for testing of the docking station.

26. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the at least one first memory stores processor-executable instructions; and

via execution by the at least one first processor of the processor-executable instructions, and/or via retrieval of external instructions, external applications, and/or other external information via the at least one first communication interface, the mobile or portable device implements a diagnostics routine for testing of the locating equipment.

27. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the at least one first memory stores processor-executable instructions; and

via execution by the at least one first processor of the processor-executable instructions, and/or via retrieval of external instructions, external applications, and/or other external information via the at least one first communication interface, the mobile or portable device implements a calibration routine for calibration of the locating equipment.

28. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the at least one first memory stores processor-executable instructions; and

via execution by the at least one first processor of the processor-executable instructions, and/or via retrieval of external instructions, external applications, and/or other external information via the at least one first communication interface, the mobile or portable device determines a charge state of a battery in the locating equipment.

29. A method for docking locating equipment of the type used to locate and/or mark a presence or an absence of an underground facility, the method comprising:

mechanically, electronically and/or communicatively coupling the locating equipment to a docking station; and

performing one or more operations of the docking station using a mobile or computing device communicatively coupled to the docking station.

30. A docking station for docking a marking device of the type used to mark a presence or an absence of an underground facility, the docking station comprising:

a mobile computing device including an electronic interface configured to transfer information to and from the marking device, the mobile computing device programmed to perform at least one operation involving communication with the marking device and functioning as a docking station for the marking device.

31. A method for operating a marking device of the type used to mark a presence or an absence of an underground facility, the method comprising:

electronically coupling a mobile computing device to the marking device; and

transferring information to and between the marking device and the mobile computing device, wherein the mobile computing device functions as a docking station for the marking device.

32. A system, comprising:

a marking device configured to mark a presence or an absence of an underground facility; and

a mobile computing device communicatively coupled to the marking device, wherein the mobile computing device functions as a docking station for the marking device.