METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR ANALYZING LOCATE AND MARKING OPERATIONS WITH RESPECT TO ENVIRONMENTAL LANDMARKS
First Claim
1. In a computer comprising at least one hardware processor, at least one tangible storage medium, and at least one input/output (I/O) interface, a method for evaluating a quality of a locate and/or marking operation as at least partially performed by at least one technician at a work site of proposed excavation so as to identify a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility at the work site, the method comprising:
- A) comparing, by the at least one hardware processor, first information relating to the locate and/or marking operation as at least partially performed by the at least one technician, to second information relating to a presence or an absence of one or more reference environmental landmarks at the work site;
B) automatically generating, by the at least one hardware processor based on A), at least one indication of a quality assessment of the locate and/or marking operation as at least partially performed by the at least one technician; and
C) electronically storing on the at least one tangible storage medium, and/or electronically transmitting via the at least one I/O interface, the at least one indication of the quality assessment so as to provide an electronic record of the quality assessment.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, apparatus and systems including a computer comprising at least one hardware processor, at least one tangible storage medium (memory), and at least one input/output (I/O) interface for evaluating a quality of a locate and/or marking operation. First information relating to the locate and/or marking operation is compared to second information relating to one or more environmental landmarks. One or more indications of a quality assessment of the locate and/or marking operation is automatically generated based on such a comparison, and the one or more indications of the quality assessment are electronically stored on the at least one tangible storage medium, and/or electronically transmitted via the at least one I/O interface, so as to provide an electronic record of the quality assessment.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. In a computer comprising at least one hardware processor, at least one tangible storage medium, and at least one input/output (I/O) interface, a method for evaluating a quality of a locate and/or marking operation as at least partially performed by at least one technician at a work site of proposed excavation so as to identify a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility at the work site, the method comprising:
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A) comparing, by the at least one hardware processor, first information relating to the locate and/or marking operation as at least partially performed by the at least one technician, to second information relating to a presence or an absence of one or more reference environmental landmarks at the work site; B) automatically generating, by the at least one hardware processor based on A), at least one indication of a quality assessment of the locate and/or marking operation as at least partially performed by the at least one technician; and C) electronically storing on the at least one tangible storage medium, and/or electronically transmitting via the at least one I/O interface, the at least one indication of the quality assessment so as to provide an electronic record of the quality assessment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. An apparatus for evaluating a quality of a locate and/or marking operation as at least partially performed by at least one technician at a work site of proposed excavation so as to identify a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility at the work site, the apparatus comprising:
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at least one input/output (I/O) interface; at least one memory storing processor-executable instructions; and a processor coupled to the memory and the at least one I/O interface, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the processor, the processor; A) compares first information relating to the locate and/or marking operation as at least partially performed by the at least one technician, to second information relating to a presence or an absence of one or more reference environmental landmarks at the work site; B) automatically generates, based on A), at least one indication of a quality assessment of the locate and/or marking operation as at least partially performed by the at least one technician; and C) controls the at least one memory so as to electronically store, and/or controls the at least one I/O interface so as to electronically transmit, the at least one indication of the quality assessment so as to provide an electronic record of the quality assessment.
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32. At least one computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor in a computer comprising at least one input/output (I/O) interface, perform a method for evaluating a quality of a locate and/or marking operation as at least partially performed by at least one technician at a work site of proposed excavation so as to identify a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within the work site, the method comprising:
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A) comparing first information relating to the locate and/or marking operation as at least partially performed by the at least one technician, to second information relating to a presence of an absence of one or more reference environmental landmarks at the work site; B) automatically generating, based on A), at least one indication of a quality assessment of the locate and marking operation as at least partially performed by the at least one technician; and C) electronically storing on the at least one computer-readable storage medium, and/or electronically transmitting via the at least one I/O interface, the at least one indication of the quality assessment so as to provide an electronic record of the quality assessment.
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Specification