METHODS, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEMS FOR ACQUIRING AN ENHANCED POSITIVE RESPONSE FOR UNDERGROUND FACILITY LOCATE AND MARKING OPERATIONS BASED ON AN ELECTRONIC MANIFEST DOCUMENTING PHYSICAL LOCATE MARKS ON GROUND, PAVEMENT, OR OTHER SURFACE
First Claim
1. An apparatus for integrating multiple elements of information relating to a locate and marking operation so as to provide an enhanced positive response to at least one first entity associated with requesting the locate and marking operation, the locate and marking operation performed by a locate technician in response to at least one locate request ticket and comprising applying, by the locate technician, at least one physical locate mark on ground, pavement, or other surface to indicate a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area is planned to be excavated or disturbed by an excavator during excavation activities, the apparatus comprising:
- a communication interface;
a memory to store processor-executable instructions; and
at least one processor communicatively coupled to the communication interface and the memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the at least one processor, the at least one processor;
A) generates the at least one locate request ticket, the at least one locate request ticket comprising at least one digital image of a geographic area proximate to and including the dig area and at least one of;
at least one electronic dig area indicator to delimit the dig area on the at least one digital image; and
geographic coordinates for the at least one electronic dig area indicator;
B) controls the communication interface to electronically transmit the at least one locate request ticket to at least one second entity associated with performing the locate and marking operation;
C) controls the communication interface to electronically receive from the at least one second entity associated with performing the locate and marking operation, in response to the at least one locate request ticket, at least one of;
the enhanced positive response for the locate and marking operation; and
an electronic link to the enhanced positive response, wherein the enhanced positive response includes at least one of;
an electronic manifest of the locate and marking operation, the electronic manifest including the at least one digital image, the at least one electronic dig area indicator on the at least one digital image, and at least one electronic marking electronically drawn on the at least one digital image by the locate technician and corresponding to the at least one physical locate mark applied by the locate technician to the ground, pavement, or other surface during the locate and marking operation, so as to graphically depict the locate and marking operation performed by the locate technician; and
geographic coordinates for the at least one electronic dig area indicator and the at least one electronic marking corresponding to the at least one physical locate mark applied by the locate technician to the ground, pavement, or other surface; and
D) controls the communication interface to electronically transmit to the at least one first entity associated with requesting the locate and marking operation at least one of;
the enhanced positive response for the locate and marking operation; and
the electronic link to the enhanced positive response, so as to reduce uncertainty relating to a completeness and/or a quality of performance of the locate and marking operation and reduce a risk of damage to underground facilities during the excavation activities.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A positive response notification to provide information regarding locate and/or marking operations for underground facilities may include time-stamp information to provide proof of a time at which the locate and/or marking operation was completed by a locate technician, and/or place-stamp information to provide proof of a presence of the locate technician at or near a work site. An electronic manifest image and/or a virtual white line image similarly may be included in a positive response notification. In one example, such images may be bundled together based on respective descriptor files (or descriptor metadata) that associates the corresponding images with a locate request ticket for the operation. In another example, a positive response notification may include environmental information regarding one or more environmental conditions present at or near the work site during the locate and/or marking operation.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for integrating multiple elements of information relating to a locate and marking operation so as to provide an enhanced positive response to at least one first entity associated with requesting the locate and marking operation, the locate and marking operation performed by a locate technician in response to at least one locate request ticket and comprising applying, by the locate technician, at least one physical locate mark on ground, pavement, or other surface to indicate a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area is planned to be excavated or disturbed by an excavator during excavation activities, the apparatus comprising:
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a communication interface; a memory to store processor-executable instructions; and at least one processor communicatively coupled to the communication interface and the memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the at least one processor, the at least one processor; A) generates the at least one locate request ticket, the at least one locate request ticket comprising at least one digital image of a geographic area proximate to and including the dig area and at least one of; at least one electronic dig area indicator to delimit the dig area on the at least one digital image; and geographic coordinates for the at least one electronic dig area indicator; B) controls the communication interface to electronically transmit the at least one locate request ticket to at least one second entity associated with performing the locate and marking operation; C) controls the communication interface to electronically receive from the at least one second entity associated with performing the locate and marking operation, in response to the at least one locate request ticket, at least one of; the enhanced positive response for the locate and marking operation; and an electronic link to the enhanced positive response, wherein the enhanced positive response includes at least one of; an electronic manifest of the locate and marking operation, the electronic manifest including the at least one digital image, the at least one electronic dig area indicator on the at least one digital image, and at least one electronic marking electronically drawn on the at least one digital image by the locate technician and corresponding to the at least one physical locate mark applied by the locate technician to the ground, pavement, or other surface during the locate and marking operation, so as to graphically depict the locate and marking operation performed by the locate technician; and geographic coordinates for the at least one electronic dig area indicator and the at least one electronic marking corresponding to the at least one physical locate mark applied by the locate technician to the ground, pavement, or other surface; and D) controls the communication interface to electronically transmit to the at least one first entity associated with requesting the locate and marking operation at least one of; the enhanced positive response for the locate and marking operation; and the electronic link to the enhanced positive response, so as to reduce uncertainty relating to a completeness and/or a quality of performance of the locate and marking operation and reduce a risk of damage to underground facilities during the excavation activities. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for integrating multiple elements of information relating to a locate and marking operation so as to provide an enhanced positive response to at least one first entity associated with requesting the locate and marking operation, the locate and marking operation performed by a locate technician in response to at least one locate request ticket, the locate and marking operation comprising applying, by the locate technician, at least one physical locate mark on ground, pavement, or other surface to indicate a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area is planned to be excavated or disturbed by an excavator during excavation activities, the method facilitated by an apparatus including at least one processor, the method comprising:
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A) generating, by the at least one processor, the at least one locate request ticket including at least one digital image of a geographic area proximate to and including the dig area and at least one of; at least one electronic dig area indicator to delimit the dig area on the at least one digital image; and geographic coordinates for the at least one electronic dig area indicator; B) electronically transmitting, by the at least one processor via at least one communication interface, the at least one locate request ticket to at least one second entity associated with performing the locate and marking operation; C) electronically receiving, by the at least one processor via the at least one communication interface, from the at least one second entity associated with performing the locate and marking operation, in response to the at least one locate request ticket, at least one of; the enhanced positive response for the locate and marking operation; and an electronic link to the enhanced positive response, wherein the enhanced positive response includes at least one of; an electronic manifest of the locate and marking operation, the electronic manifest including the at least one digital image, the at least one electronic dig area indicator on the at least one digital image, and at least one electronic marking electronically drawn on the at least one digital image by the locate technician and corresponding to the at least one physical locate mark applied by the locate technician to the ground, pavement, or other surface during the locate and marking operation, so as to graphically depict the locate and marking operation performed by the locate technician; and geographic coordinates for the at least one electronic dig area indicator and the at least one electronic marking corresponding to the at least one physical locate mark applied by the locate technician to the ground, pavement, or other surface; and D) electronically transmitting, by the at least one processor via the at least one communication interface, to the at least one first entity associated with requesting the locate and marking operation at least one of; the enhanced positive response for the locate and marking operation; and the electronic link to the enhanced positive response, so as to reduce uncertainty relating to a completeness and/or a quality of performance of the locate and marking operation and reduce a risk of damage to underground facilities during the excavation activities. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform a method for integrating multiple elements of information relating to a locate and marking operation so as to provide an enhanced positive response to at least one first entity associated with requesting the locate and marking operation, the locate and marking operation performed by a locate technician in response to at least one locate request ticket, the locate and marking operation comprising applying, by the locate technician, at least one physical locate mark on ground, pavement, or other surface to indicate a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area is planned to be excavated or disturbed by an excavator during excavation activities, the method comprising:
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A) generating the at least one locate request ticket including at least one digital image of a geographic area proximate to and including the dig area and at least one of; at least one electronic dig area indicator to delimit the dig area on the at least one digital image; and geographic coordinates for the at least one electronic dig area indicator; B) electronically transmitting, via at least one communication interface, the at least one locate request ticket to at least one second entity associated with performing the locate and marking operation; C) electronically receiving, via the at least one communication interface, from the at least one second entity associated with performing the locate and marking operation, in response to the at least one locate request ticket, at least one of; the enhanced positive response for the locate and marking operation; and an electronic link to the enhanced positive response, wherein the enhanced positive response includes at least one of; an electronic manifest of the locate and marking operation, the electronic manifest including the at least one digital image, the at least one electronic dig area indicator on the at least one digital image, and at least one electronic marking electronically drawn on the at least one digital image by the locate technician and corresponding to the at least one physical locate mark applied by the locate technician to the ground, pavement, or other surface during the locate and marking operation, so as to graphically depict the locate and marking operation performed by the locate technician; and geographic coordinates for the at least one electronic dig area indicator and the at least one electronic marking corresponding to the at least one physical locate mark applied by the locate technician to the ground, pavement, or other surface; and D) electronically transmitting, via the at least one communication interface, to the at least one first entity associated with requesting the locate and marking operation at least one of; the enhanced positive response for the locate and marking operation; and the electronic link to the enhanced positive response, so as to reduce uncertainty relating to a completeness and/or a quality of performance of the locate and marking operation and reduce a risk of damage to underground facilities during the planned excavation activities.
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Specification