Method and system for provisioning facility-based maps and related information to field personnel

• US 7,773,095 B1
• Filed: 04/08/2003
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mason, Jacquenetta M., Natha, Udaya Bhaskar, Eslambolchi, Hossein, Stewart, Harold Jeffrey, Giddens, Charles C., Badrak, Maksym, Gaddamanugu, Bala Surya Siva Sri
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu; Joni
• Application Number:
  US10/409,399
• Time in Patent Office: 2,681 Days
• Field of Search: 345/619, 701201-211, 702/5, 707/104.1, 707/100
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and system for wireless and network based mapping method and system for supporting field personnel to access, select and download facilities related maps and related information. Mapping files are manipulated in accordance with a grid block overlay over a first level map display. Each of the grid blocks is uniquely identifiable and indexed with one or more algorithms necessary for the local creation of an enhanced and/or enlarged second level of display.

Claims

1. A method of processing and displaying enhancements to a digital map on a display screen of a display device, comprising:

receiving a ticket comprising a first level digital map file of buried facilities and a set of associated display instructions comprising one or more algorithms;

displaying the first level digital map file as a first level digital map display on the display device;

selecting a portion of the first level digital map display for enhancing or enlarging the selected portion of the first level digital map display, wherein an enhancement or an enlargement of said selected portion is stored within said ticket;

detecting within the received ticket, one or more assigned algorithms required for the display of the selected portion of the first level digital map display;

creating, via the display device, a second level digital map file of buried facilities and a second level digital map display detailing the selected portion of the first level digital map display in accordance with the display instructions of the detected one or more assigned algorithms required for display of the second level digital map display;

displaying the second level digital map display on the display device;

receiving a dig notification;

detecting locating information within the received dig notification for identifying a location of a dig site; and

correlating the dig site with the first level digital map file and the display instructions.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning one or more algorithms to the first level map file for enhancing any selected portion of the first level map display.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising overlaying a grid over the first level map display so as to subdivide the first level map display into unique and selectable grid blocks.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising assigning one or more display algorithms to each of the grid blocks.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising displaying each of said grid blocks in accordance with a set of display instructions within each of the one or more algorithms assigned to each of the grid blocks.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the ticket over a wireless medium to a receiving wireless displaying device.

7. A method of processing and displaying enhancements and enlargements to a digital map on a display screen of a wireless and remote display device, comprising:

receiving a ticket comprising a first level digital map file of buried facilities and a set of associated display instructions comprising one or more algorithm identifiers for designating algorithms resident on the display device to be used in the enhancement and enlargement of a display on the display device;

displaying the first level digital map file as a first level digital map display on the display device;

selecting a portion of the first level digital map display for enhancing or enlarging the selected portion of the first level digital map display, wherein an enhancement or an enlargement of said selected portion is stored within said ticket;

detecting, within the received ticket, one or more algorithm identifiers required for the display of the selected portion of the first level digital map display;

creating, via the display device, a second level digital map file of buried facilities and a second level digital map display detailing the selected portion of the first level digital map display in accordance with the display instructions of one or more assigned algorithms corresponding to the one or more detected algorithm identifiers required for display of the second level digital map display;

displaying the second level digital map display on the display device;

receiving a dig notification;

detecting locating information within the received dig notification for identifying a location of a dig site; and

correlating the dig site with the first level digital map file and the display instructions.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising assigning one or more algorithm identifiers to the first level map file for the enhancement of any selected portion of the first level map display.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising overlaying a grid over the first level map display so as to subdivide the first level map display into unique and selectable grid blocks.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising assigning one or more display algorithm identifiers to each of the grid blocks.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising displaying each of said grid blocks in accordance with a set of display instructions within each of the one or more algorithms assigned to each of the grid blocks.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting the ticket over a wireless medium to a receiving wireless displaying device.

13. A system for processing and displaying enhancements and enlargements to a digital map on a display screen of a wireless and remote display device, comprising:

a server for receiving a dig notification and for detecting locating information for identifying a dig site within the received dig notification and for subdividing a first map of buried facilities into sub-sections and assigning each sub-section with a display algorithm, wherein said dig site is correlated with the first map; and

a wireless display device in wireless communication with the server for displaying the first map of buried facilities and creating and displaying a second map of buried facilities in accordance with a designated display algorithm assigned to the sub-sections of the first map, wherein said second map comprises an enhancement or an enlargement of one or more of said sub-sections of said first map.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising a means for wirelessly transmitting a ticket containing locating information and a set of instructions for creating and displaying at the wireless device the second map in accordance with the designated display algorithm assigned to the sub-sections of the first map.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the server is operative for overlaying a grid over the first level map display so as to sub-divide the first level map display into unique and selectable sub-sections.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the wireless display device is operative for displaying each of the sub-sections in accordance with a set of display instructions associated with each of the sub-sections.

17. A system for processing and displaying enhancements and enlargements to a digital map on a display screen of a wireless and remote display device, comprising:

a server for receiving a dig notification and for detecting locating information with the received dig notification and for identifying the location of a dig site;

a wireless display device in communication with the server for receiving a ticket comprising a first level digital map file of buried facilities and a set of associated display instructions comprising one or more algorithm identifiers for designating the algorithms resident on the display device to be used in the enhancement and enlargement of a display on the display device, displaying the first level digital map file as a first level digital map display on the display device, selecting a portion of the first level digital map display for enhancing or enlarging the selected portion of the first level digital map display, wherein an enhancement or an enlargement of said selected portion is stored within said ticket, detecting within the received ticket, one or more algorithm identifiers required for the display of the selected portion of the first level digital map display, creating a second level digital map file of buried facilities and a second level digital map display detailing the selected portion of the first level digital map display in accordance with the display instructions of one or more assigned algorithms corresponding to the one or more detected algorithm identifiers required for display of the second level digital map display, wherein said dig site is correlated with the first level digital map.