Storage and recall of buried asset data over communications networks for damage avoidance and mapping

• US 8,358,201 B1
• Filed: 07/06/2012
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UTTO Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Alan Haddy
• Inventors: Haddy, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Hai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Knox, Kaleria
• Application Number:
  US13/543,612
• Time in Patent Office: 200 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104.1, 702/150, 340/8.1
• US Class Current: 340/8.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

A method for facilitating collection and recall of buried asset data on a mobile device on a network is provided. The mobile device transmits current position data of the mobile device to a server via the network, and receives from the server, a) buried asset data including depth data and electrical signal data for one or more buried assets, wherein the buried asset data corresponds to the current position data, and b) a stored image of a physical area corresponding to the current position data, wherein the stored image comprises markings indicating a position of the buried assets. The mobile device further displays the buried asset data from the server, and reads a current image of the physical area of the mobile device. The mobile computing device further displays the stored image overlaid onto the current image, and determines that the stored image is aligned with the current image.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating collection and recall of buried asset data on a mobile computing device communicatively coupled with a communications network, comprising:

transmitting current position data of the mobile computing device to a server via the communications network;

receiving, from the server via the communications network, a) buried asset data including depth data and electrical signal data for one or more buried assets, wherein the buried asset data corresponds to the current position data, and b) a stored image of a physical area corresponding to the current position data, wherein the stored image comprises one or more markings indicating a position of the one or more buried assets;

displaying the buried asset data from the server;

reading a current image of the physical area from an optical sensor of the mobile computing device;

displaying the stored image simultaneously with the current image, wherein the stored image is overlaid onto the current image;

determining that the stored image is aligned within a margin of error to the current image;

receiving current buried asset data from one or more sensors communicatively coupled with the mobile computing device;

reading a second current image of the physical area from the optical sensor of the mobile computing device, wherein the second current image comprises one or more markings indicating a position of the one or more buried assets;

generating a data structure and auto-populating the data structure with the current buried asset data; and

transmitting the data structure and the second current image to the server via the communications network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting current position data further comprises:

receiving a radio frequency signal comprising a time the signal was transmitted and a location of a sender of the signal;

calculating current position data of the mobile computing device based on the signal; and

transmitting the current position data to a server via the communications network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of receiving buried asset data further comprises:

receiving, from the server via the communications network, a plurality of records, wherein each record includes;

a) buried asset data including depth data and electrical signal data for one or more buried assets, wherein the buried asset data corresponds to the current position data, and b) a stored image of a physical area corresponding to the current position data, wherein the stored image comprises one or more markings indicating a position of the one or more buried assets;

reading a selection of one of the plurality of records from a user; and

transmitting the selection to the server via the communications network.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising a step before the step of receiving buried asset data of:

receiving, from the server via the communications network, a plurality of images of a physical area corresponding to the current position data;

reading a selection of one of the plurality of images from a user; and

transmitting the selection to the server via the communications network.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of determining that the stored image is aligned within a margin of error with the current image further comprises:

reading a command from a user indicating that the stored image is aligned within a margin of error with the current image.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of determining that the stored image is aligned within a margin of error with the current image further comprises:

executing an image processing routine for determining that the stored image is aligned within a margin of error with the current image.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising a step before the step of generating a data structure of:

comparing the buried asset data received from the server with the current buried asset data;

if the buried asset data received from the server is substantially equal to the current buried asset data, executing the steps of generating a data structure and auto-populating the data structure with the current buried asset data, and transmitting the data structure and the second current image to the server via the communications network.

8. A method for facilitating collection and recall of buried asset data on a mobile computing device communicatively coupled with a communications network, comprising:

transmitting current position data of the mobile computing device to a server via the communications network;

receiving, from the server via the communications network, a) buried asset data including depth data and electrical signal data for one or more buried assets, wherein the buried asset data corresponds to the current position data, and b) a stored image of a physical area corresponding to the current position data, wherein the stored image comprises one or more markings indicating a position of the one or more buried assets;

displaying the buried asset data from the server;

reading a current image of the physical area from an optical sensor of the mobile computing device;

displaying the stored image simultaneously with the current image, wherein the stored image is overlaid onto the current image;

determining that the stored image is aligned within a margin of error to the current image;

receiving current buried asset data from one or more sensors communicatively coupled with the mobile computing device;

generating a data structure and auto-populating the data structure with the current buried asset data; and

transmitting the data structure and current image to the server via the communications network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of transmitting current position data further comprises:

receiving a radio frequency signal comprising a time the signal was transmitted and a location of a sender of the signal;

calculating current position data of the mobile computing device based on the signal; and

transmitting the current position data to a server via the communications network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of receiving buried asset data further comprises:

receiving, from the server via the communications network, a plurality of records, wherein each record includes;

a) buried asset data including depth data and electrical signal data for one or more buried assets, wherein the buried asset data corresponds to the current position data, and b) a stored image of a physical area corresponding to the current position data, wherein the stored image comprises one or more markings indicating a position of the one or more buried assets;

reading a selection of one of the plurality of records from a user; and

transmitting the selection to the server via the communications network.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising a step before the step of receiving buried asset data of:

receiving, from the server via the communications network, a plurality of images of a physical area corresponding to the current position data;

reading a selection of one of the plurality of images from a user; and

transmitting the selection to the server via the communications network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining that the stored image is aligned within a margin of error with the current image further comprises:

reading a command from a user indicating that the stored image is aligned within a margin of error with the current image.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining that the stored image is aligned within a margin of error with the current image further comprises:

executing an image processing routine for determining that the stored image is aligned within a margin of error with the current image.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising a step before the step of generating a data structure of:

comparing the buried asset data received from the server with the current buried asset data;

if the buried asset data received from the server is substantially equal to the current buried asset data, executing the steps of generating a data structure and auto-populating the data structure with the current buried asset data, and transmitting the data structure and the second current image to the server via the communications network.

15. A method for facilitating collection and recall of buried asset data on a mobile computing device, comprising:

determining current position data of the mobile computing device;

accessing a) buried asset data including depth data and electrical signal data for one or more buried assets, wherein the buried asset data corresponds to the current position data, and b) a stored image of a physical area corresponding to the current position data, wherein the stored image comprises one or more markings indicating a position of the one or more buried assets;

displaying the buried asset data;

reading a current image of the physical area from an optical sensor of the mobile computing device;

displaying the stored image simultaneously with the current image, wherein the stored image is overlaid onto the current image; and

determining that the stored image is aligned within a margin of error to the current image;

responsive to determining that the stored image is aligned within a margin of error with the current image, receiving current buried asset data from one or more sensors communicatively coupled with the mobile computing device;

reading a second current image of the physical area from the optical sensor of the mobile computing device, wherein the second current image comprises one or more markings indicating a position of the one or more buried assets;

generating a data structure and auto-populating the data structure with the current buried asset data; and

storing the data structure and the second current image.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of determining current position data further comprises:

receiving a radio frequency signal comprising a time the signal was transmitted and a location of a sender of the signal;

calculating current position data of the mobile computing device based on the signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of accessing buried asset data further comprises:

accessing a plurality of records, wherein each record includes;

a) buried asset data including depth data and electrical signal data for one or more buried assets, wherein the buried asset data corresponds to the current position data, and b) a stored image of a physical area corresponding to the current position data, wherein the stored image comprises one or more markings indicating a position of the one or more buried assets;

reading a selection of one of the plurality of records from a user; and

accessing the record corresponding to the selection from the user.