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Methods, apparatus, and systems for providing an enhanced positive response in underground facility locate and marking operations

  • US 8,572,193 B2
  • Filed: 10/29/2010
  • Issued: 10/29/2013
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for providing information regarding a locate and/or marking operation, the apparatus comprising:

  • a communication interface;

    a memory to store processor-executable instructions; and

    a processing unit communicatively coupled to the communication interface and the memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the processing unit, the processing unit;

    controls the communication interface to receive input indicating that a locate and/or marking operation is complete, the locate and/or marking operation comprising detecting and/or marking by a locate technician, in response to at least one locate request ticket, 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 during excavation activities; and

    based on the input indicating that the locate and/or marking operation is complete, further controls the communication interface and/or the memory to electronically transmit and/or electronically store performance information concerning the locate and/or marking operation, the performance information including at least one of the following;

    time-stamp information to provide proof of a time at which the locate and/or marking operation was completed by the locate technician at a geographic location specified on the locate request ticket and corresponding to the dig area; and

    place-stamp information to provide proof of a presence of the locate technician sufficiently proximate to or at the geographic location specified on the locate request ticket and corresponding to the dig area.

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