Methods, apparatus and systems for onsite linking to location-specific electronic records of locate operations

• US 8,918,898 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2011
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Certusview Technologies LLC (Dycom Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Certusview Technologies LLC (Dycom Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nielsen, Steven, Chambers, Curtis, Farr, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Zee, Edward
• Application Number:
  US13/185,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20120066506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 Days
• Field of Search: 726/26, 726/27, 726/28, 713/182
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/22 using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission

Abstract

Providing access at a jobsite to an electronic record of a locate operation. Data related to the locate operation is acquired by locate equipment and transmitted to a data repository for storage in the electronic record of the locate operation. A site-specific access mechanism is provided that establishes a link to the electronic record of the locate operation. In one example, the site-specific access mechanism is a physical mechanism, such as a printout of a website address, a barcode, or an RFID tag. In another example the site-specific access mechanism is a virtual mechanism, such as geographic location information provided by a location tracking system (e.g., GPS apparatus) and/or derived from information available to a wireless communications system or WiFi network. In one aspect, the access mechanism may be configured for use at the jobsite only by a person particularly authorized to access the electronic record of the locate operation.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to an electronic record of a locate operation, the locate operation being performed by a locate technician at a jobsite to locate and mark a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility at the jobsite, the method comprising:

acquiring, by locate equipment used by the locate technician to perform the locate operation, data related to performance of the locate operation by the locate technician to locate and mark the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility, wherein the acquired data includes at least one of locating data and marking data;

transmitting, by the locate equipment, the acquired data to a data repository for storage in the electronic record of the locate operation, the electronic record comprising the acquired data and at least one of;

a work order for performing the locate operation to locate the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility at the jobsite,

a virtual white line image for the jobsite including a digital image of the jobsite marked up for indicating an area, point, and/or line of planned excavation to be performed at the jobsite, and

an electronic manifest for the locate operation including a digital image of the jobsite marked up for indicating locate marks that have been dispensed at the site, thereby indicating the geo-locations and types of facilities present; and

providing a site-specific access mechanism that establishes a link to the electronic record of the locate operation, the access mechanism configured for use at the jobsite by an authorized person to access the electronic record of the locate operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing an access mechanism comprises generating a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag containing the link to the electronic record.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing an access mechanism comprises generating a barcode tag containing the link to the electronic record.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing an access mechanism comprises generating an address that serves as the link to the electronic record.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing an access mechanism comprises acquiring geographic coordinates of the jobsite, the geographic coordinates serving as the link to the electronic record.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the access mechanism is associated with a process for authentication of the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the access mechanism is associated with a process for granting different levels of access to the electronic record, for different users.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising logging instances of use of the access mechanism to access the electronic record.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing an access mechanism comprises at least one of:

associating the access mechanism with an expiration date; and

determining a number of instances of use of the access mechanism to access the electronic record.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein providing an access mechanism includes storing an association between the access mechanism and the electronic record.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the access mechanism contains an association with the electronic record.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein providing an access mechanism includes generating a work order number which serves as the link to the electronic record.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the access mechanism stores at least a part of the electronic record.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic record further comprises

a facilities map relating to the locate operation, the facilities map including an electronic representation of a geographic location, type and/or number of a facility or facilities.

15. A method for accessing an electronic record of a locate operation to locate and mark a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility at a jobsite, the method comprising:

obtaining a site-specific access mechanism configured for use at the jobsite by an authorized person that contains a link to an electronic record of the locate operation, the electronic record comprising data related to performance of the locate operation by the locate technician and acquired by locate equipment used by the locate technician to perform the locate operation to locate and mark the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility, wherein the acquired data includes at least one of locating data and marking data, and wherein the electronic record further comprises at least one of;

a work order for performing the locate operation to locate the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility at the jobsite,

a virtual white line image for the jobsite including a digital image of the jobsite marked up for indicating an area, point, line and/or of planned excavation to be performed at the jobsite, and

an electronic manifest for the locate operation including a digital image of the jobsite marked up for indicating locate marks that have been dispensed at the site, thereby indicating the geo-locations and types of facilities present; and

using the access mechanism at the jobsite to access the electronic record of the locate operation.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein obtaining an access mechanism comprises obtaining a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag containing the link to the electronic record.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein obtaining an access mechanism comprises obtaining a barcode tag containing the link to the electronic record.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein obtaining an access mechanism comprises obtaining an address that serves as the link to the electronic record.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein obtaining an access mechanism comprises obtaining geographic coordinates of the jobsite, the geographic coordinates serving as the link to the electronic record.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein obtaining an access mechanism comprises obtaining a work order number which serves as the link to the electronic record.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein using the link to access the electronic record comprises responding to an authentication process associated with the access mechanism.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein using the link to access the electronic record comprises accessing the electronic record according to a level of access.

23. The method of claim 15, further comprising logging use of the access mechanism to access the electronic record.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving a notification that the link to the electronic record has expired.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the electronic record further comprises

a facilities map relating to the locate operation, the facilities map including an electronic representation of a geographic location, type and/or number of a facility or facilities.

26. A locate operations system for providing access to an electronic record of a locate operation, the locate operation being performed by a locate technician to locate and mark a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility at a jobsite, the system comprising:

a data generating component configured to acquire data related to performance of the locate operation from locate equipment used by the locate technician to perform the locate operation, to transmit the acquired data to a data repository for storage in an electronic record of the locate operation, and to provide a site-specific access mechanism configured for use at the jobsite by an authorized person and containing a link to the electronic record of the locate operation, wherein the performance includes both locating and marking the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility, wherein the acquired data includes at least one of locating data and marking data;

a data repository component configured to store the electronic record of the locate operation, the electronic record further comprising at least one of;

a work order for performing the locate operation to locate the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility at the jobsite,

a virtual white line image for the jobsite including a digital image of the jobsite marked up for indicating an area, point, line and/or of planned excavation to be performed at the jobsite, and

an electronic manifest for the locate operation including a digital image of the jobsite marked up for indicating locate marks that have been dispensed at the site, thereby indicating the geo-locations and types of facilities present; and

a data retrieval component configured to obtain the access mechanism and to use the access mechanism at the jobsite to access the electronic record of the locate operation.

27. A data generating system for providing access to an electronic record of a locate operation, the locate operation being performed by a locate technician to locate and mark a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility at a jobsite, the system comprising:

a data acquisition module configured to acquire data related to performance of the locate operation from locate equipment used by the locate technician to perform the locate operation, wherein the performance includes both locating and marking the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility, wherein the acquired data includes at least one of locating data and marking data;

a communications module configured to transmit the acquired data to a data repository for storage in an electronic record of the locate operation, the electronic record further comprising at least one of;

a work order for performing the locate operation to locate the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility at the jobsite,

a virtual white line image for the jobsite including a digital image of the jobsite marked up for indicating an area, point, line and/or of planned excavation to be performed at the jobsite, and

an electronic manifest for the locate operation including a digital image of the jobsite marked up for indicating locate marks that have been dispensed at the site, thereby indicating the geo-locations and types of facilities present; and

an access control module configured to generate a site-specific access mechanism configured for use at the jobsite by an authorized person and containing a link to the electronic record of the locate operation.

28. A data retrieval system for providing access to an electronic record of a locate operation, the locate operation being performed by a locate technician to locate and mark a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility at a jobsite, the system comprising:

an access mechanism reader configured to read a site-specific access mechanism configured for use at the jobsite by an authorized person and containing a link to an electronic record of the locate operation, the electronic record comprising data related to performance of the locate operation by the locate technician and acquired by locate equipment used by the locate technician to perform the locate operation, wherein the performance includes both locating and marking the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility, wherein the acquired data includes at least one of locating data and marking data, wherein the electronic record further comprises at least one of;

a work order for performing the locate operation to locate the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility at the jobsite,

a virtual white line image for the jobsite including a digital image of the jobsite marked up for indicating an area, point, line and/or of planned excavation to be performed at the jobsite, and

an electronic manifest for the locate operation including a digital image of the jobsite marked up for indicating locate marks that have been dispensed at the site, thereby indicating the geo-locations and types of facilities present; and

an access module configured to use the link to access the electronic record of the locate operation.