Buried asset detection including portable transmitter hookup logging

• US 9,116,251 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2015
• Issued: 08/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UTTO Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Alan Haddy
• Inventors: Haddy, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Lau, Tung S
• Application Number:
  US14/720,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20150253451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 95 Days
• Field of Search: 702/2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/12 operating with electromagnetic waves operating with millimetre waves G01V8/005
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/15 specially adapted for use during transport, e.g. by a person, vehicle or boat
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/165 operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by the object or by the detecting device with electromagnetic waves G01V3/17
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/38 Processing data, e.g. for analysis, for interpretation, for correction

Abstract

A method on a server for logging and recalling data gathered from a buried asset location procedure is disclosed. The method includes receiving a group of buried asset data points corresponding to a particular buried asset, receiving at a different time a portable transmitter hookup definition associated with the group of buried asset data points, searching for buried asset data points that match, within predefined parameters, the portable transmitter hookup definition, storing the portable transmitter hookup definition in association with the matching points, creating a buffer zone around the portable transmitter hookup, and transmitting to a mobile device the buffer zone for the portable transmitter hookup.

Claims

1. A method on a server for logging and recalling data gathered from a buried asset location procedure, the method comprising:

receiving, via a communications network communicatively coupled with the server, a group of buried asset data points corresponding to a particular buried asset sought by an operator, wherein each of said buried asset data points includes geographical location data and a time and date stamp;

storing, in an attached database, one or more records corresponding to the group of buried asset data points;

receiving at a different time, via the communications network, a portable transmitter hookup definition associated with the group of buried asset data points, wherein the portable transmitter hookup definition includes a time and date stamp, geographical location data, and a buried asset type indicator, wherein the time and date stamp is different from the time and date stamps of the group of buried asset data points;

searching the attached database for one or more matching records with buried asset data points having time and date stamps and geographical location data that match, within predefined parameters, the time and date stamp and the geographical location data of the portable transmitter hookup definition;

storing, in the attached database, the portable transmitter hookup definition in association with the one or more matching records;

creating a first data structure that represents a two dimensional area comprising a buffer zone around the geographical location data of the portable transmitter hookup definition, and storing, in the attached database, the first data structure in association with the one or more matching records;

receiving from a mobile computing device, via the communications network, a request including current geographical location data of the mobile computing device and a buried asset type indicator;

searching the attached database for a matching record with a buried asset type indicator and geographical location data that matches, within predefined parameters, the buried asset type indicator and current geographical location data received from the mobile computing device; and

transmitting to the mobile computing device, via the communications network, the first data structure corresponding to the matching record.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the group of buried asset data points further comprises:

receiving the group of buried asset data points corresponding to the particular buried asset sought by the operator, wherein each of said buried asset data points further includes a depth measurement.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of searching the attached database for one or more one or more matching records further comprises:

searching the attached database for one or more matching records with buried asset data points having time and date stamps and geographical location data that match, within predefined parameters, the time and date stamp and the geographical location data of the portable transmitter hookup definition, wherein said predefined parameters comprise a maximum distance and a maximum time period.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of receiving the request from the mobile computing device further comprises:

receiving from a mobile computing device, via the communications network, a request further including a unique identifier for the particular buried asset.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of transmitting the first data structure further comprises:

transmitting to the mobile computing device, via the communications network, the group of buried asset data points corresponding to the matching record, and the portable transmitter hookup definition corresponding to the matching record.

6. A system for logging and recalling data gathered from a buried asset location procedure, the system comprising:

a server communicatively coupled with a communications network, the server configured for;

receiving, via the communications network, a group of buried asset data points corresponding to a particular buried asset sought by an operator, wherein each of said buried asset data points includes a time and date stamp and geographical location data;

storing, in an attached database, one or more records corresponding to the group of buried asset data points;

receiving at a different time, via the communications network, a portable transmitter hookup definition of a portable transmitter hookup associated with the group of buried asset data points, wherein the portable transmitter hookup definition includes a time and date stamp, geographical location data, and a buried asset type indicator, wherein the time and date stamp is different from the time and date stamps of the group of buried asset data points;

searching the attached database for one or more matching records with buried asset data points having time and date stamps and geographical location data that match, within predefined parameters, the time and date stamp and the geographical location data of the portable transmitter hookup definition;

storing, in the attached database, the portable transmitter hookup definition in association with the one or more matching records;

creating a first data structure that represents a two dimensional area comprising a buffer zone around the geographical location data of the portable transmitter hookup definition, and storing, in the attached database, the first data structure in association with the one or more matching records;

receiving from a mobile computing device, via the communications network, a request including current geographical location data of the mobile computing device and a buried asset type indicator;

searching the attached database for a matching record with a buried asset type indicator and geographical location data that matches, within predefined parameters, the buried asset type indicator and current geographical location data received from the mobile computing device; and

transmitting to the mobile computing device, via the communications network, the first data structure corresponding to the matching record; and

a mobile computing device communicatively coupled with the communications network, the mobile computing device configured for;

transmitting, via the communications network, the request to the server including current geographical location data of the mobile computing device and a buried asset type indicator;

receiving from the server, via the communications network, the first data structure corresponding to the geographical location data and the buried asset type indicator received from the mobile computing device; and

displaying a direction indicator directing a user to the buffer zone of the first data structure, based on the current geographical location of the mobile computing device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the computer system is further configured for:

displaying in the window predefined graphic icons corresponding to the buffer zone.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the step of receiving the group of buried asset data points further comprises:

receiving the group of buried asset data points corresponding to the particular buried asset sought by the operator, wherein each of said buried asset data points further includes a depth measurement.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the step of searching the attached database for one or more matching records further comprises:

searching the attached database for one or more matching records with buried asset data points having time and date stamps and geographical location data that match, within predefined parameters, the time and date stamp and the geographical location data of the portable transmitter hookup definition, wherein said predefined parameters comprise a maximum distance and a maximum time period.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the step of receiving the request from the mobile computing device further comprises:

receiving from the mobile computing device, via the communications network, a request further including a unique identifier for the particular buried asset.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the step of transmitting the first data structure further comprises:

transmitting to the mobile computing device, via the communications network, the group of buried asset data points corresponding to the matching record, and the portable transmitter hookup definition corresponding to the matching record.

12. A system for logging and recalling data gathered from a buried asset location procedure, the system comprising:

a server communicatively coupled with a communications network, the server configured for;

receiving, via the communications network, a group of buried asset data points corresponding to a particular buried asset sought by an operator, wherein each of said buried asset data points includes a time and date stamp, and a geographical coordinate;

storing, in an attached database, one or more records corresponding to the group of buried asset data points;

receiving at a different time, via the communications network, a portable transmitter hookup definition of a portable transmitter hookup associated with the group of buried asset data points, wherein the portable transmitter hookup definition includes a time and date stamp, a buried asset type indicator, a frequency indicator, a geographical coordinate and a precision data value corresponding to the geographical coordinate, wherein the time and date stamp is different from the time and date stamps of the group of buried asset data points;

searching the attached database for one or more matching records with buried asset data points having time and date stamps and geographical coordinates that match, within predefined parameters, the time and date stamp and the geographical coordinates of the portable transmitter hookup definition;

storing, in the attached database, the portable transmitter hookup definition in association with the one or more matching records;

creating a first data structure that represents a two dimensional area comprising a buffer zone around the geographical coordinate of the portable transmitter hookup definition, wherein a size of said area is based on the precision data value, and storing, in the attached database, the first data structure in association with the one or more matching records;

receiving from a mobile computing device, via the communications network, a request including current geographical location data of the mobile computing device and a buried asset type indicator;

searching the attached database for a matching record with a buried asset type indicator and geographical location data that matches, within predefined parameters, the buried asset type indicator and current geographical location data received from the mobile computing device; and

transmitting to the mobile computing device, via the communications network, the first data structure of the matching record; and

a mobile computing device communicatively coupled with the communications network, the mobile computing device configured for;

transmitting, via the communications network, the request to the server including the current geographical location data of the mobile computing device and a buried asset type indicator;

receiving from the server, via the communications network, the first data corresponding to the geographical location data and the buried asset type indicator received from the mobile computing device; and

displaying a direction indicator directing a user to the buffer zone of the first data structure, based on the current geographical location of the mobile computing device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the computer system is further configured for:

displaying in the window predefined graphic icons corresponding to the buffer zone of the first data structure.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the step of receiving the group of buried asset data points further comprises:

receiving the group of buried asset data points corresponding to the particular buried asset sought by the operator, wherein each of said buried asset data points further includes a depth measurement.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the step of searching the attached database for one or more matching records further comprises:

searching the attached database for one or more matching records with buried asset data points having time and date stamps and geographical coordinates that match, within predefined parameters, the time and date stamp and the geographical coordinate of the portable transmitter hookup definition, wherein said predefined parameters comprise a maximum distance and a maximum time period.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the step of receiving the request from the mobile computing device further comprises:

receiving from the mobile computing device, via the communications network, a request further including a unique identifier for the particular buried asset.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the step of transmitting the first data structure further comprises:

transmitting to the mobile computing device, via the communications network, the group of buried asset data points corresponding to the matching record, and the portable transmitter hookup definition corresponding to the matching record.