Ticket entry systems and methods

• US 9,152,651 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2004
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CeleritasWorks, LLC (RGS Senior Management Group, LC)
• Original Assignee: CeleritasWorks, LLC (RGS Senior Management Group, LC)
• Inventors: Evans, Scott A., Marshall, Robert Lee, Cudd, Steven Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Debbie
• Application Number:
  US10/965,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20060085396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,008 Days
• Field of Search: 707/736
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2455 Query execution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence

Abstract

A ticket entry system and method includes a program management system that receives contact information and a search criteria for a locate request. The program management system transmits the search criteria to a spatial management system that geocodes the search criteria and retrieves map data from a data management system corresponding to the search criteria geocode. The spatial management system transmits the map data to the program management system, which transmits the map data to a user interface. The user interface receives an indication of a site location where the operation is to be performed. The program management system transmits the site location indication to the spatial management system. The spatial management system geocodes the site location indication and transmits the site location geocode to the program management system. The program management system creates a locate ticket, which comprises the site location geocode and the contact information.

Claims

1. A ticket entry system comprising:

at least one processor;

a program management system to execute on the at least one processor and to receive contact information from a user and a location designation from the user comprising search criteria in text form that is used to search for map data for an operation to be performed by a user at a site location, to generate the map data identifying an area corresponding to the location designation, to receive an indication of the site location marked by the user within the area identified by the map data to further identify where the operation is to be performed with a dig tool that represents a type of the operation to be performed, to generate additional map data comprising a selected site locator identifying the site location marked by an X and at least one member of a group consisting of a square, a circle, an oval, and a polygon where the operation is to be performed, to receive a response from the user confirming that the additional map data correctly identifies the selected site locator for generation of a new locate ticket, and, in response to the user confirming that the additional map data correctly identifies the selected site locator, to generate the new locate ticket by automatically entering a geocode for the site location indication and the contact information into a locate request entry form; and

a user interface to receive the contact information from the user and the location designation for the operation from the user, to transmit the contact information and the location designation to the program management system, to receive the map data from the program management system, to generate the map data for display, to receive the site location indication marked by the user within the area identified by the map data to further identify where the operation is to be performed, to transmit the site location indication to the program management system, to receive the additional map data from the program management system, to generate the additional map data for display, to receive the response from the user confirming that the additional map data correctly identifies the selected site locator, and to transmit the response to the program management system.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the operation comprises at least one member of a group consisting of an excavation, a construction, a boring, a trenching, a facility operation, a regulatory compliance determination, and a permit determination.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the location designation comprises at least one member of a group consisting of an address, an intersection, a county name, and a legal land description.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the geocode comprises a latitude and a longitude for the site location indication.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the area corresponding to the location designation comprises a latitude and a longitude for the location designation and a selected surrounding area.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the area corresponding to the location designation comprises a selected distance from the location designation in at least one direction.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a user system configured to transmit the location designation and the contact information for reception by the program management system, to receive the map data generated for display from the user interface, and to generate the site location indication.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising a ticket processing system configured to process the new locate ticket wherein the program management system further is configured to transmit the new locate ticket for reception by the ticket processing system.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the program management system further is configured to:

receive additional information for the operation comprising at least one member of a group consisting of a type of the operation, a work date, a work time, an address, a county name, an intersection, a legal land description, driving directions to the site location, a property warning, whether the site location is marked, whether a bore is to be used in the operation, whether explosives are to be used in the operation, for whom the operation is being done, a grid designation for the operation, a latitude and a longitude for another operation, a contact email address, a contact facsimile number, and another contact designation; and

generate the new locate ticket with the additional information.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the map data comprises at least one member of a group consisting of at least one aerial image, at least one parcel map, at least one legal land description map, at least one raster image, at least one vector data, and planimetric data.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the additional map data comprises at least one member of a group consisting of at least one aerial image, at least one parcel map, at least one legal land description map, at least one raster image, at least one vector data, and planimetric data.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the site locator designates at least one member of a group consisting of a site location area and a site location point.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the additional map data comprises at least one member of a group consisting of:

the selected site locator configured to be overlaid on at least a portion of the map data; and

the selected site locator and the at least the portion of the map data identifying the area.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising a user system configured to receive the map data generated for display by the user interface, to transmit signaling comprising the site location indication, wherein the site location indication represents a selection of the site location on the map data, and to receive the additional map data comprising the selected site locator and generated for display from the user interface, the selected site locator identifying the site location corresponding to the site location indication.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the site location indication comprises signaling representing a selection of the site location on the map data.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the site location indication comprises at least one member of a group consisting of a selectable area of the site location and a selectable point of the site location.

17. A method for entering a ticket comprising:

receiving contact information and a location designation comprising search criteria in text form that is used to search for map data for an operation to be performed by a user at a site location at a program management system executing on at least one processor;

generating map data for display from a user interface, the map data identifying an area corresponding to the location designation;

receiving an indication of the site location where the operation is to be performed, the site location indication marked by the user within the area identified by the map data with a dig tool that represents a type of the operation to be performed;

geocoding the site location indication at a spatial management system using the at least one processor or at least one other processor;

generating additional map data for display from the user interface, the additional map data comprising a selected site locator identifying the site location marked by an X and at least one member of a group consisting of a square, a circle, an oval, and a polygon where the operation is to be performed;

receiving a response from the user confirming that the additional map data correctly identifies the selected site locator for generation of a new locate ticket; and

in response to the user confirming that the additional map data correctly identifies the selected site locator, generating the new locate ticket at the program management system by automatically entering a geocode for the site location indication and the contact information into a locate request entry form.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising transmitting the new locate ticket from the program management system for reception by a ticket processing system.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein receiving the location designation for the operation comprises receiving the location designation for at least one member of a group consisting of an excavation, a construction, a boring, a trenching, a facility operation, a regulatory compliance determination, and a permit determination.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein receiving the location designation comprises receiving at least one member of a group consisting of an address, an intersection, a county name, and a legal land description.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein generating the geocode comprises generating a latitude and a longitude for the site location indication.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein generating the map data identifying the area corresponding to the location designation comprises generating the map data for a latitude and a longitude for the location designation and a selected surrounding area.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein generating the map data identifying the area corresponding to the location designation comprises generating the map data for a selected distance from the location designation in at least one direction.

24. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

transmitting the location designation and the contact information from a user system for reception by the program management system;

receiving the map data at the user system; and

generating the site location indication from the user system for reception by the program management system.

25. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

transmitting the new locate ticket from the program management system for reception by a ticket processing system; and

processing the new locate ticket with the ticket processing system.

26. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

receiving additional information for the operation comprising at least one member of a group consisting of a type of operation, a work date, a work time, an address, a county name, an intersection, a legal land description, driving directions to the site location, a property warning, whether the site location is marked, whether a bore is to be used in the operation, whether explosives are to be used in the operation, for whom the operation is being done, a grid designation, a latitude and a longitude for another operation, an email address, a facsimile number, and another contact designation; and

generating the new locate ticket with the additional information.

27. The method of claim 17 wherein generating the map data for display comprises generating for display at least one member of a group consisting of at least one aerial image, at least one parcel map, at least one legal land description map, at least one raster image, at least one vector data, and planimetric data.

28. The method of claim 17 wherein generating the map data for display comprises generating for display at least one member of a group consisting of at least one aerial image, at least one parcel map, at least one legal land description map, at least one raster image, at least one vector data, and planimetric data.

29. The method of claim 17 wherein generating the additional map data for display comprises generating for display the selected site locator designating at least one member of a group consisting of a site location area and a site location point.

30. The method of claim 17 wherein generating the additional map data for display comprises generating for display at least one member of a group consisting of:

the selected site locator configured to be overlaid on at least a portion of the map; and

the selected site locator and the at least the portion of the map data identifying the area.

31. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

receiving the map data at a user system;

transmitting signaling comprising the site location indication from the user system for reception by the program management system, wherein the site location indication represents a selection of the site location on the map data; and

receiving at the user system the additional map data comprising the selected site locator, the selected site locator identifying the site location corresponding to the site location indication.

32. The method of claim 17 wherein receiving the site location indication comprises receiving signaling representing a selection of the site location on the map data.

33. The method of claim 17 wherein receiving the site location indication comprises receiving at least one member of a group consisting of a selectable area of the site location and a selectable point of the site location.

34. The method of claim 17 further comprising retrieving the map data from a data management system and transmitting the map data to the spatial management system.

35. A method for entering a ticket comprising:

receiving contact information and a location designation comprising search criteria in text form that is used to search for map data for an operation to be performed by a user at a site location at a program management system executing on at least one processor;

generating map data for display from a user interface, the map data identifying an area corresponding to the location designation;

at the program management system, receiving an indication of the site location marked by the user within the area identified by the map data with a dig tool that represents a type of the operation to be performed to further identify where the operation is to be performed;

geocoding the site location indication using the at least one processor or at least one other processor;

generating additional map data for display from the user interface, the additional map data comprising a selected site locator identifying the site location marked by an X and at least one member of a group consisting of a square, a circle, an oval, and a polygon where the operation is to be performed;

receiving a response from the user confirming that the additional map data correctly identifies the selected site locator for generation of a new locate ticket; and

in response to the user confirming that the additional map data correctly identifies the selected site locator, generating the new locate ticket comprising the site location indication geocode and the contact information.

36. The method of claim 35 further comprising transmitting the new locate ticket for reception by a ticket processing system.

37. The method of claim 35 wherein receiving the location designation comprises receiving the location designation for at least one member of a group consisting of an excavation, a construction, a boring, a trenching, a facility operation, a regulatory compliance determination, and a permit determination.

38. The method of claim 35 wherein receiving the location designation comprises receiving at least one member of a group consisting of an address, an intersection, a county name, and a legal land description.

39. The method of claim 35 wherein generating the site location indication geocode comprises generating a latitude and a longitude for the site location indication.

40. The method of claim 35 wherein generating the map data identifying the area corresponding to the location designation comprises generating the map data for a latitude and a longitude for the location designation and a selected surrounding area.

41. The method of claim 35 wherein generating the map data identifying the area corresponding to the location designation comprises generating the map data for a selected distance from the location designation in at least one direction.

42. The method of claim 35 further comprising:

transmitting the contact information and the location designation from a user system for reception by a program management system;

receiving the map data at the user system generated for display from the program management system; and

generating the site location indication from the user system for reception by the program management system.

43. The method of claim 35 further comprising:

transmitting the new locate ticket for reception by a ticket processing system; and

processing the new locate ticket with the ticket processing system.

44. The method of claim 35 further comprising:

receiving additional information for the operation comprising at least one member of a group consisting of a type of operation, a work date, a work time, an address, a county name, an intersection, a legal land description, driving directions to the site location, a property warning, whether the site location is marked, whether a bore is to be used in the operation, whether explosives are to be used in the operation, for whom the operation is being done, a grid designation, a latitude and a longitude for another operation, an email address, a facsimile number, and another contact designation; and

generating the new locate ticket with the additional information.

45. The method of claim 35 wherein generating the map data for display comprises generating for display at least one member of a group consisting of at least one aerial image, at least one parcel map, at least one legal land description map, at least one raster image, at least one vector data, and planimetric data.

46. The method of claim 35 further comprising retrieving the additional map data from a data management system.

47. The method of claim 35 wherein generating the additional map data for display comprises generating for display at least one member of a group consisting of at least one aerial image, at least one parcel map, at least one legal land description map, at least one raster image, at least one vector data, and planimetric data.

48. The method of claim 35 wherein generating the additional map data for display comprises generating for display the selected site locator designating at least one member of a group consisting of a site location area and a site location point.

49. The method of claim 35 wherein generating the additional map data for display comprises generating for display at least one member of a group consisting of:

the selected site locator configured to be overlaid on at least a portion of the map data of the identifying the area; and

the selected site locator and the at least the portion of the map data identifying the area.

50. The method of claim 35 further comprising:

receiving the map data at a user system from a program management system;

transmitting signaling comprising the site location indication, wherein the site location indication represents a selection of the site location on the map data; and

receiving the additional map data comprising the selected site locator at the user system.

51. The method of claim 35 wherein receiving the site location indication comprises receiving signaling representing a selection of the location on the map data.

52. The method of claim 35 wherein receiving the site location indication comprises receiving at least one member of a group consisting of a selectable area of the site location and a selectable point of the site location.

53. A ticket entry system comprising:

at least one processor;

a program management system to execute on the at least one processor and to receive a location designation comprising search criteria in text form that is used to search for map data for an operation to be performed by a user at a site location from a user, to generate the map data identifying an area corresponding to the location designation, to receive an indication of the site location marked by the user within the area identified by the map data to further identify where the operation is to be performed with a dig tool that represents a type of the operation to be performed, to generate additional map data comprising a selected site locator identifying the site location marked by an X and at least one member of a group consisting of a square, a circle, an oval, and a polygon to further identify where the operation is to be performed, to receive a response from the user confirming that the additional map data correctly identifies the selected site locator for generation of a new locate ticket, and, in response to the user confirming that the additional map data correctly identifies the selected site locator, to generate the new locate ticket comprising a geocode for the site location indication, the operation comprising at least one member of a group consisting of an excavation, a construction, a boring, a trenching, and a ground facility operation;

a spatial management system to execute on the at least one processor and to receive the location designation from the program management system, to retrieve the map data identifying the area corresponding to the location designation, to transmit the map data to the program management system, to receive the site location indication from the program management system, to geocode the site location indication, to transmit the geocode to the program management system, to retrieve the additional map data, and to transmit the other map data to the program management system, the other map data comprising the selected site locator identifying the site location marked by the user where the operation is to be performed;

a data management system to execute on the at least one processor and to store the map data and the other map data and to transmit the map data and the additional map data to the spatial management system; and

a user interface to receive the map data from the program management system, to generate the map data for display, to receive the site location indication marked by the user within the area identified by the map data to further identify where the operation is to be performed, to transmit the site location indication to the program management system, to receive the other map data from the program management system, and to generate the other map data for display.

54. A method for entering a ticket comprising:

receiving a location designation comprising search criteria in text form that is used to search for map data for an operation to be performed by a user at a site location at a program management system executing on at least one processor, the operation comprising at least one member of a group consisting of an excavation, a construction, a boring, and a trenching;

generating the map data identifying an area corresponding to the location designation for display;

receiving, at the program management system, an indication of the site location marked by the user within the area identified by the map data to further identify where the operation is to be performed, wherein the site location is marked with a dig tool that represents a type of the operation to be performed;

geocoding the site location indication;

generating other map data identifying a selected site locator at the site location marked by an X and at least one member of a group consisting of a square, a circle, an oval, and a polygon where the operation is to be performed; and

in response to the user confirming that the additional map data correctly identifies the selected site locator for generation of a new locate ticket, generating the new locate ticket at the program management system, the new locate ticket comprising the geocode.

55. A method for entering a ticket comprising:

receiving a location designation comprising search criteria in text form that is used to search for map data for an operation to be performed by a user at a site location, the operation comprising at least one member of a group consisting of an excavation, a construction, a boring, and a trenching;

generating for display the map data identifying an area corresponding to the location designation;

receiving, at the at least one processor, an indication of the site location marked by the user within the area identified by the map data to further identify where the operation is to be performed with a dig tool that represents a type of the operation to be performed;

geocoding the site location indication;

generating additional map data identifying a selected site locator at the site location marked by an X and at least one member of a group consisting of a square, a circle, an oval, and a polygon where the operation is to be performed; and

in response to the user confirming that the additional map data correctly identifies the selected site locator for generation of a new locate ticket, generating the new locate ticket by automatically entering a geocode for the site location indication and the contact information into a locate request entry form.

56. A ticket entry system comprising:

at least one processor;

a program management system to execute on the at least one processor and to receive contact information from a user and a location designation from the user comprising search criteria in text form that is used to search for map data for an operation to be performed, to generate the map data identifying an area corresponding to the location designation, to receive an indication of the site location marked by the user within the area identified by the map data to further identify where the operation is to be performed with a dig tool that represents a type of the operation to be performed, to generate a communication causing display of a selected site locator at the site location marked by an X and at least one member of a group consisting of a square, a circle, an oval, and a polygon within the area identified by the map data to further identify where the operation is to be performed, and to generate a new locate ticket by automatically entering a geocode for the site location indication and the contact information into a locate request entry form;

a spatial management system to execute on the at least one processor and to receive the location designation from the program management system, to retrieve the map data identifying the area corresponding to the location designation, to transmit the map data to the program management system, to receive the site location indication from the program management system, to geocode the site location indication, and to transmit the geocode to the program management system;

a data management system to execute on the at least one processor and to store the map data and to transmit the map data to the spatial management system; and

a user interface to receive the contact information from the user and the location designation from the user for the operation, to transmit the contact information and the location designation to the program management system, to receive the map data from the program management system, to generate the map data for display, to receive the site location indication marked by the user within the area identified by the map data to further identify where the operation is to be performed, to transmit the site location indication to the program management system.

57. A method for entering a ticket comprising:

receiving contact information and a location designation comprising search criteria in text form that is used to search for map data for an operation to be performed by a user at a site location at a program management system executing on at least one processor;

generating the map data for display from a user interface, the map data identifying an area corresponding to the location designation;

receiving an indication of the site location where the operation is to be performed, the site location indication marked by the user within the area identified by the map data with a dig tool that represents a type of the operation to be performed;

geocoding the site location indication at a spatial management system using the at least one processor;

generating a communication from the program management system causing display of a selected site locator at the site location marked by an X and at least one member of a group consisting of a square, a circle, an oval, and a polygon within the area identified by the map data to further identify where the operation is to be performed; and

generating a new locate ticket at the program management system by automatically entering a geocode for the site location indication and the contact information into a locate request entry form.

58. An entry system comprising:

at least one processor;

a program management system to execute on the at least one processor to receive a location designation from a user comprising search criteria in text form that is used to search for map data for an operation to be performed by a user at a site location, to generate the map data identifying an area corresponding to the location designation, to receive an indication of the site location marked by the user within the area identified by the map data to further identify where the operation is to be performed, wherein the site location is marked with a dig tool that represents a type of the operation to be performed, and to generate additional map data comprising a selected site locator identifying the site location marked by an X and at least one member of a group consisting of a square, a circle, an oval, and a polygon where the operation is to be performed;

a spatial management system to execute on the at least one processor to receive the location designation from the program management system, to retrieve the map data identifying the area corresponding to the location designation, and to transmit the map data to the program management system;

a data management system to execute on the at least one processor to store the map data and to transmit the map data to the spatial management system; and

a user interface to receive the location designation for the operation from the user, to transmit the location designation to the program management system, to receive the map data from the program management system, to generate the map data for display, to receive the site location indication marked by the user within the area identified by the map data where the operation is to be performed, and to transmit the site location indication to the program management system.