Methods, apparatus and systems for generating location-corrected searchable electronic records of underground facility locate and/or marking operations
First Claim
1. A method for generating a corrected electronic record of a locate and/or marking operation performed by a locate technician, the locate and/or marking operation comprising locating and/or identifying, using at least one physical locate mark, a presence or an affirmative absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area, the method comprising:
- A) electronically receiving first information relating to a location of the at least one physical locate mark, the at least one physical locate mark including at least one of non-white paint and a non-white flag and the at least one physical locate mark is applied during the locate and/or marking operation, the locate and/or marking operation being performed after generation of and pursuant to a locate request ticket relating to the dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area is planned to be excavated or disturbed during prospective excavation activities, the locate and/or marking operation further comprising, in response to the locate request ticket, providing at least one visible warning to an excavator performing the prospective excavation activities, using the at least one physical locate mark, of the presence or the affirmative absence of the at least one underground facility at the dig area as indicated in the locate request ticket;
B) based at least in part on the first information received in A), digitally representing, on a display device, the location of the at least one physical locate mark so as to generate an electronic visual representation of the locate and/or marking operation;
C) receiving second information relating to a corrected location of the at least one physical locate mark;
D) based at least in part on the second information received in C), digitally representing, on the display device, the corrected location so as to generate a corrected electronic visual representation of the locate and/or marking operation; and
E) electronically transmitting and/or electronically storing third information relating to the corrected representation of the locate and/or marking operation so as to generate the corrected electronic record of the locate and/or marking operation.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Generating a corrected electronic record of a locate and/or marking operation. The operation comprises locating and/or identifying, using a physical locate mark, presence or absence of an underground facility within a dig area. At least a portion of the dig area may be excavated or disturbed. First information relating to a location of the facility and/or the mark is received. Based at least in part on the first information, the location of the facility and/or the mark is represented to generate an electronic visual representation of the operation. Second information relating to a corrected location of the facility and/or the mark is received. Based at least in part on the second information, the corrected location is represented to generate a corrected electronic visual representation of the operation. Third information relating to the corrected representation of the operation is transmitted and/or stored to generate the corrected electronic record of the operation.
365 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for generating a corrected electronic record of a locate and/or marking operation performed by a locate technician, the locate and/or marking operation comprising locating and/or identifying, using at least one physical locate mark, a presence or an affirmative absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area, the method comprising:
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A) electronically receiving first information relating to a location of the at least one physical locate mark, the at least one physical locate mark including at least one of non-white paint and a non-white flag and the at least one physical locate mark is applied during the locate and/or marking operation, the locate and/or marking operation being performed after generation of and pursuant to a locate request ticket relating to the dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area is planned to be excavated or disturbed during prospective excavation activities, the locate and/or marking operation further comprising, in response to the locate request ticket, providing at least one visible warning to an excavator performing the prospective excavation activities, using the at least one physical locate mark, of the presence or the affirmative absence of the at least one underground facility at the dig area as indicated in the locate request ticket; B) based at least in part on the first information received in A), digitally representing, on a display device, the location of the at least one physical locate mark so as to generate an electronic visual representation of the locate and/or marking operation; C) receiving second information relating to a corrected location of the at least one physical locate mark; D) based at least in part on the second information received in C), digitally representing, on the display device, the corrected location so as to generate a corrected electronic visual representation of the locate and/or marking operation; and E) electronically transmitting and/or electronically storing third information relating to the corrected representation of the locate and/or marking operation so as to generate the corrected electronic record of the locate and/or marking operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium device encoded with instructions that, when executed on at least one processing unit, perform a method for generating a corrected electronic record of a locate and/or marking operation performed by a locate technician, the locate and/or marking operation comprising locating and/or identifying, using at least one physical locate mark, a presence or an affirmative absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area, the method comprising:
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A) electronically receiving first information relating to a location of the at least one physical locate mark, the at least one physical locate mark including at least one of non-white paint and a non-white flag and the at least one physical locate mark is applied during the locate and/or marking operation, the locate and/or marking operation being performed after generation of and pursuant to a locate request ticket relating to the dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area is planned to be excavated or disturbed during prospective excavation activities, the locate and/or marking operation further comprising, in response to the locate request ticket, providing at least one visible warning to an excavator performing the prospective excavation activities, using the at least one physical locate mark, of the presence or the affirmative absence of the at least one underground facility at the dig area as indicated in the locate request ticket; B) based at least in part on the first information received in A), digitally rendering, for display on a display device, the location of the at least one physical locate mark so as to generate an electronic visual representation of the locate and/or marking operation; C) receiving second information relating to a corrected location of the at least one physical locate mark; D) based at least in part on the second information received in C), digitally rendering, for display on the display device, the corrected location so as to generate a corrected electronic visual representation of the locate and/or marking operation; and E) electronically transmitting and/or electronically storing third information relating to the corrected representation of the locate and/or marking operation so as to generate the corrected electronic record of the locate and/or marking operation.
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22. An apparatus for generating a corrected electronic record of a locate and/or marking operation performed by a locate technician, the locate and/or marking operation comprising locating and/or identifying, using at least one physical locate mark, a presence or an affirmative absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area, the apparatus comprising:
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a communication interface; a display device; at least one user input device associated with the display device; a memory to store processor-executable instructions; and a processing unit coupled to the communication interface, the display device, the at least one user input device, and the memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the processing unit, the processing unit; A) controls the communication interface to receive first information relating to a location of the at least one physical locate mark, the at least one physical locate mark including at least one of non-white paint and a non-white flag and the at least one physical locate mark is applied during the locate and/or marking operation, the locate and/or marking operation being performed after generation of and pursuant to a locate request ticket relating to the dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area is planned to be excavated or disturbed during prospective excavation activities, the locate and/or marking operation further comprising, in response to the locate request ticket, providing at least one visible warning to an excavator performing the prospective excavation activities, using the at least one physical locate mark, of the presence or the affirmative absence of the at least one underground facility at the dig area as indicated in the locate request ticket; B) based at least in part on the first information received in A), controls the display device to display the location of the at least one physical locate mark so as to generate an electronic visual representation of the locate and/or marking operation; C) controls the at least one user input device to receive second information relating to a corrected location of the at least one physical locate mark; D) based at least in part on the second information received in C), controls the display device to display the corrected location so as to generate a corrected electronic visual representation of the locate and/or marking operation; and E) controls the communication interface and/or the memory to electronically transmit and/or electronically store third information relating to the corrected representation of the locate and/or marking operation so as to generate the corrected electronic record of the locate and/or marking operation.
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23. A method for generating a calibration factor based on user input received in connection with a location of at least one underground facility and/or at least one physical locate mark of a locate and/or marking operation performed by a locate technician, the locate and/or marking operation comprising locating and/or identifying, using the at least one physical locate mark, a presence or an affirmative absence of the at least one underground facility within a dig area, the method comprising:
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A) electronically receiving first information relating to a location of the at least one physical locate mark, the at least one physical locate mark including at least one of non-white paint and a non-white flag and the at least one physical locate mark is applied during the locate and/or marking operation, the locate and/or marking operation being performed after generation of and pursuant to a locate request ticket relating to the dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area is planned to be excavated or disturbed during prospective excavation activities, the locate and/or marking operation further comprising, in response to the locate request ticket, providing at least one visible warning to an excavator performing the prospective excavation activities, using the at least one physical locate mark, of the presence or the affirmative absence of the at least one underground facility at the dig area as indicated in the locate request ticket; B) based at least in part on the first information received in A), digitally representing, on a display device, the location of the at least one physical locate mark so as to generate an electronic representation of the locate and/or marking operation; C) receiving second information relating to a corrected location of the at least one physical locate mark; D) based at least in part on the second information received in C), determining a calibration factor for the location of the at least one underground facility and/or the at least one physical locate mark; and E) electronically transmitting and/or electronically storing the calibration factor so as to facilitate correction of other location data.
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Specification