Apparatus, systems and methods to generate electronic records of underground facility marking operations performed with GPS-enabled marking devices
First Claim
1. An apparatus for facilitating generation of a searchable electronic record of a locate operation performed by a locate technician in a dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area is planned to be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the apparatus comprising:
- a communication interface;
a display device;
a memory to store processor-executable instructions; and
a processing unit coupled to the communication interface, the display device, and the memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the processing unit, the processing unit;
controls the communication interface to electronically receive source data representing at least one input image of a geographic area including the dig area, wherein the source data comprises geo-encoded information relating to the geographical area;
processes the source data and controls the display device so as to display at least a portion of the at least one input image;
adds to the displayed at least one input image at least one digital representation of at least one physical locate mark so as to generate a marked-up image including the at least one digital representation of the at least one physical locate mark, the at least one physical locate mark applied to ground in the dig area by the locate technician during a locate operation comprising identifying, using the at least one physical locate mark, a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within the dig area, wherein the processing unit;
acquires input from a marking device configured to apply the at least one physical locate mark to the dig area, the input relating to a geographic location of the at least one physical locate mark applied by the locate technician during the locate operation; and
adds to the displayed at least one input image the at least one digital representation of the at least one physical locate mark, based at least in part on the input acquired from the marking device; and
further controls the communication interface and/or the memory to electronically transmit and/or electronically store information relating to the marked-up image so as to generate the searchable electronic record of the locate operation.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A technician performs a locate operation of an underground utility in a dig area of proposed excavation by applying one or more physical colored markers (e.g., paint, flags, other colored markers) to ground, pavement or other surface to indicate a presence or an absence of the underground utility in the dig area. A digital image of a geographic area comprising the dig area is displayed on a display device, and one or more electronic colored markers corresponding to the physical colored marker(s) are added to the displayed digital image so as to generate a marked-up image. Information relating to the marked-up image is electronically transmitted and/or electronically stored so as to document the locate operation.
368 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for facilitating generation of a searchable electronic record of a locate operation performed by a locate technician in a dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area is planned to be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the apparatus comprising:
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a communication interface; a display device; a memory to store processor-executable instructions; and a processing unit coupled to the communication interface, the display device, and the memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the processing unit, the processing unit; controls the communication interface to electronically receive source data representing at least one input image of a geographic area including the dig area, wherein the source data comprises geo-encoded information relating to the geographical area; processes the source data and controls the display device so as to display at least a portion of the at least one input image; adds to the displayed at least one input image at least one digital representation of at least one physical locate mark so as to generate a marked-up image including the at least one digital representation of the at least one physical locate mark, the at least one physical locate mark applied to ground in the dig area by the locate technician during a locate operation comprising identifying, using the at least one physical locate mark, a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within the dig area, wherein the processing unit; acquires input from a marking device configured to apply the at least one physical locate mark to the dig area, the input relating to a geographic location of the at least one physical locate mark applied by the locate technician during the locate operation; and adds to the displayed at least one input image the at least one digital representation of the at least one physical locate mark, based at least in part on the input acquired from the marking device; and further controls the communication interface and/or the memory to electronically transmit and/or electronically store information relating to the marked-up image so as to generate the searchable electronic record of the locate operation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for generating a searchable electronic record of a locate operation performed by a locate technician in a dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area is planned to be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the method comprising:
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A) electronically receiving source data representing at least one input image of a geographic area comprising the dig area, wherein the source data comprises geo-encoded information relating to the geographical area; B) processing the source data so as to display at least a portion of the at least one input image on a display device; C) adding to the displayed at least one input image at least one digital representation of at least one physical locate mark so as to generate a marked-up image including the at least one digital representation of the at least one physical locate mark, the at least one physical locate mark applied to ground in the dig area by the locate technician during a locate operation comprising identifying, using the at least one physical locate mark, a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within the dig area, wherein C) comprises; C1) electronically receiving location information regarding a location of the at least one physical locate mark; and C2) based at least in part on the location information received in C1), adding to the displayed at least one input image the at least one digital representation of the at least one physical locate mark; and D) electronically transmitting and/or electronically storing information relating to the marked-up image so as to generate the searchable electronic record of the locate operation. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed on at least one processing unit, perform a method for generating a searchable electronic record of a locate operation performed by a locate technician in a dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area is planned to be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the method comprising:
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A) electronically receiving source data representing at least one input image of a geographic area comprising the dig area, wherein the source data comprises geo-encoded information relating to the geographical area; B) processing the source data so as to display at least a portion of the at least one input image on a display device; C) adding to the displayed at least one input image at least one digital representation of at least one physical locate mark so as to generate a marked-up image including the at least one digital representation of the at least one physical locate mark, the at least one physical locate mark applied to ground in the dig area by the locate technician during a locate operation comprising identifying, using the at least one physical locate mark, a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within the dig area, wherein C) comprises; C1) electronically receiving location information regarding a location of the at least one physical locate mark, wherein the location information includes geographic coordinates provided by a GPS-enabled device; and C2) based at least in part on the location information received in C1), adding to the displayed at least one input image the at least one digital representation of the at least one physical locate mark; and D) electronically transmitting and/or electronically storing information relating to the marked-up image so as to generate the searchable electronic record of the locate operation. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification