Underground asset management system

• US 9,235,823 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2012
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Berntsen International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bernsten International Incorporated
• Inventors: Rushing, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Girma, Fekadeselassie
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tang, Son M
• Application Number:
  US13/668,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20140125457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0833 Tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

A system for managing underground assets with RFID tags provides for expanded virtual storage by wirelessly linking the field RFID tag reader to a centralized database through a unique series code in the RFID tag. Real-time updating of information about underground assets coordination between multiple users may be accomplished through use of the central database as an information broker.

Claims

1. A system for management of underground assets comprising:

(a) a field tag identification unit providing;

an RFID reader,

a user interface for receiving data from a user and displaying data to a user;

a wireless transceiver; and

a first electronic computing device communicating with the RFID reader, user interface, and wireless transceiver;

(b)a central database server remote from the field tag identification unit and providing;

a database memory storing records indexed to RFID tag stored data;

a communication interface communicating with the field tag identification unit along a communication channel including the wireless transceiver;

a second electronic computing device communicating with the database memory and the communication interface;

wherein the first and second electronic computing device execute programs stored in non-transient media to;

(1) read an RFID tag proximate to an underground asset to obtain RFID tag stored data including a tag unique data string;

(2) match the tag unique data string to a corresponding record of the database memory; and

(3) exchange data between the field tag identification unit and the central database server associated with the corresponding record;

wherein spatial location data is automatically captured during reading of an RFID tag proximate to an underground asset;

wherein the exchanged data includes data entered by a user of the field tag identification unit through the user interface and wherein the exchanged data is entered into the corresponding record;

wherein the programs further execute to operate so that data may be entered by a user of the field tag identification unit into the corresponding, record only for at least one condition of;

(1) data that has been entered within a predetermined spatial location of the RFID tag of the corresponding record and (2) an RFID tag that has been read within a predetermined time range before the data was entered.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the unique data string is stored at least in part as writable RFID tag stored data.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the exchanged data includes data from the corresponding record, and wherein the data from the corresponding record is displayed on the user interface of the field tag identification unit.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the programs further execute to implement a login procedure with a user password for permitting data entered by a user of the field tag identification unit to be entered into the corresponding record.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second electronic computing devices execute the programs to log a date and time of exchanged data in the database.

6. The system of claim 1 further including multiple field identification units each communicating with the database system.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the central database server further provides a user interface for receiving data from a user and displaying data to a user and wherein the second electronic computing device executes the second program to receive a tag identification data from the user for a given RFID tag and to create a record in the database memory indexed to a tag unique data string stored in the given RFID tag.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the field tag identification unit further includes a GPS receiver and wherein the exchanged data is spatial location data based on a GPS signal received at the field tag identification unit.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein field tag identification unit further includes a camera communicating with the first electronic computing device and wherein the exchanged data includes image data from the camera.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the first electronic computing device is a cellular telephone and further including an adapter for receiving and holding for attachment to a wand structure providing the field identification unit.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the cellular telephone and communicates with the RFID reader via a wireless near field communication transceiver.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the field tag identification unit further includes a sensor for sensing a location of the RFID tag independent of reading of the RFID tag.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the sensor is a magnetic field sensor communicating with the first electronic computing device to sense a magnet on an RFID marker holding a magnet and the RFID tag to provide at least one of a measure of proximity to the magnet on the RFID marker, strength of a magnetic field of the magnet, and polarity of a magnetic field of the magnet.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the second program further executes to review the database memory to generate work order reports and to transmit a human readable translation of the work order report to the field identification unit for display on the field identification unit and to receive data from the field identification unit indicating completion of items of the work order report, wherein the work order report includes activities associated with specific RFID tags attached to underground assets.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the work order is generated by reviewing the database memory for deadlines associated with scheduled maintenance of underground assets.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the database includes ownership information indicating ownership of an underground asset associated with an RFID tag and information for contacting an owner of the underground asset.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the exchanged data indicates at least one of the group selected from:

depth to the buried asset, depth to an RFID marker holding the RFID tag, and relative depth separation between the RFID marker and the underground asset.

18. A system for management of underground assets comprising:

(a) a field tag identification unit providing;

an RFID reader,

a user interface for receiving data from a user and displaying data to a user;

a wireless transceiver; and

a first electronic computing device communicating with the RFID reader, user interface, and wireless transceiver;

(b) a central database server remote from the field tag identification unit and providing;

a database memory storing records indexed to RFID tag stored data;

a communication interface communicating with the field tag identification unit along a communication channel including the wireless transceiver;

a second electronic computing device communicating with the database memory and the communication interface;

wherein the first and second electronic computer device execute programs stored in non-transient media to;

(1) read an RFID tag proximate to an underground asset to obtain RFID tag stored data including tag unique data string;

(2) match the tag unique data string to a corresponding record of the database memory; and

(3) exchange data between the field tag identification unit and the central database server associated with the corresponding record;

wherein the exchanged data includes data from the corresponding record, and wherein the data from the corresponding record is displayed on the user interface of the field tag identification unit;

wherein the exchanged data includes map data providing location and type of underground asset for multiple RFID tags in the database in a map region as superimposed on a map providing terrain features; and

wherein the map data provides for symbols representing RFID tags, their locations, and a type of underground asset associated with the RFID tag, wherein the type of underground asset is at least one of a function of the underground asset and an ownership of the underground asset.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the type of underground asset include water, electricity, sewer, data cable, gas, buried mineral rights, or right-of-way.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the map provides for symbols representing RFID tags and their locations, and wherein the first and second programs execute to allow user selection of a given symbol through the user interface of the field tag identification unit to display data from the database system from a given record linked to the RFID tag of the given symbol.