Electronically documenting locate operations for underground utilities
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- A) performing, by a locate technician, a locate operation of at least one underground facility in a dig area that is planned to be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities by applying to ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area, using a marking device operated by the locate technician, at least one physical colored marker to indicate a presence or an absence of the at least one underground facility below the ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area;
B) adding via a user device operated by the locate technician and comprising a processing unit, to at least one digital image of a geographic area comprising the dig area, at least one electronic marker corresponding to the at least one physical colored marker applied to the ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area so as to generate an electronic record of the locate operation performed in A); and
C) electronically transmitting and/or electronically storing information relating to the electronic record of the locate operation performed in A),wherein;
in B), the user device operated by the locate technician further comprises a location identification unit to provide a geographic location of the user device;
B) comprises;
B1) selecting the at least one digital image based at least in part on the geographic location of the user device provided by the location identification unit, wherein the selected at least one digital image is indexed to a coordinate system providing geo-spatial positioning and includes geographical identification metadata; and
B2) adding, to the at least one digital image selected in B1), the at least one electronic marker corresponding to the at least one physical colored marker applied to the ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area so as to generate the electronic record of the locate operation; and
the method further comprises;
D) adding to the electronic record, in response to an action associated with the locate operation performed in A), at least one location stamp indicating the geographic location of the user device provided by the location identification unit.
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.
377 Citations
56 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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A) performing, by a locate technician, a locate operation of at least one underground facility in a dig area that is planned to be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities by applying to ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area, using a marking device operated by the locate technician, at least one physical colored marker to indicate a presence or an absence of the at least one underground facility below the ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area; B) adding via a user device operated by the locate technician and comprising a processing unit, to at least one digital image of a geographic area comprising the dig area, at least one electronic marker corresponding to the at least one physical colored marker applied to the ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area so as to generate an electronic record of the locate operation performed in A); and C) electronically transmitting and/or electronically storing information relating to the electronic record of the locate operation performed in A), wherein; in B), the user device operated by the locate technician further comprises a location identification unit to provide a geographic location of the user device; B) comprises; B1) selecting the at least one digital image based at least in part on the geographic location of the user device provided by the location identification unit, wherein the selected at least one digital image is indexed to a coordinate system providing geo-spatial positioning and includes geographical identification metadata; and B2) adding, to the at least one digital image selected in B1), the at least one electronic marker corresponding to the at least one physical colored marker applied to the ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area so as to generate the electronic record of the locate operation; and the method further comprises; D) adding to the electronic record, in response to an action associated with the locate operation performed in A), at least one location stamp indicating the geographic location of the user device provided by the location identification unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method, comprising:
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A) performing a locate operation of at least one underground facility in a dig area that is planned to be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities by applying to ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area at least one physical colored marker to indicate a presence or an absence of the at least one underground facility below the ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area; B) adding via a processing unit, to at least one digital image of a geographic area comprising the dig area, at least one electronic marker corresponding to the at least one physical colored marker applied to the ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area so as to generate an electronic record of the locate operation performed in A); and C) electronically transmitting and/or electronically storing information relating to the electronic record of the locate operation performed in A), wherein B) further comprises; adding to the at least one digital image offset information relating to a distance between the at least one physical colored marker and at least one environmental landmark in the dig area, wherein the electronic record includes the offset information.
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23. A computer-readable storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform a method comprising:
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A) documenting a performance, by a locate technician, of a locate operation of at least one underground facility in a dig area that is planned to be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the locate operation comprising applying to ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area, using a marking device operated by the locate technician, at least one physical colored marker to indicate a presence or an absence of the at least one underground facility below the ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area, wherein A) comprises; B) adding via a user device operated by the locate technician, to at least one digital image of a geographic area comprising the dig area, at least one electronic marker corresponding to the at least one physical colored marker applied to the ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area so as to generate an electronic record of the locate operation; and C) electronically transmitting and/or electronically storing information relating to the electronic record, wherein; in B), the user device operated by the locate technician comprises a location identification unit to provide a geographic location of the user device; B) comprises; B1) selecting the at least one digital image based at least in part on the geographic location of the user device provided by the location identification unit, wherein the selected at least one digital image is indexed to a coordinate system providing geo-spatial positioning and includes geographical identification metadata; and B2) adding, to the at least one digital image selected in B1), the at least one electronic marker corresponding to the at least one physical colored marker applied to the ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area so as to generate the electronic record of the locate operation; and the method further comprises; D) adding to the electronic record, in response to an action associated with the locate operation performed in A), at least one location stamp indicating the geographic location of the user device provided by the location identification unit. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A computer-readable storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform a method comprising:
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A) documenting a performance of a locate operation of at least one underground facility in a dig area that is planned to be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the locate operation comprising applying to ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area at least one physical colored marker to indicate a presence or an absence of the at least one underground facility below the ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area, wherein A) comprises; B) adding, to at least one digital image of a geographic area comprising the dig area, at least one electronic marker corresponding to the at least one physical colored marker applied to the ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area so as to generate an electronic record of the locate operation; and C) electronically transmitting and/or electronically storing information relating to the electronic record, wherein in B) the method further comprises; adding to the at least one digital image offset information relating to a distance between the at least one physical colored marker and at least one environmental landmark in the dig area, wherein the electronic record includes the offset information.
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38. An apparatus comprising:
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a communication interface; a memory to store processor-executable instructions; and a processing unit communicatively coupled to the communication interface and the memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the processing unit, the processing unit; A) documents a performance, by a locate technician, of a locate operation of at least one underground facility in a dig area that is planned to be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the locate operation comprising applying to ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area, using a marking device operated by the locate technician, at least one physical colored marker to indicate a presence or an absence of the at least one underground facility below the ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area, wherein in A), the processing unit; B) adds, to at least one digital image of a geographic area comprising the dig area, at least one electronic marker corresponding to the at least one physical colored marker applied to the ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area so as to generate an electronic record of the locate operation; and C) electronically transmits and/or electronically stores information relating to the electronic record, wherein; the apparatus further comprises a location identification unit to provide a geographic location of the apparatus; in B), the processing unit; B1) selects the at least one digital image based at least in part on the geographic location of the apparatus provided by the location identification unit, wherein the selected at least one digital image is indexed to a coordinate system providing geo-spatial positioning and includes geographical identification metadata; and B2) adds, to the at least one digital image selected in B1), the at least one electronic marker corresponding to the at least one physical colored marker applied to the ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area so as to generate the electronic record of the locate operation; and wherein the processing unit further; D) adds to the electronic record, in response to an action associated with the locate operation performed by the locate technician, at least one location stamp indicating the geographic location of the apparatus provided by the location identification unit. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. An apparatus comprising:
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a communication interface; a memory to store processor-executable instructions; and a processing unit communicatively coupled to the communication interface and the memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the processing unit, the processing unit; A) documents a performance of a locate operation of at least one underground facility in a dig area that is planned to be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the locate operation comprising applying to ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area at least one physical colored marker to indicate a presence or an absence of the at least one underground facility below the ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area, wherein in A), the processing unit; B) adds, to at least one digital image of a geographic area comprising the dig area, at least one electronic marker corresponding to the at least one physical colored marker applied to the ground, pavement or other surface in the dig area so as to generate an electronic record of the locate operation; and C) electronically transmits and/or electronically stores information relating to the electronic record, wherein in B); the processing unit adds to the at least one digital image offset information relating to a distance between the at least one physical colored marker and at least one environmental landmark in the dig area, wherein the electronic record includes the offset information.
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Specification