METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF A FIELD SERVICE OPERATION BASED ON GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

• US 20100010862A1
• Filed: 08/07/2009
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Certusview Technologies LLC (Dycom Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Certusview Technologies LLC (Dycom Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chambers, Curtis, Farr, Jeffrey, Nielsen, Steven E., Pennington, David
• Application Number:
  US12/537,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20100010862A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Methods, apparatus and systems for computer-aided determination of quality assessment for locate and marking operations based on geographic information. In one example, information related to a locate and marking operation is electronically analyzed such that a quality assessment is based at least in part on first geographic information indicating at least one first location of a field-service technician following issuance of an instruction to perform the locate and marking operation, and second geographic information indicating at least one second location at which the location and marking operation was requested to be performed in the instruction.

Claims

1. In a computer comprising at least one hardware processor, at least one tangible storage medium, and at least one input/output (I/O) interface, a method for evaluating a quality of a locate operation to identify a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility pursuant to an instruction to a field-service technician, the method comprising:

A) receiving, via the at least one I/O interface, first geographic information indicating at least one first location of the field-service technician following issuance of the instruction to the field-service technician;

B) receiving, via the at least one I/O interface, second geographic information indicating at least one second location at which the locate operation was requested to be performed;

C) determining a distance between the at least one first location and the at least one second location;

D) determining whether the distance is within a predefined range;

E) if it is determined that the distance is within or equal to the predefined range, generating at least one first indication so as to indicate that the locate operation is approved; and

F) if it is determined that the distance is not within the predefined range, generating at least one second indication so as to indicate that the locate operation is unsatisfactory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein C) comprises comparing the at least one first location to the at least one second location to determine the distance between the first location and the second location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one first location is where the field-service technician performs the locate operation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first geographic information is obtained from an electronic manifest of the locate operation, and wherein the at least one first location is a geographic location at which the electronic manifest was created.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first geographic information is obtained from locating equipment used by the field-service technician.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first geographic information is obtained from a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the GNSS receiver is situated in a vehicle used by the field-service technician.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the GNSS receiver is situated in a handheld computer used by the field-service technician.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second geographic information is obtained from a ticket received by the field-service technician describing the locate operation to be performed.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second geographic information comprises a street address of the at least one second location, and wherein the method further comprises:

geo-coding the street address to determine a latitude and longitude for the at least one second location.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second geographic information is obtained from a virtual white line image that indicates where excavation is planned.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the first geographic information includes first latitude and longitude coordinates of the at least one first location, wherein the second geographic information includes second latitude and longitude coordinates of the at least one second location, and wherein C) comprises comparing the first latitude and longitude coordinates to the second latitude and longitude coordinates to determine the distance between the first location and the second location.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one I/O interface comprises at least one display device, and wherein the method further comprises:

G) displaying, via the at least one display device, the at least one first indication indicating that the locate operation is approved or the at least one second indication indicating that the locate operation is unsatisfactory.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein G) comprises displaying the at least one first indication on a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed by the display device, the GUI including at least one region in which the at least one first or the at least one second indication is displayed.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one first indication includes a first color displayed in the at least one region, and wherein the at least one second indication includes a second color, different from the first color, displayed in the at least one region.

16. An apparatus for facilitating an evaluation of a quality of a locate operation to identify a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility pursuant to an instruction to a field-service technician, the apparatus comprising:

at least one input/output interface;

at least one tangible storage medium to store processor-executable instructions; and

a processor coupled to the at least one input/output interface and the at least one tangible storage medium, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the processor, the processor;

A) controls the at least one I/O interface so as to receive first geographic information indicating a first location of the field-service technician following issuance of the instruction to the field-service technician;

B) controls the at least one I/O interface so as to receive second geographic information indicating a second location at which the locate operation was requested to be performed;

C) determines a distance between the first location and the second location;

D) determines whether the distance is within a predefined range;

E) if it is determined that the distance is within or equal to the predefined range, generates at least one first indication so as to indicate that the locate operation is approved; and

F) if it is determined that the distance is not within the predefined range, generates at least one second indication so as to indicate that the locate operation is unsatisfactory.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein in C) the processor compares the at least one first location to the at least one second location to determine the distance between the first location and the second location.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one first location is where the field-service technician performs the locate operation.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first geographic information is obtained from an electronic manifest of the locate operation, and wherein the at least one first location is a geographic location at which the electronic manifest was created.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first geographic information is obtained from locating equipment used by the field-service technician.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first geographic information is obtained from a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second geographic information is obtained from a ticket received by the field-service technician describing the locate operation to be performed.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the second geographic information comprises a street address of the at least one second location, and wherein, upon execution of the processor-executable instructions, the processor:

geo-codes the street address to determine a latitude and longitude for the at least one second location.

24. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the second geographic information is obtained from a virtual white line image that indicates where excavation is planned.

25. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first geographic information includes first latitude and longitude coordinates of the at least one first location, wherein the second geographic information includes second latitude and longitude coordinates of the at least one second location, and wherein in C) the processor compares the first latitude and longitude coordinates to the second latitude and longitude coordinates to determine the distance between the first location and the second location.

26. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one I/O interface comprises at least one display device, and wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the processor, the processor:

G) displays, via the at least one display device, the at least one first indication indicating that the locate operation is approved or the at least one second indication indicating that the locate operation is unsatisfactory.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein in G) the processor displays the at least one first indication on a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed by the display device, the GUI including at least one region in which the at least one first or the at least one second indication is displayed.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the at least one first indication includes a first color displayed in the at least one region, and wherein the at least one second indication includes a second color, different from the first color, displayed in the at least one region.

29. At least one computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor in a computer comprising at least one input/output (I/O) interface, perform a method for evaluating a quality of a locate operation to identify a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility pursuant to an instruction to a field-service technician, the method comprising:

A) receiving, via the at least one I/O interface, first geographic information indicating a first location of the field-service technician following issuance of the instruction to the field-service technician;

B) receiving, via the at least one I/O interface, second geographic information indicating a second location at which the locate operation was requested to be performed;

C) determining a distance between the first location and the second location;

D) determining whether the distance is within a predefined range;

E) if it is determined that the distance is within or equal to the predefined range, generating at least one first indication so as to indicate that the locate operation is approved; and

F) if it is determined that the distance is not within the predefined range, generating at least one second indication so as to indicate that the locate operation is unsatisfactory.