METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING AN ELECTRONIC RENDERING OF A LOCATE OPERATION BASED ON AN ELECTRONIC RECORD OF LOCATE INFORMATION

• US 20100090700A1
• Filed: 10/30/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Certusview Technologies LLC (Dycom Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Certusview Technologies LLC (Dycom Industries Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chambers, Curtis, Farr, Jeffrey, Nielsen, Steven E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,400,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/329
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/08 operating with magnetic or electric fields produced or modified by objects or geological structures or by detecting devices with electromagnetic waves G01V3/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/15 specially adapted for use during transport, e.g. by a person, vehicle or boat

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing on a display device an electronic rendering of a locate operation to detect a presence or an absence of an underground facility. One or more electronic detection marks are displayed in a display field of the display device, based at least in part on locate information generated by a locate device used for the locate operation. The locate device includes a receiver antenna to detect a magnetic field from the underground facility. The locate information includes magnetic field information based on the detected magnetic field, and geographic information indicating at least one location of the locate device during the locate operation. One or more characteristics of the electronic detection mark(s) is/are based on the magnetic field information, and one or more positions in the display field at which the electronic detection mark(s) is/are displayed is/are based on the geographic information.

Claims

1. A method for providing on a display device an electronic rendering of a locate operation to detect a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility, the method comprising:

A) displaying in a display field of the display device at least one electronic detection mark based at least in part on locate information generated by at least one locate device used for the locate operation, the at least one locate device including at least one receiver antenna to detect a magnetic field from the at least one underground facility, the locate information including;

magnetic field information based on the detected magnetic field; and

geographic information indicating at least one location of the at least one locate device during the locate operation,

wherein at least one characteristic of the at least one electronic detection mark is based on the magnetic field information, and wherein at least one position in the display field at which the at least one electronic detection mark is displayed is based on the geographic information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic of the at least one electronic detection mark comprises at least one indicator of a magnetic field strength and/or a depth of the at least one underground facility based on the magnetic field information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one characteristic of the at least one electronic detection mark includes one or more of a color, a shade, a line-type, a line-style, a symbol, or a graphic icon used for the at least one electronic detection mark based on the magnetic field strength and/or the depth of the at least one underground facility.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one electronic detection mark comprises a dot or a line at the at least one position in the display field based on the geographic information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein A) comprises displaying in the display field of the display device textual, numeric, and/or graphic elements based on the magnetic field information and/or the geographic information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic information comprises at least one longitude coordinate and at least one latitude coordinate, and wherein A) comprises displaying the at least one electronic detection mark based at least in part on the at least one longitude coordinate and the at least one latitude coordinate.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein A) comprises displaying the at least one electronic detection mark in the display field of the display device during the locate operation.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the display device is coupled to or included in the at least one locate device, and wherein A) comprises providing essentially real-time feedback during the locate operation, via the at least one electronic detection mark, to a user of the at least one locate device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the display device is disposed at a location remote from the locate operation, and wherein A) comprises providing essentially real-time feedback, via the at least one electronic detection mark, to a supervisor monitoring the locate operation from the remote location.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to A):

B) receiving at least one event entry from the at least one locate device, wherein the at least one event entry includes the geographic information and the magnetic field information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein B) comprises:

B1) receiving the at least one event entry as at least one actuation data set collected in response to actuation of the at least one locate device, wherein the at least one actuation data set includes the geographic information and the magnetic field information.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the at least one event entry includes a plurality of event entries;

each event entry of the plurality of event entries includes at least some of the geographic information and at least some of the magnetic field information; and

A) comprises displaying in the display field of the display device the at least one electronic detection mark based at least in part on the plurality of event entries.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one electronic detection mark includes a single electronic detection mark based on at least two event entries of the plurality of event entries.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the at least one electronic detection mark comprises a plurality of electronic detection marks; and

each electronic detection mark of the plurality of electronic detection marks corresponds to a different one of the plurality of event entries.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the at least one electronic detection mark comprises a plurality of electronic detection marks;

each event entry comprises at least one time stamp; and

A) comprises dynamically displaying in the display field of the display device the plurality of electronic detection marks based at least in part on the at least one time stamp in at least some event entries of the plurality of event entries.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein A) comprises dynamically displaying the plurality of electronic detection marks in the display field of the display device during the locate operation.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein A) comprises dynamically displaying the plurality of electronic detection marks in the display field of the display device after completion of the locate operation to provide a time-sequenced animation that recreates the locate operation.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to A):

B) accessing an electronic record of the locate operation, the electronic record comprising the locate information including the geographic information and the magnetic field information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein B) comprises receiving the electronic record from the at least one locate device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein B) comprises receiving the electronic record from an archive of previously-completed locate operations.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the at least one electronic detection mark comprises a plurality of electronic detection marks; and

A) comprises simultaneously displaying in the display field of the display device the plurality of electronic detection marks based at least in part on the electronic record accessed in B).

22. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the locate information further includes facility information indicating at least one aspect of the at least one underground facility detected during the locate operation; and

A) comprises displaying in the display field of the display device the at least one electronic detection mark such that the at least one characteristic of the at least one electronic detection mark is based at least in part on the facility information.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one aspect of the at least one underground facility indicated by the facility information includes one or more of a type of the at least one underground facility, a material used for the at least one underground facility, and a size of the at least one underground facility.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least one characteristic of the at least one electronic detection mark that is based at least in part on the facility information includes one or more of a color, a line-type, a line-style, a symbol, or a graphic icon used for the at least one electronic detection mark.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

B) displaying in the display field of the display device a grid to provide a reference for the at least one electronic detection mark.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

B) displaying in the display field of the display device a digital image representative of at least a portion of an area in which the locate operation is performed.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein A) and B) are performed substantially simultaneously such that the at least one electronic detection mark appears in an appropriate position overlaid on the digital image.

28. A method for providing on a display device an electronic rendering of a locate operation to detect a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility, the method comprising:

A) accessing an electronic record of the locate operation, the electronic record comprising a first data set associated with detection of the at least one underground facility by a locate receiver, wherein the first data set comprises a first piece of geographic information corresponding to a location at which the at least one underground facility was detected;

B) for at least the first data set of the electronic record, displaying on the display device at least one electronic detection mark based at least in part on the first piece of geographic information; and

C) displaying, on the display device, an aerial image representative of at least a portion of an area in which the locate operation is performed,

wherein the at least one electronic detection mark appears in an appropriate position overlaid on the aerial image, based at least in part on the first piece of geographic information.

29. An apparatus for providing on a display device an electronic rendering of a locate operation to detect a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility, the apparatus comprising:

a memory to store processor-executable instructions and locate information, the locate information including;

magnetic field information based on a magnetic field detected by at least one receiver antenna of at least one locate device used for the locate operation; and

geographic information indicating at least one location of the at least one locate device during the locate operation; and

a processor coupled to the memory and the display device, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions, the processor;

A) displays in a display field of the display device at least one electronic detection mark based at least in part on the locate information stored in the memory, wherein at least one characteristic of the at least one electronic detection mark is based on the magnetic field information, and wherein at least one position in the display field at which the at least one electronic detection mark is displayed is based on the geographic information.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, in combination with the display device.

31. The combination of claim 30, wherein the display device, the memory, and the processor are components of the locate device.

32. At least one computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processor in a computer, perform a method for providing on a display device an electronic rendering of a locate operation to detect a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility, the method comprising:

A) displaying in a display field of the display device at least one electronic detection mark based at least in part on locate information collected by at least one locate device used for the locate operation, the at least one locate device including at least one receiver antenna to detect a magnetic field from the at least one underground facility, the locate information including;

magnetic field information based on the detected magnetic field; and

geographic information indicating at least one location of the at least one locate device during the locate operation,

wherein at least one characteristic of the at least one electronic detection mark is based on the magnetic field information, and wherein at least one position in the display field at which the at least one electronic detection mark is displayed is based on the geographic information.