METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR GENERATING ALERTS ON A MARKING DEVICE, BASED ON COMPARING ELECTRONIC MARKING INFORMATION TO FACILITIES MAP INFORMATION AND/OR OTHER IMAGE INFORMATION

• US 20100188215A1
• Filed: 02/05/2010
• Published: 07/29/2010
• 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: Nielsen, Steven, Chambers, Curtis, Farr, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,510,141 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 3/081 the magnetic field is produced by the objects or geological structures characterised by the method of magnetic field measurement G01R33/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 29/00 Maps; Plans; Charts; Diagrams, e.g. route diagram star maps G09B27/04; devices for holding or supporting maps A47B97/02; for computing purposes G06G1/14, G09B1/16; display boards G09F

Abstract

A marking device for a marking operation to mark a presence or an absence of one or more underground facilities is configured to access and display facilities map information, and/or other image information, as a visual aid to facilitate the marking operation. In various aspects, methods and apparatus relate to: selection of an appropriate “base” facilities map, or information from a database of facilities map data, relating to a given work site/dig area; selection of an appropriate pan and/or zoom (resolution) for displaying facilities map information; appropriately updating displayed facilities map information while a marking device is used during a marking operation (e.g. changing pan, zoom and/or orientation); overlaying on the displayed facilities map information marking information and/or landmark information relating to the marking operation; and storing locally on the marking device, and/or transmitting from the marking device, facilities map information and/or overlaid marking/landmark information (e.g., for further processing, analysis and/or subsequent display). In one aspect, a location at which marking material is dispensed is compared to a location of a facility line as indicated by the facilities map or other image information, and an alert may be generated based on the comparison.

Claims

1. A marking apparatus to mark a presence or an absence of an underground facility, the marking apparatus comprising:

a housing;

a marking dispenser holder coupled to the housing to hold a replaceable marking material;

an actuator that, when actuated, causes dispensing of the marking material;

a display device coupled to the housing;

at least one memory; and

at least one processor, communicatively coupled to the display device and the at least one memory, and configured to;

display on the display device a map image that is generated based on first map data that comprises facilities map data and is selected by the at least one processor; and

compare a location at which marking material was dispensed to a location of a facility line as indicated by the first map data and generate an alert based on the comparison.

2. The marking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to provide the alert to a remote device.

3. The marking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the alert when the location at which the marking material was dispensed is within a threshold distance of the location of the facility line as indicated by the first map data.

4. The marking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the alert when the location at which the marking material was dispensed is not within a threshold distance of the location of the facility line as indicated by the first map data.

5. The marking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the marking apparatus further comprises at least one speaker, wherein the alert is an audible alert, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the alert via the at least one speaker.

6. The marking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the alert is a visual alert, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the alert via the at least one display device.

7. The marking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the marking apparatus further comprises a vibrating device configured to, upon actuation, cause at least a portion of the marking apparatus to vibrate, wherein the alert is a tactile alert, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the alert by causing the vibrating device to be actuated.

8. The marking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to compare a location at which marking material was dispensed to a location of a facility line as indicated in the facilities map data and log any discrepancy between the location at which the marking material was dispensed and the location of the facility line as indicated by the facilities map data.

9. The marking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first map image comprises a facilities map, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to provide a user interface via which a user may input information related to a discrepancy between a location at which marking material was dispensed and a location of a facility line as indicated on the facilities map.

10. A method for displaying information on a marking wand having a housing, a marking dispenser holder coupled to the housing to hold a replaceable marking material, an actuator that, when actuated, causes dispensing of the marking material, a display device coupled to the housing, at least one memory, and at least one processor, coupled to the display device and the at least one memory, the method comprising:

displaying on the display device a map image that is generated based on first map data that comprises facilities map data and is selected by the at least one processor; and

comparing a location at which marking material was dispensed to a location of a facility line as indicated by the first map data and generating an alert based on the comparison.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing the alert to a remote device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating the alert when the location at which the marking material was dispensed is within a threshold distance of the location of the facility line as indicated by the first map data.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

generating the alert when the location at which the marking material was dispensed is not within a threshold distance of the location of the facility line as indicated by the first map data.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the marking apparatus further comprises at least one speaker, wherein the alert is an audible alert, and wherein the method further comprises:

generating the alert via the at least one speaker.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the alert is a visual alert, and wherein the method further comprises:

generating the alert via the at least one display device.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the marking apparatus further comprises a vibrating device configured to, upon actuation, cause at least a portion of the marking apparatus to vibrate, wherein the alert is a tactile alert, and wherein the method further comprises:

generating the alert by causing the vibrating device to be actuated.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

comparing a location at which marking material was dispensed to a location of a facility line as indicated in the facilities map data; and

logging any discrepancy between the location at which the marking material was dispensed and the location of the facility line as indicated by the facilities map data.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

providing a user interface on the display device via which a user may input information related to a discrepancy between a location at which marking material was dispensed and a location of a facility line as indicated on the facilities map.

19. At least one computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed on at least one processor in marking apparatus having a housing, a marking dispenser holder coupled to the housing to hold a replaceable marking material, an actuator that, when actuated, causes dispensing of the marking material, a display device coupled to the processor and the housing, and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform a method comprising:

displaying on the display device a map image that is generated based on first map data that comprises facilities map data and is selected by the at least one processor; and

comparing a location at which marking material was dispensed to a location of a facility line as indicated by the first map data and generating an alert based on the comparison.

20. The at least one computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

providing the alert to a remote device.