LOCATE APPARATUS HAVING ENHANCED FEATURES FOR UNDERGROUND FACILITY LOCATE OPERATIONS, AND ASSOCIATED METHODS AND SYSTEMS

• US 20100188245A1
• Filed: 02/11/2010
• 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 8,749,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/686.100
• 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

Locate information relating to use of a locate device to perform a locate operation may be acquired from one or more input devices, logged/stored in local memory of a locate device, formatted in various manners, processed and/or analyzed at the locate device itself, and/or transmitted to another device (e.g., a remote computer/server) for storage, processing and/or analysis. In one example, a locate device may include one or more environmental sensors and/or operational sensors, and the locate information may include environmental information and operational information derived from such sensors. Environmental and/or operational information may be used to control operation of the locate device, assess out-of-tolerance conditions in connection with use of the locate device, and/or provide alerts or other feedback. Additional enhancements are disclosed relating to improving the determination of a location (e.g., GPS coordinates) of a detecting tip of the locate device during use, a group/solo mode, and tactile functionality of a user interface.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting a presence or absence of an underground facility, the apparatus comprising:

at least one receiver antenna configured to detect a magnetic field from the underground facility;

at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one receiver antenna to receive information about the magnetic field from the at least one receiver antenna; and

at least one input device communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to sense at least one environmental condition of an environment in which the apparatus is located and provide an output signal to the at least one processor indicative of the sensed at least one environmental condition.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to store information relating to the output signal of the at least one input device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising an actuator, wherein the at least one processor is configured to log into the memory the information relating to the output signal of the at least one input device upon actuation of the actuator.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one input device comprises a temperature sensor and wherein the at least one environmental condition is an ambient temperature of the environment.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one input device comprises a temperature sensor and wherein the at least one environmental condition is a surface temperature of a target surface toward which the apparatus is pointed.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one input device comprises a humidity sensor and wherein the at least one environmental condition is a humidity of the environment.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one input device comprises a light sensor and wherein the at least one environmental condition is an amount of ambient light in the environment.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a light source.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the light source is configured to be automatically activated in response to the output signal of the at least one input device indicating the amount of ambient light is below a threshold value.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an image capture device configured to provide an output signal to the at least one processor.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one input device comprises an audio recorder configured to acquire acoustic signals from the environment, and wherein the output signal represents at least part of an acquired acoustic signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is programmed with processor-executable instructions which, when executed, cause the at least one processor to compare the output signal of the at least one input device to at least one target value.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising an actuator, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to disable the at least one actuator in response to the comparison of the output signal of the at least one input device to the at least one target value.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a memory communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to store the at least one target value.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a location tracking system communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to determine a location of the apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one input device comprises a first input device configured to sense a first environmental condition of the environment in which the apparatus is located and a second input device configured to sense a second environmental condition of the environment in which the apparatus is located, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to process an output signal of the first input device in combination with an output signal of the second input device to assess a state of the environment in which the apparatus is located.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one input device communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to sense an operating condition of the apparatus and provide an output signal to the at least one processor indicative of the sensed operating condition.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one input device communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to sense an operating condition of the apparatus is an accelerometer, and wherein the operating condition is an acceleration of the apparatus.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the accelerometer is a first accelerometer located at a first position of the apparatus, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a second accelerometer located at a second position of the apparatus.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein each of the first and second accelerometers is a three-axis accelerometer.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one input device communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to sense an operating condition of the apparatus is an accelerometer configured to sense an inclination of the apparatus.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one input device communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to sense an operating condition of the apparatus is an inclinometer and wherein the operating condition is an inclination of the apparatus.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one input device communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to sense an operating condition of the apparatus is a proximity sensor and wherein the operating condition is a distance.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the operating condition is a distance of the apparatus to a target surface.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the proximity sensor is configured proximate to a tip of the apparatus and wherein the operating condition is a distance of the tip of the apparatus to the target surface.

26. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the at least one input device communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to sense an operating condition of the apparatus is a yaw rate sensor and wherein the operating condition is a yaw rate of the apparatus.

27. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a location tracking system communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to determine a location of the apparatus.

28. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a tactile indicator configured to generate a tactile indication in response to the output signal being provided to the at least one processor by the at least one input device.

29. An apparatus for detecting a presence or absence of an underground facility, the apparatus comprising:

at least one receiver antenna configured to detect a magnetic field from the underground facility;

an actuator;

at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one receiver antenna to receive information about the magnetic field from the at least one receiver antenna in response to actuation of the actuator;

a location tracking system communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to determine a location of the apparatus; and

at least one input device communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to sense at least one environmental condition of an environment in which the apparatus is located and provide an output signal to the at least one processor indicative of the sensed at least one environmental condition,

wherein the at least one processor is programmed with processor-executable instructions which, when executed, cause the at least one processor to compare the output signal of the at least one input device to at least one target range, and, in response to determining that the output signal is outside the at least one target range, do at least one of (i) generate an alert to a technician using the apparatus and (ii) disable the actuator.

30. A method for performing a locate operation for at least one underground facility using a locate apparatus, the method comprising:

A) detecting, via at least one receiver antenna of the apparatus, a magnetic field from the at least one underground facility;

B) detecting, via at least one input device of the apparatus, at least one environmental condition of an environment in which the apparatus is located; and

C) logging into local memory of the apparatus locate information relating at least in part to A) and B).

31. The method of claim 30, wherein C) is performed in response to actuation of an actuator of the apparatus.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein C) is performed in response to detection of at least one event based at least in part on a characteristic of the magnetic field detected by the at least one receiver antenna.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein B) comprises detecting an ambient temperature of the environment in which the apparatus is located.

34. The method of claim 30, wherein B) comprises detecting a temperature of a target surface toward which the apparatus is pointing.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein B) comprises detecting a humidity of the environment in which the apparatus is located.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein B) comprises detecting an amount of ambient light in the environment in which the apparatus is located.

37. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

D) acquiring data from an image capture device of the apparatus.

38. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

D) acquiring audio input.

39. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

D) detecting, via at least one input device of the apparatus, at least one operating condition of the apparatus.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein C) further comprises logging into local memory of the apparatus locate information relating at least in part to D).