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

• US 20100189887A1
• 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 8,442,766 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/136
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/0026 to inhibit delivery
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/004 comprising sensors for monitoring the delivery, e.g. by displaying the sensed value or generating an alarm B05B12/08 takes precedence; registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus in general G07C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/08 responsive to condition of liquid or other fluent material to be discharged, of ambient medium or of target ; responsive to condition of spray devices or of supply means, e.g. pipes, pumps or their drive means
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/12 responsive to conditions of ambient medium or target, e.g. humidity, temperature position or movement of the target relative to the spray apparatus B05B12/082, B05B12/084 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/124 responsive to distance between spray apparatus and target
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/126 responsive to target velocity, e.g. to relative velocity between spray apparatus and target B05B9/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/02 performed by spraying
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/203 comprising an extension rod located between the aerosol container and the hand grip setting-out line markings on playing courts A63C19/065; marking-out on finished paving by spraying from aerosol containers E01C23/227
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/20 for forming markings in situ
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/22 by spraying E01C23/206 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E01C 23/227 the marking material being supplied in aerosol containers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/04 Permanent marks; Boundary markers
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 15/06 Surveyors' staffs; Movable markers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/08 Construction

Abstract

Marking information relating to use of a marking device to perform a marking operation may be acquired from one or more input devices, logged/stored in local memory of a marking device, formatted in various manners, processed and/or analyzed at the marking device itself, and/or transmitted to another device (e.g., a remote computer/server) for storage, processing and/or analysis. In one example, a marking device may include one or more environmental sensors and/or operational sensors, and the marking 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 marking device, assess out-of-tolerance conditions in connection with use of the marking 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 dispensing tip of the marking device during use, a group/solo mode, and tactile functionality of a user interface.

Claims

1. A marking apparatus for use in performing a marking operation to indicate a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility, the marking apparatus comprising:

a hand-held housing;

at least one processor disposed within the hand-held housing;

a holder configured to hold to the hand-held housing at least one marking dispenser containing a marking material; 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 marking 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 marking 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.

3. The marking 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 surface on which marking material is to be dispensed.

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

5. The marking 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 of the environment.

6. The marking apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a light source.

7. The marking apparatus of claim 6, wherein the light source is configured to be automatically activated in response to the output signal indicating the amount of ambient light is below a threshold value.

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

9. The marking 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.

10. The marking 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.

11. The marking apparatus of claim 10, further comprising at least one actuator configured to actuate the marking dispenser to dispense a marking material, and 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.

12. The marking apparatus of claim 10, further comprising memory disposed within the hand-held housing, communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, and configured to store the at least one target value.

13. The marking 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.

14. The marking 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 marking apparatus is located and a second input device configured to sense a second environmental condition of the environment in which the marking 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 marking apparatus is located.

15. The marking 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 marking apparatus and provide an output signal to the at least one processor indicative of the sensed operating condition.

16. The marking apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one input device communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to sense an operating condition of the marking apparatus is an accelerometer, and wherein the operating condition is an acceleration of the marking apparatus.

17. The marking apparatus of claim 16, wherein the accelerometer is a first accelerometer located at a first position of the marking apparatus, and wherein the marking apparatus further comprises a second accelerometer located at a second position of the marking apparatus.

18. The marking apparatus of claim 17, wherein each of the first and second accelerometers is a three-axis accelerometer.

19. The marking apparatus of claim 15, 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 marking apparatus.

20. The marking apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one input device communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to sense an operating condition of the marking apparatus is an inclinometer and wherein the operating condition is an inclination of the marking apparatus.

21. The marking apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one input device communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to sense an operating condition of the marking apparatus is a proximity sensor and wherein the operating condition is a distance.

22. The marking apparatus of claim 21, wherein the operating condition is a distance of the marking apparatus to a target surface.

23. The marking apparatus of claim 22, wherein the proximity sensor is configured proximate to a tip of the marking apparatus and wherein the operating condition is a distance of the tip of the marking apparatus to the target surface.

24. The marking apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one input device communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to sense an operating condition of the marking apparatus is a yaw rate sensor and wherein the operating condition is a yaw rate of the marking apparatus.

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

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

27. The marking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one input device comprises an altitude sensor and wherein the at least one environmental condition is an altitude of the marking apparatus.

28. A marking apparatus for use in performing a marking operation to indicate a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility, the marking apparatus comprising:

a hand-held housing;

at least one processor disposed within the hand-held housing;

a holder configured to hold to the hand-held housing at least one marking dispenser containing a marking material;

at least one actuator configured to actuate the marking dispenser to dispense the marking material;

a location tracking system configured to determine a location of the apparatus;

a temperature sensor communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to sense an ambient temperature of an environment in which the marking apparatus is located and provide a first output signal indicative of the ambient temperature to the at least one processor;

a humidity sensor communicatively coupled to the at least one processor and configured to sense humidity of the environment in which the marking apparatus is located and provide a second output signal indicative of the humidity to the at least one processor,

wherein the at least one processor is programmed with processor-executable instructions which, when executed, cause the at least one processor to compare the first output signal to a target ambient temperature range for dispensing the marking material and the second output signal to a target humidity range for dispensing the marking material, and, in response to determining that one or both of the first output signal and the second output signal is indicative an out-of-range ambient temperature and/or out-of-range humidity, do at least one of (i) generate an alert to a technician using the marking apparatus and (ii) disable the at least one actuator.

29. A method for performing a marking operation to mark a presence or absence of at least one underground facility using a marking device, the method comprising:

A) dispensing, via actuation of an actuation system of the marking device, marking material onto a target surface;

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

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

30. The method of claim 29, wherein B) comprises detecting an ambient temperature of the environment in which the marking device is located.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein B) comprises detecting a temperature of a target surface toward which the marking device is pointing.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein B) comprises detecting a humidity of the environment in which the marking device is located.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein B) comprises detecting an amount of ambient light of the environment in which the marking device is located.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein B) comprises detecting an altitude of the environment in which the marking device is located.

35. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

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

36. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

D) acquiring audio input.

37. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

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

38. The method of claim 37, wherein C) further comprises logging into local memory of the marking device marking information relating at least in part to D).