ISSUED U.S. PATENTS:
U.S. Patent 7,482,973 B2: Precision GPS Driven Utility Asset Management and Utility Damage Prevention System and Method
A method and apparatus, including software, for the development and operational use of precise utility location and utility asset management information. Field-useable data sets may be produced that meet standards of accuracy and usability that are sufficient for use by field operations personnel participating in damage prevention activities associated with ground penetrating projects (e.g., excavating, trenching, boring, driving, and tunneling) or other asset applications. Some embodiments relate to integrating utility asset data including coordinate location, and geographical information data using a consistently available and accurate coordinates reference for collecting the data and for aligning the geographical information data. Some embodiments relate to managing projects with equipment that provides real time images and the updating of the data as required with this desired accuracy.
U.S. Patent 6,798,379: Method of Dynamically Tracking a Location of One or More Selected Utilities
A method of dynamically tracking a location of one or more selected utilities. A first step involves providing a portable controller having a memory. A global positioning system (GPS) co-ordinate device and a display are coupled to the controller. A second step involves storing in the memory of the controller a series of GPS co-ordinates for the one or more selected utilities within an assigned service area of a municipality. A third step involves using the GPS co-ordinate device to dynamically provide GPS co-ordinates to the controller as positioning of the GPS co-ordinate device changes. A fourth step involves using the display to display the GPS co-ordinates of the GPS co-ordinate device on a scrolling display of GPS co-ordinates, together with the series of GPS co-ordinates for the one or more selected utilities, such that the relative position of the GPS co-ordinate device to the one or more selected utilities is always known.
U.S. Patent 6,956,524: Method of Dynamically Tracking a Location of One or More Selected Utilities [Modification of 6,798,379]
[Modification of 6,798,379] A method of dynamically tracking a location of one or more selected utilities: A first step involves providing a portable controller having a memory. A global positioning system (GPS) co-ordinate device and a display are coupled to the controller. A second step involves storing in the memory of the controller a series of GPS co-ordinates for the one or more selected utilities within an assigned service area of a municipality. A third step involves using the GPS co-ordinate device to dynamically provide GPS co-ordinates to the controller as positioning of the GPS co-ordinate device changes. A fourth step involves using the display to display the GPS co-ordinates of the GPS co-ordinate device on a scrolling display of GPS co-ordinates, together with the series of GPS co-ordinates for the one or more selected utilities, such that the relative position of the GPS co-ordinate device to the one or more selected utilities is always known.
U.S. Patent 7,834,806: Systems and Method for Utility Asset Data Collection and Management
A system and method for collecting utility location information: The system and method includes identifying a current location; identifying an utility asset and a location of the identified utility asset in a predetermined project area including the current location; associating the current location with the identified utility asset; in real time, integrating an imagery of the project area with the current location and the location of the identified utility asset to generate an image representation of the project area; in real time, displaying the representation of the project area comprising the current location, a representation of the utility asset and the location of the identified utility asset; integrating the obtained location with the GIS landbase template including the map imagery and the infrastructure to create a precision grid including the location of the utility asset the map imagery and the infrastructure; storing the verified location of the identified utility asset and data about the type and material of the identified utility asset in a first database; and managing usage and distribution of the stored precision grid utilizing the defined project criteria, rules applied to the project and data accessibility rights.
U.S. Patent
7,978,129: System and Method for Collecting and Updating Geographical Data
A system and method for generating a GIS data transaction including information about the topography of a region and utilities within the region. The method and system include providing information about the topography of the region; receiving information about a user collecting data related to one or more utilities in the region; receiving information about time and date of the collected data; receiving information about each of the utilities; receiving information about location of each of the utilities; receiving information about the manner of collecting data; receiving information about revisions made to the information about the map; and integrating the received information with the information about the topography of the region into a GIS data transaction.
The GIS data transaction may be used to generate a precision integrated grid and the precision integrated grid may be used to identify and locate a utility in the region. The GIS data transaction may then be displayed with reference to imagery of the area in real time.
US
Patent 7,920.068 : Distance Correction for Damage Prevention System
A system and method for determining a distance of a utility asset from moving equipment. The invention determines a first current location of the equipment; accesses stored coordinates for a plurality of utility assets; selects an area of interest including a portion of the plurality of utility assets; identifies local utility assets in the selected area; determines a utility asset nearest to the first current position of the equipment, from the local utility assets; determines velocity and direction of the moving equipment; and determines the distance from the nearest utility asset to the second current location of the equipment responsive to the determined velocity and direction of the equipment. The invention may then generate a warning indication responsive to the determined distance.
ISSUED CANADIAN PATENTS:
CAN 2545957: Precision GPS Driven Utility Asset Management and utility Damage Prevention System and method
CAN 2632267: Distance Correction for Damage Prevention System
CAN 2643844: System and Method for Collecting and Updating Geographical Data
