Abstract: Generating an accuracy-referenced electronic record of a locate and/or marking operation performed by a locate technician. The locate and/or marking operation comprises locating and/or identifying, using at least one physical locate mark, a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area may be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities. A location of the at least one underground facility and/or the at least one physical locate mark is electronically rendered on a display device so as to generate an electronic visual representation of the locate and/or marking operation. An accuracy of the represented location is digitally represented on the display device using at least one accuracy indicator overlaid on the electronic visual representation of the locate and/or marking operation so as to generate an accuracy-annotated representation of the locate and/or marking operation.

Abstract: Generating a digital-media-enhanced electronic record of a locate and/or marking operation performed by a locate technician. The locate and/or marking operation comprises locating and/or identifying, using at least one physical locate mark, a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area may be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities. A location of the at least one underground facility and/or the at least one physical locate mark is electronically rendered on a display device so as to generate an electronic visual representation of the locate and/or marking operation. At least one digital media file representation of a corresponding digital media file relating to at least one aspect of the locate and/or marking operation or an environment of the dig area is also electronically rendered on the display device, so as to generate a digital-media-annotated representation of the locate and/or marking operation.

Abstract: Generating a corrected electronic record of a locate and/or marking operation performed by a locate technician. The locate and/or marking operation comprises locating and/or identifying, using at least one physical locate mark, a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area may be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities. First information relating to a location of the at least one underground facility and/or the at least one physical locate mark is electronically received and, based at least in part on the first information, the location of the least one underground facility and/or the at least one physical locate mark is digitally represented on a display device so as to generate an electronic visual representation of the locate and/or marking operation.

Abstract: Generating a searchable electronic record of a locate operation performed by a locate technician. The locate operation comprises identifying, using at least one physical locate mark, a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area may be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities. A bare grid is displayed on display device and, via a user input device associated with the display device, at least one digital representation of the at least one physical locate mark is added to the displayed bare grid so as to generate a marked-up grid including the at least one digital representation of the at least one physical locate mark. Information relating to the marked-up grid is electronically transmitted and/or stored so as to generate the searchable electronic record of the locate operation.

Abstract: Assessing at least one aspect relating to a locate and/or marking operation performed by a locate technician based on an electronic representation of the locate and/or marking operation. The locate and/or marking operation comprises locating and/or identifying, using at least one physical locate mark, a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area may be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities. The at least one underground facility and/or the at least one physical locate mark is digitally represented on a display device so as to generate an electronic visual representation of the locate and/or marking operation.

Abstract: Geo-referenced and/or time-referenced electronic drawings may be generated based on electronic vehicle information to facilitate documentation of a vehicle-related event. A symbols library, a collection of geo-referenced images, and any data acquired from one or more vehicles may be stored in memory for use in connection with generation of such drawings, and a drawing tool graphical user interface (GUI) may be provided for electronically processing vehicle data and geo-referenced images. Processed geo-referenced images may be saved as event-specific images, which may be integrated into, for example, an electronic vehicle accident report for accurately depicting a vehicle accident.

Abstract: Managing and displaying information relating to a locate operation and/or a marking operation to detect and/or mark a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility. First information relating to the locate operation and/or the marking operation is electronically received, wherein the first information includes image information. The image information is processed to improve at least one aspect of an image represented by the image information and thereby provide improved image information. Based at least in part on the improved image information, at least one electronic manifest is generated that documents a performance of the locate operation and/or the marking operation.

Abstract: A marking system may hold a container from which markers are dispensed and identify a marker characteristic regarding the markers in the container. The marking system may also receive activation of a trigger, dispense a marker from the container when the trigger is activated, and store the marker characteristic and time data when the trigger is activated.

Abstract: A docking station to dock locating equipment (e.g., marking devices, locate devices, combined locate and marking devices) may be communicatively coupled to and/or equipped with a mobile/portable device (e.g., a mobile phone, personal digital assistant or other portable computing device) that provides processing, electronic storage, electronic display, user interface, communication facilities and/or other functionality (e.g., GPS-enabled functionality) for the docking station. A mobile/portable device may be mechanically and/or electrically coupled to the docking station. The mobile/portable device may provide redundant, shared and/or backup functionality for the docking station to enhance robustness. In one example, the mobile/portable device itself serves as a docking station for the locating equipment.

Abstract: Control of locating equipment used by a locate technician to perform a locate and/or marking operation to detect and/or mark a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility at a work site is based at least in part on marking specifications (e.g., government-based regulations, industry-based recommended guidelines/best practices, standard operating procedures of locate companies and/or facility owners, and/or contractual obligations relating to marking operations). In various examples, control signals are generated to alert a locate technician when to start and stop dispensing of a marking material, or control signals are generated to automatically or semi-automatically control dispensing of the marking material by a marking device, so as to facilitate compliance with marking specifications.

Abstract: Locating and/or marking equipment, such as a locate transmitter or locate receiver, a marking device, or a combined locate and marking device, may be communicatively coupled to and/or equipped with a mobile/portable device (e.g., a mobile phone, personal digital assistant or other portable computing device) that provides processing, electronic storage, electronic display, user interface, communication facilities and/or other functionality (e.g., GPS-enabled functionality) for the equipment. A mobile/portable device may be mechanically and/or electronically coupled to the equipment, and may be programmed so as to log and generate electronic records of various information germane to a locate and/or marking operation (e.g., locate information, marking information, and/or landmark information). Such records may be formatted in various manners, processed and/or analyzed on the mobile/portable device, and/or transmitted to another device (e.g., a remote computer/server) for storage, processing and/or analysis.

Abstract: Indicating a precise geographic extent and a precise geographic location of a dig area at a work site at which excavation is planned, to facilitate detection and/or marking of a presence or an absence of an underground facility in the dig area. A graphical user interface includes an aerial image of a geographic area proximate to and including the work site and the dig area, and a drawing tool to facilitate placement of one or more dig area indicators on the aerial image. A user uses the drawing tool to delimit the precise geographic extent and the precise geographic location of the dig area(s) on the displayed aerial image so as to form the dig area indicator(s), representing unbuffered dig areas, and thereby generate a marked-up aerial image. Geographic coordinates are determined corresponding to the unbuffered dig area(s) represented by the dig area indicator(s).

Abstract: Control of locating equipment used by a locate technician to perform a locate and/or marking operation to detect and/or mark a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility at a work site (e.g., locate receivers, locate transmitters, marking devices and/or combined locate and marking devices) is based on time-keeping information associated with the technician and/or wage and hour compliance information. In one example, one or more control signals are generated to at least partially enable or disable one or more piece of locating equipment based at least in part on a time clock status of the locate technician (e.g., clocked-in or clocked-out), and/or wage and hour compliance information associated with the locate technician and/or the work site (e.g., relating to required breaks and/or maximum number of work hours).

Abstract: A positive response notification to provide information regarding locate and/or marking operations for underground facilities may include time-stamp information to provide proof of a time at which the locate and/or marking operation was completed by a locate technician, and/or place-stamp information to provide proof of a presence of the locate technician at or near a work site. An electronic manifest image and/or a virtual white line image similarly may be included in a positive response notification. In one example, such images may be bundled together based on respective descriptor files (or descriptor metadata) that associates the corresponding images with a locate request ticket for the operation. In another example, a positive response notification may include environmental information regarding one or more environmental conditions present at or near the work site during the locate and/or marking operation.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and systems for determining the location of a marking device during performance of a marking operation using triangulation are described. The marking device may be of the type used to mark the presence or absence of underground facilities and may include a marking material dispenser to dispense marking material as an indicator. The marking device may include a transmitter which transmits a signal received by a receiving system including two or more receiving devices at separate locations. Triangulation algorithms may then be used to determine the location of the marking device relative to the receiving system.

Abstract: A fleet management complex event processing (CEP) engine executes on at least one hardware computer processor. The CEP engine receives at least a first input stream onto which first vehicle information related to a first vehicle is published, and a second input stream onto which second vehicle information related to a second vehicle is published. The CEP engine applies at least one query to the first input stream and the second input stream, and assesses if a fleet-related complex event has occurred. If it is determined in that the fleet-related complex event has occurred, the CEP engine publishes an indication of occurrence of the fleet-related complex event on at least one output stream.

Abstract: A system comprising a plurality of complex event processing engines including a first complex event processing engine set at a first tier and a second complex event processing engine set at a second tier. Each of the plurality of complex event processing engines executes on at least one hardware computer processor. The plurality of complex event processing engines are configured such that at least one complex event processing engine in the second set communicates with only some of the other complex event processing engines in the second set. The plurality of complex event processing engines further are configured such that at least one complex event processing engine in the first set communicates with each complex event processing engine in the second set.

Abstract: A vehicle-based complex event processing (CEP) engine executes on at least one hardware computer processor in a first vehicle. The CEP engine receives a first input stream onto which vehicle information related to the first vehicle is published, and applies one or more queries to the first input stream to assess if a vehicle-related event has occurred. If it is determined that the vehicle-related event has occurred, the CEP engine publishes an indication of occurrence of the vehicle-related event on an output stream of the vehicle-based CEP engine, and transmits the indication of occurrence of the vehicle-related event from the first vehicle.