# US 8,543,937 B2 · Methods and apparatus employing a reference grid for generating electronic manifests of underground facility marking operations > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,543,937 B2 - Document ID: US8543937B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/734,415 - Filed: 2013-01-04 - Published: 2013-05-16 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2008-02-12 - Assignees: CertusView Technologies, LLC - Applicants: CertusView Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Steven Nielsen; Curtis Chambers; Jeffrey Farr - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8543937B2 ## CPC - G09B 29/106: {using electronic means} - G06F 3/0481: based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance - G06T 11/10: Texturing; Colouring; Generation of textures or colours (retouching, inpainting or scratch removal G06T5/77) - G06T 11/65: on geographic maps - G06V 10/242: {by image rotation, e.g. by 90 degrees} - G06V 20/13: Satellite images - G09B 29/007: {using computer methods} - G06T 2207/30204: Marker - G06V 10/245: {by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning} - G09B: EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS (devices for psychotechnics or for testing reaction times A61B5/16; games, sports, amusements A63; projectors, projector screens G03B) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract A grid is displayed on a display device to provide a reference for a geographic area including an excavation site. User input is acquired that relates to a geographic location of at least one physical locate mark applied by a technician to a ground surface at the excavation site to indicate a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility at the excavation site. Based on the user input, at least one digital representation of the at least one physical locate mark is added to the displayed grid so as to generate a marked-up image. Information relating to the marked-up image is electronically stored and/or electronically transmitted so as to generate an electronic manifest. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for facilitating generation of an electronic manifest of at least one physical locate mark applied to a ground surface by a technician at an excavation site prior to excavation activities, the apparatus comprising: a communication interface; a display device; a memory to store processor-executable instructions; and a processing unit coupled to the communication interface, the display device, and the memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the processing unit, the processing unit: controls the display device so as to display at least one grid to provide a reference for a geographic area including the excavation site; acquires user input from a user input device, the user input relating to a geographic location of the at least one physical locate mark applied by the technician to the ground surface at the excavation site to indicate a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility at the excavation site; further controls the display device to add to the displayed at least one grid, based at least in part on the user input acquired from the user input device, at least one digital representation of the at least one physical locate mark so as to generate a marked-up image including the at least one grid and the at least one digital representation of the at least one physical locate mark; and controls the communication interface and/or the memory to electronically transmit and/or electronically store information relating to the marked-up image so as to generate the electronic manifest. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user input includes drawing on the displayed at least one grid via the at least one user input device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising the user input device, wherein the user input device includes at least one of a stylus, a mouse, a touchpad, a touch screen, a keypad, and a keyboard. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the user input device includes a GPS-enabled device; the user input includes geographic coordinates provided by the GPS-enabled device; and the processing unit acquires the geographic coordinates from the GPS-enabled device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the GPS-enabled device is a GPS-enabled marking device used by the technician to apply the at least one physical locate mark to the ground surface at the excavation site. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising the GPS-enabled marking device. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information electronically transmitted by the communication interface and/or electronically stored by the memory and relating to the marked-up image includes at least one of: a property address associated with the at least one physical locate mark; a date or a time indicative of when the technician applied the at least one physical locate mark; a name of the technician; a name of a company responsible for the technician; a name of an excavator performing the excavation activities; and a ticket number associated with a locate request ticket provided to the technician and relating to the excavation site. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further controls the display device to display the marked-up image so as to include at least one dig area indicator to provide at least one indication of a dig area at the excavation site. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further controls the display device to display the marked-up image such that a color of the at least one digital representation of the at least one physical locate mark corresponds to a type of the at least one underground facility. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further controls the display device to display the marked-up image so as to include at least one indication of at least one of: a length of the at least one underground facility; a circumference of the at least one underground facility; and a material of the at least one underground facility. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information electronically transmitted by the communication interface and/or electronically stored by the memory and relating to the marked-up image includes at least one of: a type of the at least one underground facility; a length of the at least one underground facility; a circumference of the at least one underground facility; and a material of the at least one underground facility. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further controls the display device to display the marked-up image so as to include at least one of: at least one building; at least one roadway; and at least one environmental landmark. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processing unit further controls the display device to display the marked-up image so as to include, based at least in part on the user input, offset information relating to a distance between the at least one physical locate mark and the at least one of the at least one building, the at least one roadway, and the at least one environmental landmark. ### Claim 14 A method for generating an electronic manifest of at least one physical locate mark applied to a ground surface by a technician at an excavation site prior to excavation activities, the method comprising: A) displaying, on a display device, at least one grid to provide a reference for a geographic area including the excavation site; B) acquiring user input from a user input device, the user input relating to a geographic location of the at least one physical locate mark applied by the technician to the ground surface at the excavation site to indicate a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility at the excavation site; C) adding to the displayed at least one grid, based at least in part on the user input acquired in B) from the user input device, at least one digital representation of the at least one physical locate mark so as to generate a marked-up image including the at least one grid and the at least one digital representation of the at least one physical locate mark; and D) electronically transmitting and/or electronically storing information relating to the marked-up image so as to generate the electronic manifest. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising, prior to B): receiving, by the technician, a locate request ticket identifying the excavation site; and applying the at least one physical locate mark to the ground surface pursuant to the locate request ticket so as to indicate the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility at the excavation site. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein in B), the user input includes drawing on the displayed at least one grid via the at least one user input device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein in B), the user input includes drawing on the displayed at least one grid via the at least one user input device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein: the user input device includes a GPS-enabled device; the user input includes geographic coordinates provided by the GPS-enabled device; and B) comprises acquiring the geographic coordinates from the GPS-enabled device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the information electronically transmitted and/or electronically stored in D) includes at least one of: a property address associated with the at least one physical locate mark; a date or a time indicative of when the technician applied the at least one physical locate mark; a name of the technician; a name of a company responsible for the technician; a name of an excavator performing the excavation activities; and a ticket number associated with a locate request ticket provided to the technician and relating to the excavation site. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: displaying the marked-up image so as to include at least one dig area indicator to provide at least one indication of a dig area at the excavation site. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: displaying the marked-up image such that a color of the at least one digital representation of the at least one physical locate mark corresponds to a type of the at least one underground facility. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising displaying the marked-up image so as to include at least one indication of at least one of: a length of the at least one underground facility; a circumference of the at least one underground facility; and a material of the at least one underground facility. ### Claim 23 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the information electronically transmitted and/or electronically stored in D) includes at least one of: a type of the at least one underground facility; a length of the at least one underground facility; a circumference of the at least one underground facility; and a material of the at least one underground facility. ### Claim 24 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising displaying the marked-up image so as to include at least one of: at least one building; at least one roadway; and at least one environmental landmark. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The method of claim 24, further comprising: displaying the marked-up image so as to include offset information relating to a distance between the at least one physical locate mark and the at least one of the at least one building, the at least one roadway, and the at least one environmental landmark. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, further comprising: adding to the at least one grid, via the user input device, the offset information. ### Claim 27 At least one computer-readable storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed on at least one processing unit, perform a method for generating an electronic manifest of at least one physical locate mark applied to a ground surface by a technician at an excavation site prior to excavation activities, the method comprising: A) displaying, on a display device, at least one grid to provide a reference for a geographic area including the excavation site; B) acquiring user input from a user input device, the user input relating to a geographic location of the at least one physical locate mark applied by the technician to the ground surface at the excavation site to indicate a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility at the excavation site; C) adding to the displayed at least one grid, based at least in part on the user input acquired in B) from the user input device, at least one digital representation of the at least one physical locate mark so as to generate a marked-up image including the at least one grid and the at least one digital representation of the at least one physical locate mark; and D) electronically transmitting and/or electronically storing information relating to the marked-up image so as to generate the electronic manifest.