Docking Station for Marking Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional marking devices used by field technicians, such as land surveyors and utility location technicians, are often mishandled, broken, or lost due to their inexpensive and simple nature, leading to inefficiencies and safety concerns, particularly during vehicle accidents. Additionally, there is a need for better management of data and power requirements for these devices in the field.
Innovation Solution
The development of docking stations that serve as a home base for marking devices, providing storage, charging, data transfer, and security features, including integration with mobile/portable devices for enhanced functionality and data management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional simple marking devices are used, then device cost is low, but device reliability and safety are poor due to mishandling and accidents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a docking station as an intermediary system between the marking device and the user/vehicle. The docking station provides centralized functions including battery charging, data synchronization, device authentication, and security management. This allows the marking device itself to remain relatively simple while gaining access to sophisticated management capabilities through the docking station intermediary, thereby improving reliability without significantly increasing device complexity.
2Ease of operation
If marking devices are left unsecured in vehicles, then ease of access is improved, but safety hazards increase during vehicle accidents
Solution Approach 1:
The docking station implements preliminary security measures by providing designated secured storage compartments and locking mechanisms for marking devices. The system can authenticate devices and users before allowing access, and automatically secures devices when not in use. This preliminary organization and security setup prevents accidents during vehicle incidents while maintaining ease of access through authorized user authentication and quick-release mechanisms for legitimate users.
3Productivity
If marking devices lack data management capability, then device simplicity is maintained, but operational efficiency and analytical capability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The docking station is designed as a universal platform that can synchronize data from multiple marking devices, mobile devices, and central servers. It performs multiple functions including data collection, validation, synchronization, backup, and analysis preparation. This multi-functional docking station enables enhanced operational efficiency and analytical capability without requiring each individual marking device to be complex, as the intelligence is centralized in the docking station that serves multiple devices.
4Adaptability or versatility
If battery-powered marking devices are used, then operational flexibility is improved, but power management requirements and charging needs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The docking station implements self-service battery management by automatically detecting when marking devices are docked and initiating charging sequences. The system monitors battery levels, manages charging rates, and tracks charging status without requiring manual user intervention. This allows field technicians to simply dock their devices for overnight charging, and the system handles all power management requirements automatically, maintaining operational flexibility while reducing the burden of power management on users.
Data Source
AI summary
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.