Excavation Polygon Accuracy via OCR Ticket Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manual nature of data entry for excavation notices, combined with the need for ongoing updates of road maps and surveys, results in a lack of accuracy in locating underground facilities, posing safety risks during excavation activities, as existing technologies do not provide a means to verify the accuracy of polygons used in locate operations effectively.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing analytical software to process ticket information, translate it into latitude and longitude coordinates, and compare the generated polygon with a reference polygon to generate a score, thereby identifying potential safety issues and enabling map updates to improve accuracy and safety in excavation operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual data entry is used for excavation notices, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical data entry with automated optical character recognition (OCR) technology. The system captures images of excavation notice documents and automatically converts them into digital ticket data, eliminating manual typing while maintaining high accuracy through OCR recognition algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by automatically extracting and processing information from excavation notice documents. The OCR technology allows the system to serve itself by converting unstructured document images into structured digital records without human intervention, improving both efficiency and accuracy.
2Device complexity
If manual data entry is used for excavation notices, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an automated OCR-based data capture system that replaces manual data entry processes. This substitution increases system complexity by incorporating image capture devices, OCR software, and automated processing workflows, but significantly improves the precision of polygon coordinate extraction and underground facility location accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If automated analytical software is introduced to verify polygon accuracy, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system automatically compares extracted polygon coordinates against known underground facility locations and generates accuracy scores. This feedback loop continuously verifies data quality and provides corrective guidance, improving measurement precision while managing system complexity through automated validation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary validation of polygon accuracy immediately after data extraction, before excavation activities begin. By conducting preliminary checks and generating accuracy scores in advance, the system prevents errors from propagating and reduces the need for complex post-processing corrections.
4Adaptability or versatility
If ongoing updates of road maps and surveys are performed manually, then adaptability is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes continuous automated updating of road maps and survey data through integrated OCR processing. As new excavation notices are captured, the system continuously updates its database of geographic references and polygon definitions, ensuring data remains current without interrupting operational workflows.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual map updating with automated optical recognition and digital processing. By capturing images of updated road maps and surveys and automatically converting them into digital format through OCR, the system maintains adaptability to changing geographic data while eliminating the time-consuming manual update process.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are described for improving the safety of excavation activities and the accuracy of excavation polygons generated by users of the system and underlying reference data. An exemplary system as described herein comprises a software module for comparing ticket and reference polygons, wherein the ticket polygons are generated by users of the system and the reference polygons are generated based on data contained within a reference database comprising parcel data, line map data, facility map data, ortho map data, road features data, water features data, a highway data, building footprint data, route data, TIGER file data and the like. Methods are described for improving ticket accuracy and underlying map data, improving user training measures, preventing safety accidents and providing historical reports on excavation activities and system effectiveness. It is an object of the invention to improve the safety of excavation activities based on ticket scoring algorithms.