Automated Excavation Verification System for Utility Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current project management systems face challenges in accurately dispatching workers to the nearest location, estimating arrival time, monitoring work hours, confirming project completion, ensuring correct project requirements, and preventing errors in excavation mark-outs, particularly with underground infrastructure, leading to inefficiencies and potential damage.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for automated work project management that includes automated excavation mark-out verification, where user-defined excavation information is verified and corrected, and notifications are sent to relevant municipalities and utility owners, using GPS and electronic mapping to ensure accurate location marking and reduce errors.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If manual excavation mark-out requests are processed, then flexibility in handling diverse excavation scenarios is maintained, but errors occur where permission to excavate is granted at wrong locations and underground infrastructure components are not properly marked

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of excavation location markingVSAvoidcomplexity of verification system

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically verifies excavation mark-out requests by comparing user-provided location data with authoritative geographic information and underground infrastructure databases. This feedback mechanism detects and corrects location errors before excavation permission is granted, preventing wrong-location excavations and infrastructure damage while maintaining operational flexibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary verification of excavation locations and underground infrastructure markings before excavation work begins. By checking and correcting location data in advance, the system prevents errors from occurring during the actual excavation process, ensuring accuracy without adding complexity to the excavation operations themselves.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If automated verification systems are implemented, then errors in excavation mark-outs are reduced, but system complexity and implementation cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of excavation permission grantingVSAvoidcomplexity of automated verification system

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses self-service automation where the verification process automatically compares user-submitted excavation location data with authoritative databases and returns corrected information without requiring manual intervention. This self-verification approach reduces errors in excavation permission granting while minimizing the need for complex human-operated verification systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary automated verification layer between the excavation request and the permission granting process. This intermediary automatically checks location accuracy and infrastructure markings, reducing errors while keeping the overall system architecture relatively simple by using standardized data exchange protocols and authoritative databases.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If manual worker dispatch processes are used, then ease of operation is maintained, but inefficiencies occur in finding workers geographically closest to work locations and monitoring work hours

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveefficiency of worker dispatchVSAvoidsimplicity of dispatch process

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces manual worker dispatch processes with automated electronic dispatching that uses GPS location data to automatically identify and assign the nearest available workers to excavation sites. This substitution dramatically improves dispatch efficiency by eliminating manual coordination while the automated nature of the system keeps operational procedures simple and straightforward.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The automated dispatch system continuously monitors worker locations, availability, and work hours in real-time, enabling continuous optimization of worker assignment. This continuous operation improves productivity by ensuring workers are always efficiently utilized while maintaining simple ease of operation through automated tracking and reporting functions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS10496942B2Method and system for automated project management of excavation requests

Publication Date: 2019.12.03 J FLETCHER CREAMER & SON INC

AI summary

A method and system for method for automated work project management. The methods and systems described herein provide automated excavation mark-out verification of a user request to excavate at a desired location. User-defined excavation information is automatically verified and corrected if necessary. One or more municipalities and one or more owners of the existing underground utility infrastructure components are automatically notified of the request to excavate at the user-defined location. The method and system eliminate a need for a user to correctly determine all required information for user requested excavation, and reduces a possibility of the user requesting markings or excavating at a wrong location.