Excavator Locate Notification System via Intermediary Server
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the construction industry, excavators face inefficiencies and risks due to limited notification of the completion status of underground facility locate operations, leading to potential damage and delays in excavation activities.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing computing devices with graphical user interfaces to facilitate the submission of locate requests and provide customizable notification preferences, ensuring timely and accurate communication of operation status to excavators and other parties involved in locate and marking operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If real-time notification system is implemented, then information exchange efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a notification server as an intermediary component that mediates between locate technicians and excavators. This server receives locate operation status updates from technicians and automatically distributes notifications to relevant excavators, thereby improving information exchange efficiency while centralizing system complexity in a single manageable component rather than requiring complex peer-to-peer communication infrastructure.
2Reliability
If locate operation status is tracked and notified in real-time, then excavation safety is improved, but communication infrastructure requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The notification system is designed to automatically track and communicate locate operation status without requiring complex manual communication infrastructure. The locate technician's device automatically updates the notification server when locate operations are completed, and the server automatically notifies excavators. This self-service approach improves excavation safety through real-time status tracking while minimizing communication infrastructure requirements by leveraging existing mobile communication capabilities.
3Adaptability or versatility
If comprehensive notification preferences are implemented, then user customization is improved, but processing overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements notification preferences that are established in advance by users before locate operations begin. Excavators can pre-configure their notification settings, including preferred communication methods and timing, so that when locate operations are completed, the notification server can immediately send appropriately customized notifications without requiring complex real-time processing or decision-making. This preliminary configuration reduces processing overhead while maintaining high user customization capability.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, apparatus, and systems for providing information regarding a locate and/or marking operation to identify a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area. At least one notification indicating a status of the locate and/or marking operation is electronically transmitted and/or stored so as to inform at least one party associated with requesting the operation (a “requesting party,” e.g., an excavator, a property owner, a facility owner, a regulatory authority, a damage investigator, etc.) of the status of the operation. In one aspect, a requesting party may designate a preferred format, content, and/or method of receiving notifications regarding the locate and/or marking operation. In another aspect, a computer-generated GUI is provided to facilitate submission of requests, generation of “virtual white line” images to indicate one or more dig areas on a digital image of a work site, and/or selection of notifications and preferences for same. In yet another aspect, a requesting party may provide an acknowledgement of receipt (e.g., a “return receipt”) for one or more received notifications.