Smartphone Mounting for AI Utility Line Tagging and Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing utility locator devices are limited in their ability to accurately locate and map buried utility lines due to their restricted frequency range and lack of comprehensive data processing capabilities, leading to potential safety hazards and financial losses from inaccurate excavations.
Innovation Solution
A smartphone mounting apparatus is developed to couple a smartphone to a utility locator device, enabling image processing and utility mapping methods. The apparatus includes a retainer element to maintain the smartphone's camera alignment with the utility locator device's median plane and an angle joint element to adjust the smartphone's orientation for optimal asset tagging and mapping. Additionally, the system employs Deep Learning and artificial intelligence to recognize patterns and predict utility line types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If utility locator devices measure electromagnetic signals across a large range of frequencies and collect extensive environmental data, then the precision of locating and mapping buried utility lines is improved, but the complexity of data processing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a smartphone as an intermediary device to handle the complex data processing tasks. The utility locator device collects electromagnetic and environmental data, while the smartphone mounted on it processes this data through AI and image processing algorithms, generating enhanced visual representations of utility lines without overloading the locator device itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical data processing methods with artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms. The system uses trained neural networks to automatically interpret electromagnetic signals and environmental data, substituting complex computational mechanics with intelligent pattern recognition that simplifies the processing workflow.
2Ease of operation
If utility locator devices rely on GPS for geolocation, then the ease of operation is improved, but the accuracy of mapped utility lines deteriorates due to GPS error
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system continuously refines location accuracy by comparing multiple data sources. The smartphone captures images and data that are processed to provide corrective feedback on the utility line positions, allowing the system to adjust and improve mapping accuracy beyond what GPS alone can provide while maintaining ease of operation.
3Device complexity
If known utility locator devices locate only utility lines with current coupled to them, then the device complexity is reduced, but the quantity of detectable utility lines is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enhances the versatility of the utility locator device by integrating multiple detection capabilities into a single system. The device can detect both known utility lines with coupled current and unknown lines through environmental data analysis and AI interpretation of electromagnetic patterns, making it a universal tool for all utility line detection scenarios without significantly increasing device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods for mapping utility lines and identifying and tagging assets relating to utility lines as well as a smartphone mounting apparatus are disclosed. The smartphone mounting apparatus may couple to a utility locator device in a known position and orientation for use in tagging assets in a utility locating operation. Such assets along the ground surface may be captured by the camera(s) of the smartphone and/or cameras of the utility locator device and the resulting still images and/or video may be correlated with geolocation data of the tagged asset. Further, methods using Deep Learning/artificial intelligence are included to recognize patterns and make predictions related to underground utilities including utility line type classification.