Utility Line Database Using Street View Image Recognition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing excavation processes face challenges in accurately locating underground utility lines due to imprecise records and the potential for utility line marks to be removed or obscured, leading to delays and safety risks in large excavation projects.
Innovation Solution
A computing server system that captures images of ground marks, uses GIS data and object recognition algorithms to determine the location of utility line marks, and displays this information on a digital map, enabling more accurate and efficient excavation planning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional utility mapping methods are used to obtain underground utility maps from each utility company, then utility line location information can be obtained, but the planning process takes more than a year to complete due to delays in obtaining maps and uncertainty of accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing images of ground marks and benchmarks before excavation planning begins, processing these images through object recognition algorithms to pre-determine utility line locations. This preliminary data collection and processing eliminates the need for lengthy coordination with multiple utility companies during the planning phase, reducing the overall timeline from over a year to a significantly shorter period while maintaining location accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/manual process of obtaining utility maps from each utility company with an automated optical and computational system. Street view images are captured and processed using object recognition algorithms that automatically identify ground marks and benchmarks, then use GIS data to determine precise utility line locations. This substitution of automated image processing and computational algorithms for manual map collection and verification dramatically reduces processing time while improving location accuracy.
2Reliability
If utility line marks are painted on the ground to indicate location, then utility locations can be identified, but the marks may be removed or obscured leading to uncertainty in excavation planning
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates digital copies of ground marks by capturing their images through street view photography. These digital copies are stored and processed through object recognition algorithms that identify and record the location and characteristics of ground marks and benchmarks. By creating persistent digital records, the system preserves utility line location information even when physical ground marks are removed or obscured, ensuring continuous reliability of location data throughout the excavation planning process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces digital imaging and object recognition technology as an intermediary between physical ground marks and excavation planning decisions. The system captures images of ground marks, processes them through algorithms that identify benchmarks and marks, and uses GIS data to determine precise locations. This intermediary digital representation layer ensures that utility line location information remains accessible and reliable even when the original physical ground marks are no longer visible, bridging the gap between transient physical marks and permanent planning records.
3Reliability
If extensive excavation projects are planned to ensure safety and accuracy, then utility damage risks are reduced, but the planning complexity and time requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameters of the planning process by shifting from manual collection and verification of utility maps to automated image capture and processing. Street view images are captured at standard intervals, processed through object recognition algorithms that automatically identify ground marks and benchmarks, and integrated with GIS data to produce precise utility line location maps. This parameter change from manual to automated processes maintains comprehensive safety checks while dramatically reducing planning complexity and time requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the system to perform its own data collection and analysis functions without requiring extensive manual intervention from planners or coordination with multiple utility companies. The object recognition algorithms automatically identify ground marks and benchmarks in captured images, and the system autonomously processes this data to determine utility line locations. This self-service capability maintains thorough safety verification while reducing the complexity of manual planning procedures, as the system independently completes tasks that would otherwise require extensive human effort and coordination.
Data Source
AI summary
A graphical user interface may provide a digital map that includes digital marks for utility lines and excavation boundary. To determine the location information of a ground mark, a computing server may receive an image of a street view of a site and identify one or more ground marks from the image. The computing server may receive geographic information system (GIS) data, which records surveyed location information of benchmarks at the site. The computing server may identify, using an object recognition algorithm, pixels in the image of the street view that correspond to the benchmarks recorded in the GIS data. The computing server may determine, based on relative distances between the pixels that correspond to the benchmarks and the ground marks, location data of the ground marks. The computing server may transmit the location data for display in a digital map that includes digital marks corresponding to the ground marks.