Vehicle Tracking System for Underground Utility Asset Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems fail to effectively prevent damage to underground utility assets during construction and excavation due to inaccuracies in manual location markers, lack of real-time tracking, and communication issues, especially in noisy environments or when broadband wireless communication is unavailable, and they do not adequately monitor or guide operators to avoid asset perimeters, particularly when location data is confidential.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a central data system and a tracking device in vehicles, which correlates real-time vehicle location with underground asset location data to detect perimeter breaches and generates alerts, using a processor, location sensing device, network communications, and software modules to display asset locations and vehicle positions on a visual display, ensuring alerts are outputted when breaches occur.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If automated systems are used to identify underground asset locations and monitor equipment proximity, then asset protection capability is improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
A central server acts as an intermediary between GPS tracking units in vehicles and the asset protection system. The server receives location data from multiple vehicles, processes it centrally, and generates alerts when vehicles approach asset perimeters. This intermediary architecture simplifies individual vehicle units while maintaining comprehensive monitoring capability across the entire worksite.
Solution Approach 2:
The GPS tracking units serve multiple functions: they track vehicle locations, communicate with the central server, and provide alert notifications to operators. By making these units multi-functional, the system reduces the need for separate dedicated devices, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliable asset protection.
2Reliability
If real-time monitoring and alerting systems are implemented, then damage prevention effectiveness is improved, but communication infrastructure requirements and system cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where GPS tracking units constantly report vehicle locations to the central server, which then provides real-time feedback alerts to operators when vehicles approach asset perimeters. This feedback mechanism ensures operators are immediately informed of potentially dangerous situations, enhancing damage prevention effectiveness without requiring complex direct vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems.
3Device complexity
If manual location markers and maps are used for asset tracking, then system simplicity is maintained, but accuracy and reliability of asset location identification deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces manual mechanical approaches (physical markers and paper maps) with electronic GPS-based tracking. GPS coordinates provide precise digital location data for both assets and vehicles, eliminating the inaccuracies inherent in manual marker placement and map reading while maintaining operational simplicity through user-friendly software interfaces.
4Reliability
If all vehicles are equipped with tracking units for real-time location recording, then monitoring coverage is improved, but equipment cost and deployment complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses universal GPS tracking units that can be installed in various vehicle types (excavators, trucks, bulldozers) without requiring vehicle-specific customization. These multi-functional units provide consistent location tracking across all vehicles, improving monitoring coverage while simplifying deployment through standardized installation procedures and centralized server-based processing that handles data from any vehicle in the fleet.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively prevents damage to underground assets by providing real-time monitoring and alerting mechanisms, even in scenarios with communication outages or confidentiality constraints, by using parallel monitoring configurations and adapting to varying degrees of location accuracy and asset care levels, thus enhancing the reliability of asset protection.
Implementation Method 1
The tracking device monitors a real-time vehicle location using a location sensor
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are disclosed for preventing damage to underground assets caused by earth work or construction equipment and vehicles. The system includes a central data system, which has access to asset location and map data, and a GPS enabled tracking device provided in the vehicle. The system operates by comparing the real-time vehicle location to the stored asset locations, displaying the map, asset information and vehicle location to the vehicle operator and generating alerts when the vehicle breaches a perimeter around an asset. Preferably, both the central data system and the tracking unit are configured to operate together and in parallel, thereby improving the reliability of the system. In addition, the system is also specifically configured to implement various approaches for using and displaying asset location data during monitoring operations while preserving the confidentiality and security of sensitive information.