Methods, apparatus and systems for onsite linking to location-specific electronic records of locate operations

摘要

Providing access at a jobsite to an electronic record of a locate operation. Data related to the locate operation is acquired by locate equipment and transmitted to a data repository for storage in the electronic record of the locate operation. A site-specific access mechanism is provided that establishes a link to the electronic record of the locate operation. In one example, the site-specific access mechanism is a physical mechanism, such as a printout of a website address, a barcode, or an RFID tag. In another example the site-specific access mechanism is a virtual mechanism, such as geographic location information provided by a location tracking system (e.g., GPS apparatus) and/or derived from information available to a wireless communications system or WiFi network. In one aspect, the access mechanism may be configured for use at the jobsite only by a person particularly authorized to access the electronic record of the locate operation.

主权项

1. A method for providing access to an electronic record of a locate operation, the locate operation being performed by a locate technician at a jobsite to locate and mark a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility at the jobsite, the method comprising:
acquiring, by locate equipment used by the locate technician to perform the locate operation, data related to performance of the locate operation by the locate technician to locate and mark the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility, wherein the acquired data includes at least one of locating data and marking data; transmitting, by the locate equipment, the acquired data to a data repository for storage in the electronic record of the locate operation, the electronic record comprising the acquired data and at least one of: a work order for performing the locate operation to locate the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility at the jobsite, a virtual white line image for the jobsite including a digital image of the jobsite marked up for indicating an area, point, and/or line of planned excavation to be performed at the jobsite, and an electronic manifest for the locate operation including a digital image of the jobsite marked up for indicating locate marks that have been dispensed at the site, thereby indicating the geo-locations and types of facilities present; and providing a site-specific access mechanism that establishes a link to the electronic record of the locate operation, the access mechanism configured for use at the jobsite by an authorized person to access the electronic record of the locate operation.