Patent ID: 8620726
Filing Date: 2013-12-31
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. In a computer comprising at least one hardware processor, at least one non-transitory tangible storage medium, and at least one input/output (I/O) interface, a method for evaluating a quality of a locate operation and/or a marking operation to identify a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility at a work site, the method comprising: A) comparing, by the at least one hardware processor, marking information relating to the marking operation to locate information relating to the locate operation, wherein: B) automatically generating at least one indication of a quality assessment of the locate and/or marking operation, wherein B) comprises: C) electronically storing on the at least one tangible storage medium, and/or electronically transmitting via the at least one I/O interface, the at least one indication of the quality assessment so as to provide an electronic record of the quality assessment; wherein at least one of the marking information and the locate information includes at least two of: at least one location at which locating equipment was used to perform the locate and/or marking operation; facility-type information identifying at least one underground facility for which the presence or the absence was detected and/or marked during the locate and/or marking operation; facility location information identifying a location of the at least one underground facility for which a field-service technician detected and/or marked the presence or the absence during the locate and/or marking operation; marking material type information identifying at least one characteristic of a marking material used to mark the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility; signal information identifying a signal strength measured by a locate device at the location of the at least one underground facility for which the field-service technician detected the presence or the absence during the locate and/or marking operation; position information identifying an angle and/or acceleration of the locating equipment during the locate and/or marking operation; environmental information describing at least one environmental condition present during the locate and/or marking operation; service-related information including one or more identifiers for the field-service technician performing the locate and/or marking operation, the locating equipment and/or a locate contractor dispatching the field-service technician; ticket information relating to a locate request ticket for the locate and/or marking operation; and device health information about a status of one or more components of the locating equipment.