Patent ID: 8468206

Claim:
An apparatus for providing information regarding a locate and/or marking operation performed by at least one locate technician, the apparatus comprising: a communication interface; a memory to store processor-executable instructions; and a processing unit communicatively coupled to the communication interface and the memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the processing unit, the processing unit: controls the communication interface to receive input relating to a status of the locate and/or marking operation at least once after dispatch of the at least one locate technician to the dig area but before completion of the locate and/or marking operation, the locate and/or marking operation comprising detecting and/or marking, in response to at least one locate request ticket, a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area is planned to be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities; based at least in part on the received input, generates at least one notification indicating the status of the locate and/or marking operation; and further controls the communication interface and/or the memory to electronically transmit and/or electronically store the at least one notification so as to inform at least one party associated with providing at least one locate request relating to the locate and/or marking operation of the status of the locate and/or marking operation.