Patent Document ID: 20150243054
Application ID: 14708530
Patent Status: 0

Claim One:
1. An apparatus for facilitating generation of a searchable electronic record of a locate operation performed by a locate technician in a dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area is planned to be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the apparatus comprising: a communication interface; a display device; a memory to store processor-executable instructions; and a processing unit coupled to the communication interface, the display device, and the memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the processing unit, the processing unit: controls the communication interface to electronically receive source data representing at least one input image of a geographic area including the dig area, wherein the source data comprises geo-encoded information relating to the geographical area; processes the source data and controls the display device so as to display at least a portion of the at least one input image; adds to the displayed at least one input image at least one digital representation of at least one physical locate mark so as to generate a marked-up image including the at least one digital representation of the at least one physical locate mark, the at least one physical locate mark applied to ground in the dig area by the locate technician during a locate operation comprising identifying, using the at least one physical locate mark, a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within the dig area, wherein the processing unit: acquires input from a marking device configured to apply the at least one physical locate mark to the dig area, the input relating to a geographic location of the at least one physical locate mark applied by the locate technician during the locate operation; and adds to the displayed at least one input image the at least one digital representation of the at least one physical locate mark, based at least in part on the input acquired from the marking device; and further controls the communication interface and/or the memory to electronically transmit and/or electronically store information relating to the marked-up image so as to generate the searchable electronic record of the locate operation.