Patent Document ID: 8300895
Application ID: 12355272
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for facilitating detection of a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area, wherein at least a portion of the dig area may be excavated or disturbed during excavation activities, the method comprising: A) electronically processing at least one marked-up digital image of a geographic area including the dig area, the at least one marked-up digital image including at least one indicator to delimit the dig area, wherein electronically processing includes: A1) converting the at least one indicator in the at least one marked-up digital image to a plurality of geographic coordinates representing the delimited dig area, the method further comprising: B) electronically transmitting and/or electronically storing information relating to a locate request ticket identifying the dig area to be excavated, the locate request ticket including image data and non-image data associated with the dig area, wherein: the image data includes the at least one marked-up digital image of the geographic area surrounding the dig area; and the non-image data includes the plurality of geographic coordinates representing the delimited dig area, wherein prior to A), the method further comprises: A2) electronically receiving from a first party non-image information to identify the dig area; and A3) electronically transmitting to the first party at least one digital image of the geographic area including the dig area, based on A2), wherein the at least one marked-up digital image processed in A) is provided by the first party based on the at least one digital image electronically transmitted to the first party in A3), and wherein the at least one indicator to delimit the dig area is placed on the at least one marked-up digital image by the first party by sketching virtual white lines on the at least one digital image electronically transmitted to the first party in A3), prior to A), without acquiring the plurality of geographic coordinates to delimit the dig area.