Patent Document ID: 9208458
Application ID: 12571356
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. In a computer comprising at least one hardware processor and at least one input/output (I/O) interface, a method for evaluating a quality of a performance of a locate and/or marking operation performed by a locate technician in response to a locate ticket and in advance of planned excavation activities at a dig area identified by the locate ticket, the method comprising: A) receiving first information relating to the performance of the locate and/or marking operation, the locate and/or marking operation comprising identifying, in advance of the planned excavation activities, a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within the dig area identified by the locate ticket, wherein the first information is generated at least in part by at least one of a user device, a marking device, a locate device, and a combined locate and marking device used by the locate technician to perform the locate and/or marking operation, and the first information comprises an electronic manifest of the locate and/or marking operation, the electronic manifest comprising: at least one digital image of a geographic area proximate to and including the dig area; and at least one electronic marking overlaid on the at least one digital image indicating the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility; B) comparing the first information, including the at least one electronic marking included in the electronic manifest, to second information obtained from at least one facilities map; C) automatically generating, based on B), at least one indication of a quality assessment of the performance of the locate and/or marking operation; and D) at least one of electronically storing and electronically transmitting, via the at least one I/O interface, the at least one indication of the quality assessment to provide an electronic record of the quality assessment.