Methods and apparatus for displaying and processing facilities map information and/or other image information on a marking device

Abstract

A marking device for a marking operation to mark a presence or an absence of one or more underground facilities is configured to access and display facilities map information, and/or other image information, as a visual aid to facilitate the marking operation. In various aspects, methods and apparatus relate to: selection of an appropriate “base” facilities map, or information from a database of facilities map data, relating to a given work site/dig area; selection of an appropriate pan and/or zoom (resolution) for displaying facilities map information; appropriately updating displayed facilities map information while a marking device is used during a marking operation (e.g. changing pan, zoom and/or orientation); overlaying on the displayed facilities map information marking information and/or landmark information relating to the marking operation; and storing locally on the marking device, and/or transmitting from the marking device, facilities map information and/or overlaid marking/landmark information (e.g., for further processing, analysis and/or subsequent display).

1 . A marking apparatus to mark a presence or an absence of an underground facility, the marking apparatus comprising:
 a housing;   a marking dispenser holder coupled to the housing to hold a replaceable marking material;   an actuator that, when actuated, causes dispensing of the marking material;   a display device coupled to the housing;   at least one memory; and   at least one processor, communicatively coupled to the display device and the at least one memory, and configured to display on the display device a map image that is generated based on first map data selected by the at least one processor.   
     
     
         2 . The marking apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to obtain at least a portion of the first map data from a remote device. 
     
     
         3 . The marking apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to store the at least the portion of the first map data in the at least one memory. 
     
     
         4 . The marking apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the at least the portion of the first map data comprises the at least one map image. 
     
     
         5 . The marking apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the map image based on the portion of the first map data. 
     
     
         6 . The marking apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory stores map data including the first map data and wherein the at least one processor is configured to select the first map data in response to a user input. 
     
     
         7 . The marking apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory stores map data including the first map data and wherein the at least one processor is configured to select the first map data in response to information provided by at least one sensor. 
     
     
         8 . The marking apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory stores map data including the first map data and wherein the at least one processor is configured to select the first map data in response to a user input and information provided by at least one sensor. 
     
     
         9 . The marking apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a global position system (GPS) receiver that is coupled to the housing, and wherein the information provided by the at least one sensor comprises information indicative of a geographic location of the marking apparatus, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to select the first map data based at least in part on the geographic location of the marking apparatus. 
     
     
         10 . The marking apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises an electronic compass, and wherein the information provided by the at least one sensor comprises information indicative of a heading of the marking apparatus, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to select the first map data based at least in part on the heading of the marking apparatus. 
     
     
         11 . The marking apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a marking material sensing device configured to detect a color of the marking material in the marking dispenser holder, and wherein the information provided by the sensor comprises information indicative of the color of the marking material in the marking dispenser holder. 
     
     
         12 . The marking apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to select the first map data, at least in part, on information obtained from a ticket associated with a locate operation. 
     
     
         13 . The marking apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the information obtained from the ticket comprises an address at which the locate operation is requested to be performed. 
     
     
         14 . The marking apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the information obtained from the ticket comprises at least one member code indicative of a facility type to be marked during performance of the locate operation. 
     
     
         15 . The marking apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the information obtained from the ticket comprises information identifying an entity that requested performance of the locate operation. 
     
     
         16 . The marking apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to select the first map data based, at least in part, on a virtual white line image that indicates a location at which excavation is planned. 
     
     
         17 . The marking apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first map data comprises first facilities map data, wherein the at least one memory stores facilities map data including the first facilities map data, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to select the first facilities map data from the facilities map data stored in the at least one memory. 
     
     
         18 . The marking apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to select an orientation at which to display, on the display device, the map image, based at least in part on heading information indicative of a direction in which the marking apparatus is moving. 
     
     
         19 . The marking apparatus of  claim 18 , further comprising at least one electronic compass, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the heading information from the at least one electronic compass. 
     
     
         20 . The marking apparatus of  claim 18 , further comprising at least one global positioning system (GPS) receiver, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the heading information using information from the at least one GPS receiver. 
     
     
         21 . The marking apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to translate, rotate and/or zoom the map image. 
     
     
         22 . The marking apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to translate, rotate and/or zoom the map image in response to user input indicating a desired orientation or zoom of the map image. 
     
     
         23 . The marking apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the map image is a first map image, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the first map image to be replaced on the display device with a second map image that is generated from second map data, in response to a change in a geographic location of the marking apparatus. 
     
     
         24 . The marking apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the second map data comprises information not included in the first map data. 
     
     
         25 . A method for displaying information on a marking wand having a housing, a marking dispenser holder coupled to the housing to hold a replaceable marking material, an actuator that, when actuated, causes dispensing of the marking material, a display device coupled to the housing, at least one memory, and at least one processor, coupled to the display device and the at least one memory, the method comprising:
 displaying on the display device a map image that is generated based on first map data selected by the at least one processor.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 obtaining at least a portion of the first map data from a remote device.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , further comprising:
 storing the at least the portion of the first map data in the at least one memory.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the at least the portion of the first map data comprises the at least one map image. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate the map image based on the portion of the first map data. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one memory stores map data including the first map data and wherein the method further comprises:
 selecting the first map data in response to a user input.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one memory stores map data including the first map data and wherein the method further comprises:
 selecting the first map data in response to information provided by at least one sensor.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one memory stores map data including the first map data and wherein method further comprises:
 selecting the first map data in response to a user input and information provided by at least one sensor.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a global position system (GPS) receiver that is coupled to the housing, and wherein the information provided by the at least one sensor comprises information indicative of a geographic location of the marking apparatus, and wherein the method further comprises:
 selecting the first map data based at least in part on the geographic location of the marking apparatus.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises an electronic compass, and wherein the information provided by the at least one sensor comprises information indicative of a heading of the marking apparatus, and wherein the method further comprises:
 selecting the first map data based at least in part on the heading of the marking apparatus.   
     
     
         35 . The method of claim of  claim 31 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises a marking material sensing device configured to detect a color of the marking material in the marking dispenser holder, and wherein the information provided by the sensor comprises information indicative of the color of the marking material in the marking dispenser holder. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the method further comprises:
 selecting the first map data, at least in part, on information obtained from a ticket associated with a locate operation.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the information obtained from the ticket comprises an address at which the locate operation is requested to be performed. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the information obtained from the ticket comprises at least one member code indicative of a facility type to be marked during performance of the locate operation. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the information obtained from the ticket comprises information identifying an entity that requested performance of the locate operation. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 selecting the first map data based, at least in part, on a virtual white line image that indicates a location at which excavation is planned.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the first map data comprises first facilities map data, wherein the at least one memory stores facilities map data including the first facilities map data, and wherein the method further comprises:
 selecting the first facilities map data from the facilities map data stored in the at least one memory.   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 select an orientation at which to display, on the display device, the map image, based at least in part on heading information indicative of a direction in which the marking apparatus is moving.   
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the marking apparatus further comprises at least one electronic compass, and wherein the method further comprises:
 determining the heading information from the at least one electronic compass.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the marking apparatus further comprises at least one global positioning system (GPS) receiver, and wherein the method further comprises:
 determining the heading information using information from the at least one GPS receiver.   
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 translating, rotating and/or zooming the map image.   
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the act of translating, rotating and/or zooming the map image is performed in response to user input indicating a desired orientation or zoom of the map image. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the map image is a first map image, and wherein the method further comprises:
 in response to a change in a geographic location of the marking apparatus, replacing the first map image on the display device with a second map image that is generated from second map data.   
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the second map data comprises information not included in the first map data. 
     
     
         49 . At least one computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed on at least one processor in marking apparatus having a housing, a marking dispenser holder coupled to the housing to hold a replaceable marking material, an actuator that, when actuated, causes dispensing of the marking material, a display device coupled to the processor and the housing, and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform a method comprising:
 displaying on the display device a map image that is generated based on first map data selected by the at least one processor.