Methods, apparatus, and systems for providing an enhanced positive response in underground facility locate and marking operations

1. An apparatus for providing information regarding a locate and/or marking operation, 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 indicating that a locate and/or marking operation is complete, the locate and/or marking operation comprising detecting and/or marking by a locate technician, 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; and

based on the input indicating that the locate and/or marking operation is complete, further controls the communication interface and/or the memory to electronically transmit and/or electronically store performance information concerning the locate and/or marking operation, the performance information including at least one of the following:

time-stamp information to provide proof of a time at which the locate and/or marking operation was completed by the locate technician at a geographic location specified on the locate request ticket and corresponding to the dig area; and

place-stamp information to provide proof of a presence of the locate technician sufficiently proximate to or at the geographic location specified on the locate request ticket and corresponding to the dig area.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the performance information includes both the time-stamp information and the place-stamp information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the performance information further includes a signature and/or a user identification identifying the locate technician.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the performance information further includes at least one member code assigned to a facility owner.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the performance information further includes at least one positive response code representing a status of the locate and/or marking operation.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the performance information further includes textual information, and wherein the textual information includes at least one of:

a ticket number identifying the locate request ticket;

a scheduled time and/or date to begin the locate and/or marking operation;

a due date for the locate and/or marking operation; and

a dispatch address for the locate and/or marking operation.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the performance information further includes environmental information regarding at least one environmental condition present at or near the dig area during the locate and/or marking operation.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the environmental information includes at least one of an ambient temperature, an ambient humidity, and an ambient light level.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the performance information further includes at least one digital photograph including the dig area.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the performance information further includes at least one digital audio file recorded at the dig area.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the performance information further includes an electronic manifest (EM) image.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the EM image includes the time-stamp information and/or the place-stamp information.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the EM image includes at least one dig area indicator.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the performance information further includes:

a signature and/or a user identification identifying the locate technician;

at least one member code assigned to a facility owner;

at least one positive response code representing a status of the locate and/or marking operation;

at least one environmental condition present at or near the dig area during the locate and/or marking operation; and

textual information including at least one of:

a ticket number identifying the locate request ticket;

a scheduled time and/or date to begin the locate and/or marking operation;

a due date for the locate and/or marking operation; and

a dispatch address for the locate and/or marking operation.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the performance information further includes a virtual white line (VWL) image, and wherein the VWL image includes at least one dig area indicator.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the performance information further includes:

a signature and/or a user identification identifying the locate technician;

at least one member code assigned to a facility owner;

at least one positive response code representing a status of the locate and/or marking operation;

at least one environmental condition present at or near the dig area during the locate and/or marking operation; and

textual information including at least one of:

a ticket number identifying the locate request ticket;

a scheduled time and/or date to begin the locate and/or marking operation;

a due date for the locate and/or marking operation; and

a dispatch address for the locate and/or marking operation.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the EM image includes an expiration code that allows viewing of the EM image only for a predetermined time period.

18. A computer-implemented method for providing information regarding a locate and/or marking operation, the method comprising:

A) receiving input indicating that a locate and/or marking operation is complete, the locate and/or marking operation comprising detecting and/or marking by a locate technician, 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; and

B) based on the input indicating that the locate and/or marking operation is complete, electronically transmitting and/or electronically storing performance information concerning the locate and/or marking operation, the performance information including at least one of the following:

time-stamp information to provide proof of a time at which the locate and/or marking operation was completed by the locate technician at a geographic location specified on the locate request ticket and corresponding to the dig area; and

place-stamp information to provide proof of a presence of the locate technician sufficiently proximate to or at the geographic location specified on the locate request ticket and corresponding to the dig area.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the performance information includes both the time-stamp information and the place-stamp information.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the performance information further includes a signature and/or a user identification identifying the locate technician.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the performance information further includes at least one member code assigned to a facility owner.

22. The method of claim 18 , wherein the performance information further includes at least one positive response code representing a status of the locate and/or marking operation.

23. The method of claim 18 , wherein the performance information further includes textual information, and wherein the textual information includes at least one of:

a ticket number identifying the locate request ticket;

a scheduled time and/or date to begin the locate and/or marking operation;

a due date for the locate and/or marking operation; and

a dispatch address for the locate and/or marking operation.

24. The method of claim 18 , wherein the performance information further includes environmental information regarding at least one environmental condition present at or near the dig area during the locate and/or marking operation.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the environmental information includes at least one of an ambient temperature, an ambient humidity, and an ambient light level.

26. The method of claim 18 , wherein the performance information further includes at least one digital photograph including the dig area.

27. The method of claim 18 , wherein the performance information further includes at least one digital audio file recorded at the dig area.

28. The method of claim 18 , wherein the performance information further includes an electronic manifest (EM) image.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the EM image includes the time-stamp information and/or the place-stamp information.

30. The method of claim 28 , wherein the EM image includes at least one dig area indicator.

31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the performance information further includes:

a signature and/or a user identification identifying the locate technician;

at least one member code assigned to a facility owner;

at least one positive response code representing a status of the locate and/or marking operation;

at least one environmental condition present at or near the dig area during the locate and/or marking operation; and

textual information including at least one of:

a ticket number identifying the locate request ticket;

a scheduled time and/or date to begin the locate and/or marking operation;

a due date for the locate and/or marking operation; and

a dispatch address for the locate and/or marking operation.

32. The method of claim 28 , wherein the EM image includes an expiration code that allows viewing of the EM image only for a predetermined time period.

33. The method of claim 28 , wherein the performance information further includes a virtual white line (VWL) image, and wherein the VWL image includes at least one dig area indicator.

34. The method of claim 33 , wherein the performance information further includes:

a signature and/or a user identification identifying the locate technician;

at least one member code assigned to a facility owner;

at least one positive response code representing a status of the locate and/or marking operation;

at least one environmental condition present at or near the dig area during the locate and/or marking operation; and

textual information including at least one of:

a ticket number identifying the locate request ticket;

a scheduled time and/or date to begin the locate and/or marking operation;

a due date for the locate and/or marking operation; and

a dispatch address for the locate and/or marking operation.

35. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed on at least one processing unit, perform a method for providing information regarding a locate and/or marking operation, the method comprising:

A) receiving input indicating that a locate and/or marking operation is complete, the locate and/or marking operation comprising detecting and/or marking by a locate technician, 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; and

B) based on the input indicating that the locate and/or marking operation is complete, electronically transmitting and/or electronically storing performance information concerning the locate and/or marking operation, the performance information including at least one of the following:

time-stamp information to provide proof of a time at which the locate and/or marking operation was completed by the locate technician at a geographic location specified on the locate request ticket and corresponding to the dig area; and

place-stamp information to provide proof of a presence of the locate technician sufficiently proximate to or at the geographic location specified on the locate request ticket and corresponding to the dig area.