Methods and apparatus for controlling access to a virtual white line (vwl) image for an excavation project

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for facilitating detection of a presence or an absence of at least one underground facility within a dig area. Source data representing one or more input images of a geographic area including the dig area is electronically received at a first user location, which may be remote from the dig area. The source data is processed so as to display at least a portion of the input image(s) on a display device. One or more indicators are added to the displayed input image(s), via a user input device associated with the display device, to provide at least one indication of the dig area and thereby generate a marked-up digital image. A limited access file comprising information relating to the marked-up image may be transmitted to at least one party associated with the at least one underground facility.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus 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 apparatus comprising:
 a communication interface;   a memory to store processor-executable instructions; and   a processing unit coupled to the communication interface and the memory, wherein upon execution of the processor-executable instructions by the processing unit, the processing unit:
 electronically receives, via the communication interface, at least one user input relating to the dig area; 
 based on the at least one user input, renders a digital virtual white line image including at least one dig area indicator to provide at least one indication of the dig area with respect to a geographic area; and 
 transmits a limited access file comprising information relating to the digital virtual white line image, via the communication interface, to at least one party associated with the at least one underground facility so as to facilitate the detection of the presence or the absence of the at least one underground facility within the dig area.