WO2021074632A2 - Methods and systems for managing infrastructure networks - Google Patents

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for managing infrastructure networks. User may be able to record and update data relate to an infrastructure network in real time through a user friendly and easy to use user interface. Methods and systems are provided for real time mapping of a route related to infrastructure network.

Description

METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MANAGING INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORKS

BACKGROUND

This invention relates to managing infrastructure networks.

Some non-limiting examples of infrastructure networks are electricity distribution networks, gas distribution networks, water distribution networks, sewage networks, road networks, rail networks and telecommunications networks. Infrastructure networks may comprise discrete elements such as wireless base stations or road junctions and extended elements such as road segments or water pipes.

The management of infrastructure networks can be helped by maps showing the location of elements in the network. Traditional infrastructure maps such as overhead and underground utility maps rely on hand drawings and maps provided in the field and transfer of data after building an infrastructure network. Human error as well as other inaccuracies in updating and digitizing such information can cause trouble in auditing and maintenance of the infrastructure networks.

Furthermore, conventional infrastructure management techniques rely on multiple methods and protocols for data collection, storage and data management. These methods and protocols may not be unified or compatible with each other along the infrastructure network systems, increasing the likelihood of errors and discrepancies. Such errors and discrepancies may be problematic in time of maintenance or repair of a section of infrastructure if the collected data are not accurate are hampered by disparate data siloes that utilize different protocols, file structures, and the like. SUMMARY

A need exists for a unified, extensible infrastructure management system that provides for the visualization, operation, and collaborative management of infrastructure assets across any infrastructure asset domain, including multiple infrastructure asset domains.

The infrastructure may comprise municipality infrastructures and/or utility infrastructures, such as waste water, potable water, natural gas, oil and gas pipelines, overhead or underground electrical distribution, telephone networks, utility poles or lines, fiber optics cable networks, sidewalks, street lamps, trees and planters, roads, bridges, buildings, property boundaries, easements, environmental attributes, etc.

Methods and systems for real time mapping of infrastructure networks as well as real time update, tracking and record keeping of the infrastructure networks are provided.

In one embodiment of the disclosure there is provided a method for mapping a route in real time, the method comprising: recording by a smart device the moving path of a mobile user starting at a start point in the proximity of a start point of the route and ending at an end point in the proximity of the route; identifying a start point of the route and an end point of the route; determining the route in real time using the moving path of the mobile user and the start point of the route and the end point of the route. In another embodiment of the disclosure, a method for displaying and recording cable installation data comprising: determining and displaying one or a plurality of parameters comprising at least of cable size, cable type, chamber type and duct type.

In another embodiment of the disclosure there may be provided a method for displaying and recording splicing data comprising: determining and displaying one or a plurality of parameters comprising at least of entering cable type, number of tubes, fiber type, number of trays, exiting cable type and number of fibers in the cable. Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising machine executable code that, upon execution by one or more computer processors, implements any of the methods above or elsewhere herein.

Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a system comprising one or more computer processors and computer memory coupled thereto. The computer memory comprises machine executable code that, upon execution by the one or more computer processors, implements any of the methods above or elsewhere herein.

Additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description, wherein only illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure are shown and described. As will be realized, the present disclosure is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. A better understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description that sets forth illustrative embodiments, in which the principles of the invention are utilized, and the accompanying drawings (also “Figure” and “FIG.” herein), of which:

FIG. 1A and FIG. 1 B and FIG. 1 C and FIG. 1 D and FIG. 1 E and FIG. 1 F and FIG. 1G and FIG.1 H and FIG. 11 show various aspects of an example of user interface for initiating, updating and recordkeeping of cable installation according to some embodiments of the invention. FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C and FIG. 2D and FIG. 2E and FIG. 2F show examples of methods and steps of real time mapping.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a user interface displaying an audit task according to some embodiments.

FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B show examples of route maps according to some embodiments.

FIG. 5 shows an example of blockage location indicated on a map.

FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B and FIG. 6C and FIG. 6D and FIG. 6E and FIG. 6F and FIG. 6G and

FIG.6H and FIG. 61 show various aspects of an example of user interface for initiating, updating and recordkeeping of joints and splicing according to some embodiments.

FIG. 7 A and FIG. 7B and FIG. 7C and FIG. 7D and FIG. 7E and FIG. 7F and FIG. 7G and FIG.7H and FIG. 71 and FIG. 7J and FIG. 7K and FIG. 7L and FIG. 7M and FIG. 7N and FIG. 70 and FIG.7P show various aspects of an example of user interface for initiating, updating and recordkeeping of cables, fibers, tubes and tray and other connections at the joints according to some embodiments.

FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B show examples of a user interface indicating completion of tasks according to some embodiments.

FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B and FIG. 9C show examples of using multiple fibers and splicing according to some embodiments.

FIG. 9D shows an example of a splicing tray. FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B and FIG. 10C show examples of metrics of various aspects of disclosure according to some embodiments.

FIG 11 shows an example of platform view of job completion according to some embodiments.

FIG. 12A and FIG. 12B show examples of platform view of cables and fibers according to some embodiments.

FIG. 13A and FIG. 13B show examples of reports generated by embodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 14 shows a computer system that is programmed or otherwise configured to implement methods provided herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While various embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed.

Methods and systems for management of infrastructure networks are described herein. Such methods and systems may enable users to update and record information related to infrastructure networks in a visually intuitive user-friendly manner. The methods for entering and updating data may decrease or eliminate the errors in occurring in other modes of data entry such as manual data entry. Furthermore, the disclosed methods and system may enable the user to enter and/or update data in real time. The systems and methods provided herein may allow for more efficient and rapid entry of information. The methods and systems described herein may operate in various subsets of infrastructure such as underground or overhead fiber optics cable networks and joint chambers. The user may be able to provide the map of the installation of the cable network in real time while the using the methods and systems described herein. The real time mapping may reduce or eliminate the errors caused by delay between actual cable installation and digitization of the installation route based on manually provided maps.

In addition to real-time mapping of the installation route, the user may be able to provide data related to cable and/or fiber characteristics as well as information related to splicing of cables on a graphical user interface in a simple user friendly manner. For example, the user may be able to select the cable type by clicking an item from a drop-down menu, eliminating the need to enter data related to cable data manually.

Methods and systems described herein may provide the user with a platform, which may include a user interface described hereinafter to create and update records of various jobs regarding the installation, maintenance and auditing of infrastructure networks. The systems and methods provided herein may enable a user to enter or modify information in real time. The systems and methods provided herein may be implemented on a portable device that is carried by the user when the user is interacting with the infrastructure networks (e.g. telecommunication networks, or other types of networks). That portable device may be a portable computing device.

In some embodiments, the user may have the option to create a profile and be able to log into an infrastructure network system, as shown in FIG. 1A. The user may access the infrastructure networks system via a software application, web browser, mobile application, or any other type of software or hardware application. The infrastructure network system may employ a platform that includes a user interface, such as a login screen 110. The user may be able to select the job type including but not limited to jobs related to cable installation and/or maintenance or splicing or jointing. For example, a user may select between one or more options, such as ‘as built’ 111 or splicing 112, according to FIG. 1 B. The user may then be able to select the work stream related to the chosen job type. Any number of categories of job types may be displayed. The user may access a user interface (e.g. a simple one- touch user interface) to select the job type category.

In some embodiments, a virtual map may be displayed on the user interface, as illustrated in FIG. 1C and 1 D. A user’s location may be displayed on the map. In some instances, the user’s location may be automatically displayed based on a location of a device carried by the user. The user may carry a portable device, such as a smartphone, tablet, personal digital assistant, wearable device (e.g. wristband, armband, glasses, pendant, head gear, etc.), laptop, or any other device. The device may be capable of providing the geo-location of the user. For instance, global positioning systems (GPS) may be employed. In some instances, triangulation with telecommunication towers (e.g. cell towers), or other devices may be employed to determine the device and/or user location. The user may be able to indicate his/her location 115 on the map. For example, a user may indicate a user’s location by clicking on a location on the map on the user interface or touching a touch screen or entering an address on the user interface which will be shown as an indicator on the user interface or by entering the geographical coordinates of a location at the user interface. The virtual map may be provided by a third-party map application such as Google Maps. The user may have the option to display the map in different representations such as satellite representation 113 or street map view representation 114.

The job type related to cabling may include several categories including audit 116, cabling 117 and blockage 118 as shown in FIG. 1 E. Auditing may relate to the inspection of infrastructure network such as inspection of a cable network or joint (splicing) chamber. An audit may be performed for the purpose of routine checkup and update of the system or due to some reported issue in in the infrastructure network. The audit 116 option may prompt the user to screens related to auditing existing infrastructures and recording the results and updating the audit results in real time. A cabling 117 option may prompt the user to screens related to installing new infrastructure such as installing new cables and the related tasks such as mapping the cabling route and the type of cables used in the installation as well as other characteristics or features of the cable network such as type of fibers used in cables or metrics such as length of the cable network. The real time recorded data or the real time map may be stored in a memory or transmitted to a server such as a cloud server. In some instances, obstacles such as physical barriers for example parked vehicles or fallen trees, or flooding may obstruct the installation of infrastructure. These obstacles may be referred to as blockage hereinafter.

The blockage 118 option may allow the user to record obstacles or the reasons for obstruction. The user may provide the data on the time of occurrence of blockage and may update the data after the blockage is cleared.

The user may enter data manually or select from a drop-down menu by clicking on one or a plurality of the items from the drop down menu. Examples of user interfaces for entering such data may be provided in FIG. 1F and FIG. 1G. The data may include the identification of user, job type, cable identification information 119, cable size 120, box type 121 such as footway box type or carriageway box type, chamber type, the duct 122 the cable is in and the formation of the ducts and/or pipes in the ground. The user may also take pictures of for example chambers as the details of the job is recorded and upload the picture to the app or to a server such as a cloud server. An item of information may be entered by a single touch or several touches from the user. For instance, the user may not need to manually enter each item of information. The user may be able to select from one or more options.

The user may identify the user’s location 115 prior to entering and recording the rest of the data. Prior to saving data, the user may be prompted to confirm his/her location 123, as shown in FIG. 1 H or may be given the option to modify the location by methods such as moving a pin 124 on a screen to correctly identify the location of infrastructure audit or installation or blockage as shown in example of FIG. 11. This may advantageously allow for the user to provide a more accurate and/or precise location. The user may be able to correct for any errors in GPS or other geo-location systems. This may also allow the user to advantageously provide an accurate location in areas where geo-location systems may not be fully functional. By starting off at an initially provided location, the user may already start out in the correct general area and it may not require much effort by the user to confirm or specify the user’s exact location.

Put another way, the user may carry a portable computing device. The user may use that device to interact with the system described herein. The device may have one or more processors, a communication interface (e.g. a wired or wireless communication interface) for communicating with a server and a user interface. The user interface may be implemented as a display, keyboard and/or touch screen. The device may comprise a memory that stores, at least temporarily, data defining an infrastructure map. The infrastructure map comprises multiple data elements each of which defines the type and optionally other details of an element of infrastructure (e.g. a pole or a conduit) and its location(s). The device may also store an overlay map which can show the locations of geographic features other than infrastructure networks (e.g. contours or houses). The device can display on its display at least part of the infrastructure map to a user. The user can select an item of infrastructure and query or edit its details. Conveniently the device comprises a geo-location subsystem. The geo-location subsystem is capable of estimating the location of the device. It may do this by satellite location (e.g. GPS, Galileo or Glonass) and/or by other means such as WiFi positioning, cellular network positioning or inertial motion estimation. The device may estimate its location and then compare the estimated location to the locations of infrastructure elements stored in the infrastructure map. When the user interacts in a predefined way with the user interface to query or edit an infrastructure element the device may automatically select for querying/editing an element that is closest to the estimated location. In some situations, for example where there are many tall buildings or tree cover, the device’s location estimate may be inaccurate. To avoid this resulting in the user interacting with the wrong infrastructure element, the device may automatically display to the user (a) a zone around the estimated location, and the infrastructure elements in that zone or (b) a list of infrastructure elements in that zone. The user may then manually select an infrastructure element in that zone with which to interact. The zone may have a predefined radius: e.g. 100m, or the radius of the zone may be selected in dependence on an estimate made by the device of the precision of its position estimate.

A user of the platform may provide security credentials to the device so as to authenticate the user to the device and/or to any remote server with which the device is to interact to perform the operations described herein. A remote server may transmit to the device instructions for execution by a user of the device. Such instructions may, for example, represent job plans, locations of work to be carried out and/or descriptions of work to be carried out.

In one embodiment, a method for real time mapping of infrastructure network such as overhead or underground cable installation route is disclosed. A mobile user may move a smart device capable of detection and tracking location such as a smart phone, tablet, laptop, wearable device, personal digital assistance (PDA), etc., along the proximity of the infrastructure installation route. The smart device may use one or a plurality of positioning techniques such as satellite positioning e.g. using the global positioning system (GPS), cell tower triangulation, etc. The smart device 293 may be in communication with a positioning satellite system 294, for example in communication with three closest satellites and transmit data in order update the location of the smart device continuously or in discrete intervals, as shown in example of FIG. 2F. In some embodiments, the smart device may use global information systems (GIS). The smart device may be in communication with three or more closest cellular towers 295 to triangulate the cellular transmitted signals to the towers and update the location of the user. The user’s location may be updated at a suitable resolution (e.g. within 1 cm, several cm, 10 cm, 50 cm, 1 meter, 2 meters, 5 meters, 10 meters, 20 meters, 40 meters, or 50 meters).

The mobile user may traverse with the smart device at the proximity to the installation route. The user may start at a proximity first position one (hereinafter referred to as point 1 , 210) and may end at a proximity end position (hereinafter referred to as point 2, 220) as shown in example of FIG. 2A. The user may initiate the location tracking by selecting a ‘start’ option and the user’s geo-location may be automatically collected and tracked. In some instances, the user may initiate the location tracking by clicking or poking point 1 on the virtual map on a user interface of the smart device. The user may enter the geographical address of point 1 by typing the address or by entering the geographical coordinates of point 1. Once the mapping trip is initiated by the user or activated remotely, the user’s location may be obtained and updated continuously or at intervals. The user’s data may be collected substantially in real-time. For instance, the user’s location may be collected and/or updated every 0.01 seconds, 0.05 seconds, 0.1 seconds, 0.5 seconds, 1 second, 2 seconds, 3 seconds, 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 15 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, 5 minutes or any value less than, greater than, or in between said values. The updated location of the user may be transmitted to a local memory or a remote storage such as a remote server.

The user may end the mapping trip by clicking on an indictor representative of completion of the trip. The user may indicate an ending point (e.g. point 2) in the similar manner as described or point 1. For instance, the user may select point 2 on a map. In some instances, point 1 and point 2 may be collected in different manners, or they may be collected in the same manner.

In some embodiments, the installation may occur at a location slightly different from the path traversed by the user. For instance, the user may travel along a path, while the installation itself may be offset from the path. A user may select a starting point (point 3) of the actual installation location. As indicated, point 3 may be slightly offset from point 1.

The user may then identify the starting point of the installation route (hereinafter referred to as point 3, 230 on FIG. 2A) and the ending point of the installation route (hereinafter referred to as point 4, 240 on FIG. 2A) in the similar manner as described for points 1 and 2. In some instances, different manners may be employed for points 3 and 4. The user may identify the start and end point by for example indicating those points on a virtual map as indicators using a smart device app or a computer software. Point 3, may be the same as point 1. Point 3 may be at a distance d1 from point 1. Point 4 may be the same as point 2. Point 4 may be at a distance d2 from point 2.

In cases where point 3 and/or 4 may not be same as points 1 and/or 2, algorithms may be used to find the accurate map of the route from the moving route by the mobile user and having the locations of points 3 and 4. The track over which the mobile user has traversed, may be digitized as a polyline 250 containing a series of sequentially connected (e.g. head to tail and vice versa) line segments. The actual utility line 260 may be an offset of the track traversed by the mobile user. The actual utility track may be similar in shape to the route traversed by the mobile user. In cases in which d1 is equal to d2, the actual utility track may be a shifted version of the traversed route by the mobile user. In cases in which d1 and d2 are not equal, each line segment in utility line 260 may be different in length and orientation from digitized polyline 250. Various algorithms may be used to reconstruct the actual infrastructure route or utility line from the traversed track by the mobile user. Two nonlimiting examples of the aforementioned algorithms are described herein.

In some embodiments, the algorithm may be a recurring algorithm capable of for example lateral shifting, scaling and reorientation. Non-limiting examples of techniques used in the algorithms are linear interpolation, bi-liner interpolation, etc. The algorithm may be described as follows.

1. When the polyline of the user track containing N line segments is obtained, the length of each line segment (Z_j) in the polyline is determined. The subscript “i” indicates the i^th line segment in the polyline, with “1” being the first segment connecting to Point 1 (Fig. 2A) and “N” being the last segment connecting to Point 2 (Fig. 2A). The total length of the entire polyline can be expressed as the summation of the length of each line segment, l_poiy =

2. Once the utility starting (Point 3) and ending (Point 4) points are defined, the shortest distances from Point 3 and 4 to the polyline, i.e. the shortest distance from Point 3 to line segment 1 , d_lt and that from Point 4 to line segment N, d_N, are calculated respectively. Subsequently, the angle required to rotate the polyline 250 of the track to that of the planned utility line 260 can be calculated as D 0_poiy = (d_N - rf₁)/Z_poiy.

3. The construction algorithm starts with Point 3. A parallel line segment (P1-P2 in Fig. 2B) is generated with a lateral shift that has the shortest distance to the preceding line segment

(1) (280 in Fig. 2B) determined via a binomial interpolation scheme, d_t d +

pj_nomja| interpolation scheme allows to determine the shortest shifting

^a distance (i.e. distance normal to the line segment) from the original line segment 280 to the new one 270. Asymptotically, the shift for the first segment is d and the last (N) segment is d_N The new segment (P1-P2) passes through Point 3.

4. The reorientation of the new line segment is adjusted by rotating the line segment about the Point 3. The adjustment angle can be determined as DQ = where the subscript

“i” indicates the i^th line segment and N is the number for the last line segment. For instance, the adjustment angle for the first line segment is DQ = (-^ )DQ Note that positive Dq_ί

\holyJ indicates the clockwise (CW) rotation and negative one the counter clockwise (CCW).

5. The steps 3 and 4 are repeated for the consecutive line segments until the last segment. For instance, to process the second line segment, the shortest shifting distance, d₂, and the adjustment angle, Dq₂, can be determined by the aforementioned formula with i = 2. The intersection between two new adjacent line segments defines the starting point for new line segment 2 (290 in FIG. 2C) and results in a modified 2^nd line segment (291 in FIG. 2D). The shift (step iii) and rotate (step iv) processes can be recurrently applied to generating 3^rd line segment (292 in FIG. 2E), until all the line segments in the polyline are processed.

In another example, the algorithm may achieve shifting and reorientation by vectorized parametrization as described below.

1. Vectorize the original polyline 250 as a series of vectors, as a { ₁ [Dq^ Z , [Dq₂, 1₂], ... , [DQ_N, I_n]} Each vector, containing an angle, Dqi and a length, l_b represents the i^th line segment in the polyline. The angle, Dq_ί is computed as the smaller angle between the i^th line segment and its immediate preceding (i-1)^th, with exception for the first one as the angle between the first line segment and the positive x-direction. The vector series is started with a position vector, P_lt defining the location of the starting point of the polyline. P₁ is the position of Point 1 (e.g. (xi,yi)).

2. Determine the scaling, A, and reorientation angle, D f by first constructing a direct line connecting Point 1 (P1) to Point 2 (P2), P₁P₂, and another line connecting Point 3 (P3) to Point 4 (P4), P₃P₄. The scaling parameter is then defined as the ratio of the length of P₃P₄ to that of P₄P₂ (e.g.

The reorientation angle, Df, can be computed as the angle between P₃P₄ and P₁P₂, with positive angle refers to CCW rotation and negative CW rotation.

3. Applying the shift, scaling, and reorientation by replacing the starting point with new starting point (e.g. P3), multiplying the length of each line segment, l_it by the scaling parameter, A, and augmenting the angle of each line segment, Dq_;, by Df. The resultant polyline 260 will change to {P₃, [Dq₄ + Df, l1₄], [Dq₂ + Df,l1₂], ..., [DQ_N + Df,l1_N]} from {Ri, [Dq₄, 1 , [Dq₂, 1₂], ..., [DQ_n, 1_n]}.

The map of the route can be saved in real time and/or uploaded to a storage facility such as a remote server. After the job is completed the user may be prompted to indicate the completion of the job. The distance between chambers, relative address of each chamber and grid references for one or a plurality of locations may be saved at a memory.

FIG. 2G illustrates an example method for recording an installation path according to the steps described above. At step 202, a path traversed by a user is recorded. This recording includes recording a starting point (210) and end point (220) of the traversed path.

At step 204, an indication of the starting point (230) and ending point (240) is received from the user. As shown in FIG. 2A, one or both of the starting and ending points of the traversed path are respectively at a different position to the starting and ending points of the installation path. The recorded traversed path may be linearly or rotationally offset, or differently scaled to the installation path. At step 206, the recorded traversed path is modified such that the starting and ending points of the traversed path are respectively at the same positions as the starting and ending points of the installation path. In other words, the recorded traversed path is modified such that point 210 overlies point 230 and such that point 220 overlies point 240. In dependence on the relative positions of points 210, 230, 220, and 240, the recorded traversed path may be translated, rotated and scaled. The translation, rotation and scaling may comprise linear interpolation, bi-liner interpolation, and vectorized parameterization as described above.

The systems and methods provided herein may allow a user to easily map out an installation while traveling at a location that may be offset from the installation. This may provide a higher accuracy for installation location while allowing a user to travel along terrain that may be easier for the user to traverse. Allowing a user to travel along more easily traversable terrain improving the efficiency and safety of the mapping performed by a user. For instance, a user may be able to easily map the location of an installation that is to the side of a path, while walking along the path. Such route mapping may allow the installation route to be accurate and accommodate different curves or changes in the path (e.g. as opposed to merely connecting end points with a straight line, etc.).

As shown in FIG. 3, in some embodiments, the recent jobs may be shown in a certain order. For example, the recent jobs may be shown in the order of date or time of the completion of the job or in alphabetical order. A user may be able to specify how jobs are sorted and/or ordered, or may select from multiple options. In some instances, the user may be able to search for jobs, for example by name or address or the number of chambers. Full details of the job may be displayed on a platform such as job number, the identity of the relevant item of infrastructure (e.g. a cable ID), the time works were uploaded, entered or done, engineers' information, location data such as grid references, addresses, box types, total distances and/or routes of extended utility elements such as cables or pipes, distances between chambers, etc. The calculations may be done automatically. The user may be able to view various statistics of one or a plurality of completed or in progress jobs and make decisions based on the statistics. The details of the jobs may be displayed on the maps.

As shown in the example of FIG. 4A the user may be able to observe the complete map of a utility route. In some embodiments, the user may be able to observe the partial map of the utility network. In some embodiments, the user may be able to move an indicator at any point along the map to retrieve the data related to the point of observation as shown in FIG. 4B. The user may have entered any type of data relating to various points of observation. In some instances, the user may be able to interact with (e.g. touch, click, etc.) any point of a map and retrieve the location of that point on the map. The user may also be able to view the state of equipment and/or installation process in real time at the identified point on the map. The user may be able to see what percentage of a job has been completed in case there is an ongoing job at the site. The user may be able to view information such as images at the point of observation, installation status at the point of observation, function or error status at the point of observation, and so forth.

In some instances, one or more sensors may be located along the route. For instance, the one or more sensors may be provided at a point of observation. The one or more sensors may collect information relating to the environment around the sensors, and/or the operation, function, or status of one or more components of the network at the location. For instance, one or more sensors may detect if an error state has occurred. One or more sensors may detect if an unsafe condition has occurred. In some instances, when a sensor has detected a particular state, an alert may be provided to a user interface. Examples of sensors may include, but are not limited to, image sensors (e.g. cameras, optical sensors, etc.), temperature sensors, motion detectors, lidar, radio sensors, ultrasonic sensors, pressure sensors, current or voltage sensors, or any other type of sensors.

There may be various indicators to distinguish between different jobs such as auditing or cable installation. For example, the route of auditing may be shown in a different color (for example shown on the map by orange color) than the map of cable installation (for example shown on the map by green color).

If there is a blockage on the route it may be shown in real time on the virtual map on a display. As described elsewhere, blockage may be physical obstacle in the installation route such as a stopped vehicle or a fallen tree. The relative distance between the blockage and other components of utility structure such as the closest chambers to the blockage may be displayed on a map. In the example of FIG. 5, the blockage is shown by an x sign 510 on the map and the closest chambers are shown as points 1 (520) and point 2 (530) relatively. The blockage elements or the locations with issues may be indicated in different colors from normal elements.

Blockages may be detected upon visual inspection. For instance, when a user physically notices a blockage, the user may enter the blockage information. In some instances, blockages may be reported by third parties. Optionally, one or more sensors may be provided that may automatically detect blockages and provide an alert.

Various embodiments of the disclosure pertain to facilitating recording and updating data on installed joints and splicing. FIG. 6A provide an example of a user interface for jointing and/or splicing information entry. Similar to cable installation aspects of the disclosure, various data is recorded and updated prior to splicing including but not limited to address and/or location of the joints 640, the identification of network operators 610, job number 620, box type 630, box location 650 and type of enclosure 660 used including the type of joint enclosure the cables are going into. The data may be selected from a table or a drop-down menu.

FIG. 6B shows an example of a drop-down menu for box types. The box location options may include footway and carriageway. As previously described, the user interface may allow the user to enter information in a quick and simple manner. For example, the user may select from one or more categories, which may provide one or more subcategories of options. In some instances, the options to select from may include visual representations of various components. For example, when a user selects a box, images may be provided of various box types that a user may select. This may allow a user to intuitively enter information and thereby reduce the likelihood of error.

Similar to cabling, the user may be able to select the accurate location for joints by for example moving an indicator on the virtual map. In some instances, an initial estimated location for the joint may be displayed. This estimated location may be based on prior records, or geo-location information. A user may be able to adjust the location for the joint by interacting with the map (e.g. dragging the location indicator). FIG. 6C shows an example of a user interface that illustrates the location of the joint, as well as information that has been entered. FIG. 6D and FIG. 6E show additional information that may be entered relating to the joint.

FIG. 6F shows an example of a user interface for entering splicing information. For instance, a location may be displayed on the map as previously described. The job type may be selected. FIG. 6G provides an example for a user to select a client. For instance, various network operators may be provided in a drop-down menu. A user may be able to select a network operator with a single touch from a list or display of available network operators. FIG. 6H shows the selection of a network operator. FIG. 6I provides an example of a user interface by which a user may select an enclosure type.

After updating data relating to joint type and location, the user may update data relating to cable splicing as shown in FIG. 7A. The platform provided herein may advantageously provide a simplified user interface through which a user may enter data about splicing. The user interface may provide a visually intuitive manner in which a user may identify and enter information. As illustrated in

a user may first indicate that a user needs to enter at least two cables to start splicing. The user may select an option to add cable information.

FIG. 7B provides an example of a user interface through which a user may enter cable information. The user may provide a cable ID 710. The cable may be entering or exiting 720 the joint, and the user may be able to select from an ‘in’ and ‘out’ option to indicate whether the cable is entering or exiting. The cable size 730 may be chosen from a plurality of options. In some instances, a plurality of standard cable size options may be presented (e.g. 32, 64, 128, 256, 512 or 1024) and the user may select the appropriate size. The user may then select the tube count 740 within the cable. A plurality of standard number of tube options may be presented. For example, the number of tubes may be 32, 64, 128, 256, 512 or 1024. Selecting the tube count may allow for calculating the fiber numbers within the joint. The process of adding the cable and tube information may be repeated for all the cables in the joint. The user may be able to select the cable size with a single touch, and the number of fibers with a single touch. This quick and simple interaction may allow the user to rapidly enter information, which may be particularly useful as the user enters the cable information for all cables in the joint.

The user may then take one or a plurality of pictures of the joint and upload it/them to a memory storage or a server such as a cloud server.

FIGs. 7C -7E show examples of entering data of plurality of cables related to a joint. Any number of cables along with their related data such as in or out cable or cable type can be entered or modified or deleted. The number of trays may be recorded or updated.

One way to connect fiber cables at the end of one cable and start of other cable, is splicing which can be done either through fusion and chemically joining the tip of cables or through mechanical connections at the tips of cables. In some embodiments, the arrangement of cable in the joint may be shown as a sequence of entering and exiting the joint. As an example, in FIG. 7F this arrangement may be shown at the top of a screen as Cable - Tube - Fiber - T ray (Connect) - Fiber - T ube - Cable 760. The user may click on each item on the sequence to change the information related to the item. The user interface presented may advantageously visually map to the physical structure and/or hierarchy of the joint components. In some instances, the broader category may be displayed on the outside, while the more specific components are visually closer to one another. For instance, a cable, may comprise a number of tubes, which may each comprise a number of fibers. The individual fibers may be spliced, and the user interface may visually place the fiber level connections closer to one another. FIGs. 7F -7G show examples of selecting different types of cables.

FIGs. 7H -71 show examples of selecting types of tube. The tube may be selected from different color codes including blue, orange, green, brown, slate, white, red, black, yellow, violet, pink (rose) and aqua. The user may be able to select the type of fiber to be spliced as shown in example of FIG. 7J. The fiber color may also be chosen by the user. The color codes may include blue, orange, green, brown, slate, white, red, black, yellow, violet, pink (rose) and aqua. The various color codes may or may not match the physical colors of the cables and/or fibers that are being spliced together.

The user may be able to indicate the tray containing the input and output cables as shown in the example of FIGs. 7K-7L. Once the information for the cables have been entered down to the fiber-level for the joints, the user may or may not indicate that the fibers are spliced together. The user may select an option to see and/or hide cables. The user may select an option to add a splice.

After all the data related to joints and cables are entered, the user may be prompted to confirm the completion of task as shown in examples of FIGs. 7N-7P. As each splice is added, the various spliced components may be displayed in a visually intuitive manner. The broader categories may remain on the outer portions while the more specific components are closer to one another. For instance, a list may be provided with the cable level on the outside, the tube level in the middle, and the fiber level closest to one another. The list may provide an intuitive display of how the various components of the cables interact with one another. In some instances, a visual indicator, such as a checkmark, may be provided, when particular fibers are connected to one another. This may automatically cause the visual representations of the fibers to be joined, thus providing further visual intuitive confirmation of a connection. When the fibers are not connected, they may be adjacent, but the various fiber components may remain physically separated.

FIGs. 8A-8B show examples of completion of a task. The user may take photos of the job and upload to a memory storage or a server such as a remote server or a cloud server.

The user may be able to use single fibers as well as multiple fibers as shown in examples of FIGs. 9A-9C. Multiple fibers may be connected in the same order in input and output cables. In case of a plurality of different fiber types, it may be time consuming for user to enter the data for each fiber manually. The methods and systems provided herein allow for selection of physical features or characteristics of cables and fibers and the joints using visually intuitive and user-friendly drop-down menus.

FIG. 9D shows an example of a splicing tray. As shown in FIG. 9D one or a plurality of cables at the end of their length enter the tray and one or a plurality of cables exit the tray to continue the cable route. The incoming cable is brought into the splicing center where the outside jacket of the cable is stripped away. The fibers are then looped completely around the tray and into a splice holder. Different holders are available for different types of splices. The fibers are then spliced onto the outgoing cable if it is an intermediate point or on to pigtails if it is a termination point. These are also looped completely around the tray and then fed out of the tray. The user interfaces that were used to display how various connections are made provide intuitive visual mapping and representations of a physical splicing tray.

FIG. 9E shows an example diagram of the steps 900 performed by the platform when recording a cable splicing operation, as discussed above in reference to FIGs. 7-9. At step 904 information about the joint at which the splicing operation is to be performed is recorded. The joint information may be input the user at the user interface, or may be received from a server as shown. The joint information may include a joint ID number, a location, the type of box that joint is in, the network operator associated with the splicing operation, and the enclosure type (for example a heat shrink joint). At step 906, the cables to be joined are recorded. The cables may be manually input by a user, for example via the user interface. For each cable to be joined, the user may input: a cable ID number, whether a cable is an input or output cable, how many fibres are in the cable, how many tubes are in the cable. At step 908, the number of trays that are in the enclosure is recorded.

At steps 910 the cables recorded at step 906 are displayed to the user at the user interface. At step 912, an input from a user is received, indicating one of the displayed cables to be used in a splicing operation. In the absence of an input from a user, the platform may automatically select the first cable that was recorded at step 906.

At step 914, the platform displays, at the user interface, the tubes within the cable selected at step 912. Each displayed tube may be assigned a different visual appearance in dependence on the network operator associated with the splicing operation. For example, as described above, the displayed tubes may be color coded. The tube colour may be allocated automatically in dependence on the network operator associated with the splicing operation. The network operator associated with the splicing operation/job may be one or more of: the network operator that the user is working for, the network operator that manages the tubes and/or fibers involved in the splicing operation. As described above in respect of FIG. 1 F, a user may manually enter data or select from a drop-down menu, said data including the network operator associated with the operation. The network operator may be associated with a job on a server.

At step 916, an input from the user is received, indicating one of the displayed tubes to be used in a splicing operation. Once the tube to be used has been selected, at step 918 the fibers in the tube selected at step 916 are displayed at the user interface. Each displayed fiber may be assigned a different visual appearance in dependence on the network operator associated with the splicing operation. For example, as described above, the displayed fibers may be color coded. The fiber color may be allocated automatically in dependence on the network operator associated with the splicing operation. At step 920, an input from the user is received, indicating one of the displayed fibers to be used in a splicing operation.

At step 922, steps 910-920 are repeated in order to select a second fiber to be spliced with the fiber previously selected at step 920. At step 924, it is determined whether there are more fibers to be spliced in the splicing operation. This may be determined by receiving an input from a user, or this information may be included in job information received from the server. If more fibers are to be spliced, the process returns to step 910 in order to repeat steps 910 to 922 to determine a further pair of fibers to be spliced. If no more fibers are to be spliced, the process may end. In that case, the user may be required to take a photograph of the completed splicing job, and may be allocated further jobs as described above.

In addition to digitizing a process that was previous recorded manually (e.g. with a pen and paper), by providing information to the user with appearance dependent on the network operator, the speed at which a user can record the splicing operation is improved and the instances of recording errors is minimized.

Thus, when a user is installing an elongate infrastructure element (e.g. a cable, pipe, conduit fibre, road, duct, trench, railway), or mapping the location of an already-installed infrastructure element the user and the computing device may perform the following steps:

- The user indicates to the device that the path of the infrastructure element is to be recorded. In response to this indication the device estimates its location and begins to record its location at suitable intervals (e.g. 1 second or 1 metre offset) in a record associated with the element.

- The user traverses the path of the element taking the device with him. This causes the device to automatically record the path of the element, or at least its approximate path. This may conveniently be done as the user is installing the element, but if the element is already installed then the user can simply follow its path.

- When the user reaches the end of the element the user indicates to the device that recording is to cease. In response the device stops recording its location as being associated with the element. - The user may, by providing direct input to a user interface of the device (e.g. by touching or otherwise marking on a map displayed by the device) one or more corrected points. Such corrected points are intended to represent locations where the user knows the infrastructure element to be. For example, the position as recorded by the device may be inaccurate. By indicating corrected points to the device the user can cause the device to modify the recorded path as will be described below. It should be noted that the step of indicating points to the device through its user interface can be performed before and/or during and/or after the automatic recording of the path.

When the device is storing an automatically recorded path and a set of one or more corrected points it can modify the recorded path in dependence on the indicated points. This may, for example be donw by one or more of:

- Moving a point on the recorded path to be closer to and optionally at the position of one of the indicated points. This may allow an individual recorded point to be corrected.

- Estimating a vector between one or more of the recorded points and one or more of the indicated points and moving that and optionally others of the recorded points by that vector. This may allow a systematic translational error in recording the path to be corrected.

- Estimating a rotational transform between one or more of the recorded points and one or more of the indicated points and moving that and optionally others of the recorded points by that transform. This may allow a systematic rotational error in recording the path to be corrected.

FIG. 10A shows an example of a user interface, displaying various metrics of the tasks, such as total length of cables in a route, the number of cleared blockages, number of submitted splicing jobs, average turnaround time of each job or clearing of blockage, number of laid cables, number of in progress jobs, number of job packages in progress and number of cable installation jobs. The metrics for crews may also be displayed such as, name or identification of on-site crew, number of crew members on site, average of time spent by each crew member or by a subset or all of the crew members for each job. Statistics on various aspects of jobs and tasks may also be displayed in various formats such in table format or in chart format.

FIGs. 10B-10C show examples of list view of recent jobs. The user may be able to choose various parameters of jobs according to user’s preferences. For example, the user may be able to select the identification of client for each job or the number of crew for each job.

FIG 11 shows an example of platform view of job completion. The user may be able to view one or a plurality of images form cable installation or joints and splicing. If the user selects splicing the user may be prompted to a page containing the data on various aspects of joints or splicing. The user may be able to view various parameters such as job number, joint number, enclosure type, box type, location, crew identification information and the time spent on the job, types of joints in the box, maps showing the routes of cable installation or chamber location and pictures of joints.

According to the example of FIGs. 12A-12B, the user may be able to view the fibers available in each joint 1210. The user may be able to view different parameters such as Tray View 1230 or Cable View 1220. At the various levels, the physical connections may be displayed. For instance, at a cable view, the various connections between various tubes may be displayed. At the tray view, the individual connections b3etween various fibers may be displayed.

The user may be able to obtain reports at various levels of detail depending on the user’s preferences as shown in example of FIGs. 13A-13B. As shown in FIG. 13B, details of fibers and/or the joints can be viewed by the user.

Whenever the term “at least,” “greater than,” or “greater than or equal to” precedes the first numerical value in a series of two or more numerical values, the term “at least,” “greater than” or “greater than or equal to” applies to each of the numerical values in that series of numerical values. For example, greater than or equal to 1 , 2, or 3 is equivalent to greater than or equal to 1 , greater than or equal to 2, or greater than or equal to 3.

Whenever the term “no more than,” “less than,” or “less than or equal to” precedes the first numerical value in a series of two or more numerical values, the term “no more than,” “less than,” or “less than or equal to” applies to each of the numerical values in that series of numerical values. For example, less than or equal to 3, 2, or 1 is equivalent to less than or equal to 3, less than or equal to 2, or less than or equal to 1.

Computer systems

The present disclosure provides computer systems that are programmed to implement methods of the disclosure. FIG. 14 shows a computer system 1401 that is programmed or otherwise configured to record and update data related to infrastructure building and maintenance such as overhead and underground utility networks as well as real time mapping of networks. The computer system 1401 can be an electronic device of a user or a computer system that is remotely located with respect to the electronic device. The electronic device can be a mobile electronic device.

The computer system 1401 includes a central processing unit (CPU, also “processor” and “computer processor” herein) 1405, which can be a single core or multi core processor, or a plurality of processors for parallel processing. The computer system 1401 also includes memory or memory location 1410 (e.g. random-access memory, read-only memory, flash memory), electronic storage unit 1415 (e.g. hard disk), communication interface 1420 (e.g. network adapter) for communicating with one or more other systems, and peripheral devices 1425, such as cache, other memory, data storage and/or electronic display adapters. The memory 1410, storage unit 1415, interface 1420 and peripheral devices 1425 are in communication with the CPU 1405 through a communication bus (solid lines), such as a motherboard. The storage unit 1415 can be a data storage unit (or data repository) for storing data. The computer system 1401 can be operatively coupled to a computer network (“network”) 1430 with the aid of the communication interface 1420. The network 1430 can be the Internet, an internet and/or extranet, or an intranet and/or extranet that is in communication with the Internet. The network 1430 in some cases is a telecommunication and/or data network. The network 1430 can include one or more computer servers, which can enable distributed computing, such as cloud computing. The network 1430, in some cases with the aid of the computer system 1401 , can implement a peer-to-peer network, which may enable devices coupled to the computer system 1401 to behave as a client or a server.

The CPU 1405 can execute a sequence of machine-readable instructions, which can be embodied in a program or software. The instructions may be stored in a memory location, such as the memory 1410. The instructions can be directed to the CPU 1405, which can subsequently program or otherwise configure the CPU 1405 to implement methods of the present disclosure. Examples of operations performed by the CPU 1405 can include fetch, decode, execute, and writeback.

The CPU 1405 can be part of a circuit, such as an integrated circuit. One or more other components of the system 1401 can be included in the circuit. In some cases, the circuit is an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

The storage unit 1415 can store files, such as drivers, libraries and saved programs. The storage unit 1415 can store user data, e.g. user preferences and user programs. The computer system 1401 in some cases can include one or more additional data storage units that are external to the computer system 1401, such as located on a remote server that is in communication with the computer system 1401 through an intranet or the Internet.

The computer system 1401 can communicate with one or more remote computer systems through the network 1430. For instance, the computer system 1401 can communicate with a remote computer system of a user. Examples of remote computer systems include personal computers (e.g. portable PC), slate or tablet PC’s (e.g. Apple® iPad, Samsung® Galaxy Tab), telephones, Smart phones (e.g. Apple® iPhone, Android-enabled device, Blackberry®), or personal digital assistants. The user can access the computer system 1401 via the network 1430.

Methods as described herein can be implemented by way of machine (e.g. computer processor) executable code stored on an electronic storage location of the computer system 1401 , such as, for example, on the memory 1410 or electronic storage unit 1415. The machine executable or machine readable code can be provided in the form of software. During use, the code can be executed by the processor 1405. In some cases, the code can be retrieved from the storage unit 1415 and stored on the memory 1410 for ready access by the processor 1405. In some situations, the electronic storage unit 1415 can be precluded, and machine-executable instructions are stored on memory 1410.

The code can be pre-compiled and configured for use with a machine having a processer adapted to execute the code, or can be compiled during runtime. The code can be supplied in a programming language that can be selected to enable the code to execute in a pre compiled or as-compiled fashion.

Aspects of the systems and methods provided herein, such as the computer system 1401 , can be embodied in programming. Various aspects of the technology may be thought of as “products” or “articles of manufacture” typically in the form of machine (or processor) executable code and/or associated data that is carried on or embodied in a type of machine readable medium. Machine-executable code can be stored on an electronic storage unit, such as memory (e.g. read-only memory, random-access memory, flash memory) or a hard disk. “Storage” type media can include any or all of the tangible memory of the computers, processors or the like, or associated modules thereof, such as various semiconductor memories, tape drives, disk drives and the like, which may provide non-transitory storage at any time for the software programming. All or portions of the software may at times be communicated through the Internet or various other telecommunication networks. Such communications, for example, may enable loading of the software from one computer or processor into another, for example, from a management server or host computer into the computer platform of an application server. Thus, another type of media that may bear the software elements includes optical, electrical and electromagnetic waves, such as used across physical interfaces between local devices, through wired and optical landline networks and over various air-links. The physical elements that carry such waves, such as wired or wireless links, optical links or the like, also may be considered as media bearing the software. As used herein, unless restricted to non-transitory, tangible “storage” media, terms such as computer or machine “readable medium” refer to any medium that participates in providing instructions to a processor for execution.

Hence, a machine readable medium, such as computer-executable code, may take many forms, including but not limited to, a tangible storage medium, a carrier wave medium or physical transmission medium. Non-volatile storage media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as any of the storage devices in any computer(s) or the like, such as may be used to implement the databases, etc. shown in the drawings. Volatile storage media include dynamic memory, such as main memory of such a computer platform. Tangible transmission media include coaxial cables; copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise a bus within a computer system. Carrier-wave transmission media may take the form of electric or electromagnetic signals, or acoustic or light waves such as those generated during radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) data communications. Common forms of computer-readable media therefore include for example: a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD or DVD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch cards paper tape, any other physical storage medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a ROM, a PROM and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave transporting data or instructions, cables or links transporting such a carrier wave, or any other medium from which a computer may read programming code and/or data. Many of these forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to a processor for execution. The computer system 1401 can include or be in communication with an electronic display 1435 that comprises a user interface (Ul) 1440 for providing, for example, information on cable installation or joints (splicing) or providing real time map of cable installation or blockage reports. Examples of Ul’s include, without limitation, a graphical user interface (GUI) and web-based user interface.

Methods and systems of the present disclosure can be implemented by way of one or more algorithms. An algorithm can be implemented by way of software upon execution by the central processing unit 1405. The algorithm can, for example, provide real time map of a route between two or more predefined locations in real time using techniques such as linear interpolation.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. It is not intended that the invention be limited by the specific examples provided within the specification. While the invention has been described with reference to the aforementioned specification, the descriptions and illustrations of the embodiments herein are not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions will now occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. Furthermore, it shall be understood that all aspects of the invention are not limited to the specific depictions, configurations or relative proportions set forth herein which depend upon a variety of conditions and variables. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention. It is therefore contemplated that the invention shall also cover any such alternatives, modifications, variations or equivalents. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that methods and structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for recording an installation path at a hardware or software application, comprising: recording a path traversed by a user, including recording a starting and ending point of the traversed path; receiving, from the user, an indication of the starting and ending points of the installation path, at least one of the starting and ending points of the traversed path being respectively at a different position to the starting and ending points of the installation path; and modifying the recorded traversed path such that the starting and ending points of the traversed path are respectively at the same positions as the starting and ending points of the installation path.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 , the method being implemented by a portable computing device.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the device comprises a location estimation element capable of automatically estimating the location of the device and the step of recording the path comprises recording the location of the device as estimated by the location estimation element at successive times.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the location estimation element is a satellite positioning receiver.

5. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, comprising: receiving from the user an indication of a further point located between the starting and ending points of the installation path; and modifying a first intermediate point on the recorded traversed path to be at the same position as the further point.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, comprising: estimating a vector between the further point and the first intermediate point; and modifying a second intermediate point on the recorded path so as to be offset by the vector from the location at which that second intermediate point was recorded.

7. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the installation path represents the location of an elongate component of infrastructure apparatus.

8. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising: determining, from the positions of the starting and ending points of the traversed path relative to the positions of the starting and ending points of the installation path, a linear offset of the traversed path from the installation path; and wherein the step of modifying the recorded traversed path comprises shifting the recorded traversed path in dependence on the determined linear offset.

9. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising: determining, from the positions of the starting and ending points of the traversed path relative to the positions of the starting and ending points of the installation path, a rotational offset of the traversed path from the installation path; and wherein modifying the recorded traversed path comprises rotating the recorded traversed path in dependence on the determined rotational offset.

10. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising: determining, from the positions of the starting and ending points of the traversed path relative to the positions of the starting and ending points of the installation path, a relative scale of the traversed path in comparison to the installation path; and wherein modifying the recorded traversed path comprises scaling the recorded traversed path in dependence on the determined relative scale.

11. A computer-implemented method for recording an operation at a hardware or software application, comprising: recording information about a joint at which the operation is to be performed, including the network operator associated with the operation; recording information about elongate infrastructure elements to be joined in the operation, each such infrastructure element comprising multiple conduits; displaying, at a user interface, representations of the elongate infrastructure elements to be joined in the splicing operation; receiving an indication of a first and a second elongate infrastructure element; displaying representations of the conduits within the indicated first and second infrastructure elements by assigning each displayed conduit with a respective visual appearance selected in dependence on one or both of (i) an entity stored as controlling that conduit and (ii) an entity associated with the operation; and receiving an indication from a user of a first conduit within the first infrastructure element and a second conduit within the second infrastructure element to be joined in the operation.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein each elongate infrastructure element is a data cable and each conduit is one of an optical fibre, a conductive wire or a pair of conductive wires.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein each elongate infrastructure element is a pipe housing and each conduit is a pipe.

14. A method as claimed in any any of claims 11 to 13, wherein the operation is a fibre splicing operation.

15. A method as claimed in any of claims 11 to 14, wherein the method is performed on a portable computing device.

16. A method as claimed in any of claims 11 to 15, the method further comprising, prior to displaying representations of the conduits, displaying, at a user interface, representations of tubes to be joined in the operation wherein each displayed tube is assigned a different visual appearance in dependence on an entity associated with the splicing operation; and receiving an indication of a first and a second tube to je joined.

17. A method as claimed in any of claims 11 to 16, wherein the or each entity is a network operator.

18. A method for mapping a route in real time, the method comprising: recording by a smart device the moving path of a mobile user starting at a start point in the proximity of a start point of the route and ending at an end point in the proximity of the route; identifying a start point of the route and an end point of the route; determining the route in real time using the moving path of the mobile user and the start point of the route and the end point of the route.

19. A method for displaying and recording cable installation data comprising: determining and displaying one or a plurality of parameters comprising at least of cable size, cable type, chamber type and duct type.

20. A method for displaying and recording splicing data comprising: determining and displaying one or a plurality of parameters comprising at least of entering cable type, number of tubes, fiber type, number of trays, exiting cable type and number of fibers in the cable.

21. A portable computing device configured to perform the method of any preceding claim.