Cell site equipment verification using 3D modeling comparisons

• US 10,311,565 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2017
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Etak Systems, Llc
• Original Assignee: Etak Systems, Llc
• Inventors: Terry, Charlie
• Primary Examiner(s): Lett, Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US15/466,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20180232871A1
• Time in Patent Office: 804 Days
• Field of Search: 345427
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/60 Tethered aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/26 for manufacturing, inspections or repairs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/001 using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/17 taken from planes or by drones
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/176 Urban or other man-made structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0869 Validating the configuration within one network element
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports

Abstract

Systems and method for verifying a cell site utilizing an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) include providing an initial point cloud related to the cell site to the UAV; developing a second point cloud based on current conditions at the cell site, wherein the second point cloud is based on data acquisition using the UAV at the cell site; detecting variations between the initial point cloud and the second point cloud; and, responsive to detecting the variations, determining whether the variations are any of compliance related, load issues, and defects associated with any equipment or structures at the cell site.

Claims

1. A method for verifying a cell site, the method comprising the steps of:

storing, in a database, an initial point cloud related to at least a cell tower at the cell site and cell equipment attached to the cell tower;

developing a second point cloud based on current conditions of at least the cell tower and cell equipment at the cell site, wherein the second point cloud is based on data acquisition using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) at the cell site;

detecting variations between the initial point cloud and the second point cloud; and

responsive to detecting the variations, determining whether the variations are indicative of compliance related issues, wherein the compliance related issues are defined as an unauthorized amount of the cell equipment attached to the cell tower or the cell equipment being improperly attached to the cell tower.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

creating the initial point cloud by using the UAV to perform a data acquisition technique; and

providing the initial point cloud from the database to the UAV.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

providing the data acquisition technique to the UAV with the initial point cloud to instruct the UAV to utilize the same data acquisition technique to develop the second point cloud.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting the variations is performed in the UAV, and wherein the step of determining whether the variations are indicative of compliance related issues is performed in an external server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial point cloud is created in a close out audit using the UAV to establish a known good condition whereby the cell equipment and cell tower include no compliance related issues.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

notifying an operator associated with the cell site of any compliance related issues associated with the cell equipment and cell tower at the cell site for remedial action based thereon.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial point cloud and the second point cloud are created in a similar manner by the UAV using flight characteristics comprising one or more of launch location, launch orientation, flight path, number of flights about the cell site, and speed of the flights.

8. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) configured to verify a cell site, the UAV comprising:

one or more rotors;

a wireless interface;

a data store;

a processor communicatively coupled to the one or more rotors, the data store, and the wireless interface; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to;

store, in the data store, an initial point cloud related to at least a cell tower at the cell site and cell equipment attached to the cell tower;

develop a second point cloud based on current conditions of at least the cell tower and cell equipment at the cell site, wherein the second point cloud is based on data acquisition using the UAV to fly at the cell site;

detect variations between the initial point cloud and the second point cloud; and

responsive to detecting the variations, perform one of i) determining whether the variations are indicative of compliance related issues, wherein the compliance related issues are defined as an unauthorized amount of cell equipment attached to the cell tower or the cell equipment being improperly attached to the cell tower, and ii) providing the second point cloud to a server to determine whether the variations are indicative of the compliance related issues.

9. The UAV of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:

create the initial point cloud by using the UAV to perform a data acquisition technique; and

provide the initial point cloud from an external database to the data store.

10. The UAV of claim 9, wherein the data acquisition technique is provided with the initial point cloud to instruct the UAV to utilize the same data acquisition technique to develop the second point cloud.

11. The UAV of claim 8, wherein the UAV is configured to detect the variations, and wherein an external server is configured to determine whether the variations are indicative of compliance related issues.

12. The UAV of claim 8, wherein the initial point cloud is created in a close out audit using the UAV to establish a known good condition whereby the cell equipment and cell tower include no compliance related issues.

13. The UAV of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:

notify an operator associated with the cell site of the any compliance related issues associated with the cell equipment and cell tower at the cell site for remedial action based thereon.

14. The UAV of claim 8, wherein the initial point cloud and the second point cloud are created in a similar manner by the UAV using flight characteristics comprising one or more of launch location, launch orientation, flight path, number of flights about the cell site, and speed of the flights.