Annotated 3D models of telecommunication sites for planning, engineering, and installation

• US 10,395,434 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2017
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Etak Systems, Llc
• Original Assignee: Etak Systems, Llc
• Inventors: Priest, Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Demeter, Hilina K
• Application Number:
  US15/857,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20180144558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 345427
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/51 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/004 Annotating, labelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2004 Aligning objects, relative positioning of parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools

Abstract

Systems and method for creating, modifying, and utilizing a virtual 360-degree view of a telecommunications site with annotations thereon include obtaining data capture from the telecommunications site, wherein the data capture includes one or more of photos and video; processing the data capture to create a three-dimensional (3D) model of the telecommunications site with associated geography, buildings, and constructions therein; obtaining object data associated with one or more objects of interest located at the telecommunications site, in the associated geography, the buildings, and the constructions; inserting annotations for each of the one or more objects of interest in the 3D model at associated locations and with associated information for each of the one or more objects of interest; and utilizing the 3D model with the annotations for one or more of planning, engineering, and installation associated with the telecommunications site.

Claims

1. A method for creating, modifying, and utilizing a virtual 360-degree view of a telecommunications site with annotations thereon, the method comprising:

obtaining data capture from the telecommunications site, wherein the data capture comprises one or more of photos and video;

processing the data capture to create a three-dimensional (3D) model of the telecommunications site with associated geography, buildings, and constructions therein;

obtaining object data associated with one or more objects of interest located at the telecommunications site, in the associated geography, the buildings, and the constructions;

inserting annotations for each of the one or more objects of interest in the 3D model at associated locations and with associated information for each of the one or more objects of interest, wherein the annotations are at objects of interest including fiber locations, and one or more of cell towers, underground utilities, roads, and fall lines, wherein the associated information for the fiber locations includes any of distance, owners, number of strands, and fiber type, and wherein the associated information includes details of the associated object of interest from the object data that is obtained from any of public databases, cell tower databases, utility databases, operator data maintained; and

performing one or more of planning, engineering, and installation associated with the telecommunications site utilizing the 3D model with the annotations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data capture is performed via an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the utilizing comprises displaying the 3D model via a server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the utilizing comprises viewing the 3D model via virtual reality hardware.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the object data is obtained via public databases.

6. A server for creating, modifying, and utilizing a virtual 360-degree view of a telecommunications site, the server comprising:

a network interface and a processor communicatively coupled to one another; and

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

obtain data capture from the telecommunications site, wherein the data capture comprises one or more of photos and video;

process the data capture to create a three-dimensional (3D) model of the telecommunications site with associated geography, buildings, and constructions therein;

obtain object data associated with one or more objects of interest located at the telecommunications site, in the associated geography, the buildings, and the constructions;

insert annotations for each of the one or more objects of interest in the 3D model at associated locations and with associated information for each of the one or more objects of interest, wherein the annotations are at objects of interest including fiber locations, and one or more of cell towers, underground utilities, roads, and fall lines, wherein the associated information for the fiber locations includes any of distance, owners, number of strands, and fiber type, and wherein the associated information includes details of the associated object of interest from the object data that is obtained from any of public databases, cell tower databases, utility databases, operator data maintained; and

perform one or more of planning, engineering, and installation with the 3D model with the annotations.

7. The server of claim 6, wherein the data capture is performed via an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

8. The server of claim 6, wherein the utilizing comprises displaying the 3D model via a server.

9. The server of claim 6, wherein the utilizing comprises viewing the 3D model via virtual reality hardware.

10. The server of claim 6, wherein the object data is obtained via public databases.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium includes instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform the steps of:

obtaining data capture from the telecommunications site, wherein the data capture comprises one or more of photos and video;

processing the data capture to create a three-dimensional (3D) model of the telecommunications site with associated geography, buildings, and constructions therein;

obtaining object data associated with one or more objects of interest located at the telecommunications site, in the associated geography, the buildings, and the constructions;

inserting annotations for each of the one or more objects of interest in the 3D model at associated locations and with associated information for each of the one or more objects of interest, wherein the annotations are at objects of interest including fiber locations, and one or more of cell towers, underground utilities, roads, and fall lines, wherein the associated information for the fiber locations includes any of distance, owners, number of strands, and fiber type, and wherein the associated information includes details of the associated object of interest from the object data that is obtained from any of public databases, cell tower databases, utility databases, operator data maintained; and

performing one or more of planning, engineering, and installation associated with the telecommunications site utilizing the 3D model with the annotations.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the data capture is performed via an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the utilizing comprises displaying the 3D model via a server.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the utilizing comprises viewing the 3D model via virtual reality hardware.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the object data is obtained via public databases.