Detecting changes at cell sites and surrounding areas using unmanned aerial vehicles

• US 10,397,802 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2017
• 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:
  US15/644,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20170318477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 455446
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 47/08 Arrangements of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• 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 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0866 specially adapted to captive aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/05 Geographic models
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30184 Infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/56 Particle system, point based geometry or rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2215/16 Using real world measurements to influence rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0002 Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/97 : Determining parameters from multiple pictures depth or shape recovery from multiple images G06T7/55; stereo camera calibration G06T7/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 : with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4625 : Single bridge functionality, e.g. connection of two networks over a single bridge
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 : from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 : Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/22 : Traffic simulation tools or models
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 : Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 : Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

Systems and method for cell site inspection by a cell site operator using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and a processing device include creating an initial computer model of a cell site and surrounding geography at a first point in time, wherein the initial computer model represents a known good state of the cell site and the surrounding geography; providing the initial computer model to one or more of the UAV and the processing device; capturing current data of the cell site and the surrounding geography at a second point in time using the UAV; comparing the current data to the initial computer model by the processing device; and identifying variances between the current data and the initial computer model, wherein the variances comprise differences at the cell site and the surrounding geography between the first point in time and the second point in time.

Claims

1. A method for cell site inspection by a cell site operator using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and a processing device, the method comprising:

utilizing the UAV to capture initial data of a cell site and surrounding geography;

creating an initial computer model of the cell site and surrounding geography from the initial data, wherein the initial computer model represents a known good state of the cell site and the surrounding geography at a first point in time, and wherein the initial computer model is a three-dimensional (3D) model defined by an initial point cloud;

utilizing the UAV to capture current data of the cell site and the surrounding geography;

creating a current computer model of the cell site and surrounding geography from the current data, wherein the current computer model represents the condition of the cell site and surrounding geography at a second point in time after the first point in time, and wherein the current computer model is a 3D model defined by a second point cloud;

comparing the second point cloud of the current computer model to the initial point cloud of the initial computer model by the processing device; and

identifying variances between the second point cloud of the current computer model and the initial point cloud of the initial computer model by the processing device, wherein the variances comprise differences in the condition of the cell site and the surrounding geography between the first point in time and the second point in time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

specifically describing the variances based on comparing the second point cloud of the current computer model and the initial point cloud of the initial computer model, wherein the variances comprise any of changes to a cell tower, changes to cell site components on the cell tower, ground hazards, state of an access road, and landscape changes in the surrounding geography.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial computer model is determined as part of one of a close-out audit and a site inspection where it is determined that the initial computer model represents the known good state.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a flight plan of the UAV around a cell tower is based on a type of the cell tower comprising any of a self-support tower, a monopole tower, and a guyed tower.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial computer model is a three-dimensional (3D) model viewed in a Graphical User Interface, and wherein the method further comprises:

creating a second 3D model based on the current data and utilizing the second 3D model if it is determined that the cell site is in the known good state based on the current data.

6. A processing device for cell site inspection by a cell site operator using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), the processing device comprising:

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

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

receive initial data captured by the UAV of a cell site and surrounding geography;

create an initial computer model from the initial data captured by the UAV, wherein the initial computer model represents a known good state of the cell site and the surrounding geography at a first point in time, and wherein the initial computer model is a three-dimensional (3D) model defined by an initial point cloud;

receive current data captured by the UAV of the cell site and the surrounding geography;

creating a current computer model from the current data captured by the UAV, wherein the current computer model represents the condition of the cell site and surrounding geography at a second point in time after the first point in time, and wherein the current computer model is a 3D model defined by a second point cloud;

compare the second point cloud of the current computer model to the initial point cloud of the initial computer model; and

identify variances between the second point cloud of the current computer model and the initial point cloud of the initial computer model, wherein the variances comprise differences in the condition of the cell site and the surrounding geography between the first point in time and the second point in time.

7. The processing device of claim 6, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to

specifically describe the variances based on comparing the second point cloud of the current computer model and the initial point cloud of the initial computer model, wherein the variances comprise any of changes to a cell tower, changes to cell site components on the cell tower, ground hazards, state of an access road, and landscape changes in the surrounding geography.

8. The processing device of claim 6, wherein the initial computer model is determined as part of one of a close-out audit and a site inspection where it is determined that the initial computer model represents the known good state.

9. The processing device of claim 6, wherein a flight plan of the UAV around a cell tower is based on a type of the cell tower comprising any of a self-support tower, a monopole tower, and a guyed tower.

10. The processing device of claim 6, wherein the initial computer model is a three-dimensional (3D) model viewed in a Graphical User Interface, and wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to

create a second 3D model based on the current data and use the second 3D model if it is determined that the cell site is in the known good state based on the current data.

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

receiving initial data captured by an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) of a cell site and surrounding geography;

creating an initial computer model of the cell site and surrounding geography from the data received by the UAV, wherein the initial computer model represents a known good state of the cell site and the surrounding geography at a first point in time, and wherein the initial computer model is a three-dimensional (3D) model defined by an initial point cloud;

receiving current data captured by the UAV of the cell site and the surrounding geography;

creating a current computer model of the cell site and surrounding geography from the current data, wherein the current computer model represents the condition of the cell site and surrounding geography at a second point in time after the first point in time, and wherein the current computer model is a 3D model defined by a second point cloud;

comparing the second point cloud of the current computer model to the initial point cloud of the initial computer model; and

identifying variances between the second point cloud of the current computer model and the initial point cloud of the initial computer model, wherein the variances comprise differences in the condition of the cell site and the surrounding geography between the first point in time and the second point in time.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to perform the step of:

describing the variances based on a comparison between the second point cloud of the current computer model and the initial point cloud of the initial computer model, wherein the variances comprise any of changes to a cell tower, changes to cell site components positioned on the cell tower, newly recognized ground hazards, changes to the state of an access road, and changes to landscape in the surrounding geography.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to create the initial computer model as part of one of a close-out audit or a site inspection where the initial computer model is determined to represent the known good state.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

displaying the initial computer model as the 3D model in a Graphical User Interface;

creating a second 3D model based on the current data; and

utilizing the second 3D model if it is determined that the cell site is in the known good state based on the current data.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium 11, wherein a flight plan of the UAV around a cell tower is based on a type of the cell tower comprising any of a self-support tower, a monopole tower, and a guyed tower.