Drone-based inspection of wireless communication towers and corresponding methods, systems, and apparatuses

• US 10,417,755 B1
• Filed: 03/08/2017
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Talon Aerolytics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Talon Aerolytics, Inc.
• Inventors: Wingo, Austin, Stackhouse, Jeffrey, Payne, Michael, Bevel, Phillip, Santiago, John, Beason, Roland, Johnson, Ronnie, Dunnigan, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Monshi, Samira
• Application Number:
  US15/453,561
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/00 UAVs characterised by their flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/04 Arrangements for maintaining operational condition

Abstract

A tower inspection system (100) includes an unmanned aircraft such as a drone (101). The drone includes one or more processors (105) operable with an image capture device (108) and a propulsion system (106). The propulsion system can navigate the unmanned aircraft about a wireless communication tower (300) along a flight path (321). The image capture device can capture one or more video images of identifying information (305) identifying the wireless communication tower disposed on an identification sign (304) prior to capturing other video images of one or more Radio Antenna Devices (RADs) (308,309,310,311) coupled to the wireless communication tower to make review of inspections faster and more efficient. Measurements of RADs can also be taken.

Claims

1. A method of measuring a physical orientation of a wireless communication tower asset, the method comprising:

aligning an unmanned aircraft with a Radio Antenna Device (RAD);

capturing, with an image capture device of the unmanned aircraft, an image of the RAD;

determining an orientation of the unmanned aircraft in three-dimensional space and writing the orientation to metadata of the image;

defining, with one or more processors, a reference line along the image, wherein the reference line is a function of the orientation written to the metadata of the image;

superimposing, with the one or more processors, a measurement line along the image, the measurement line indicating the physical orientation of the RAD in three-dimensional space; and

comparing the reference line and the measurement line to determine one or more of a plumb measurement, a tilt measurement, or an azimuth measurement of the RAD.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more of the plumb measurement, the tilt measurement, or the azimuth measurement of the RAD comprises the plumb measurement of the RAD, wherein the image comprises a front elevation view of the RAD.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing comprises counting pixels in the image disposed between the measurement line and the reference line.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the orientation of the unmanned aircraft in three-dimensional space further comprises determining, with a gravity sensor, a direction of gravity.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining the orientation of the unmanned aircraft in three-dimensional space further comprises comparing the orientation of the unmanned aircraft in three-dimensional space to a vector defined by the direction of gravity.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the defining the reference line along the image comprises aligning the reference line with a vector defined by the direction of gravity.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising calibrating the reference line along a vector defined by the direction of gravity.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, with a geolocation detector device, a geographic location of the unmanned aircraft.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising writing, with the one or more processors, the geographic location of the unmanned aircraft to the metadata of the image.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more of the plumb measurement, the tilt measurement, or the azimuth measurement of the RAD comprises the tilt measurement of the RAD, wherein the image comprises a side elevation view of the RAD.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more of the plumb measurement, the tilt measurement, or the azimuth measurement of the RAD comprises the azimuth measurement of the RAD, wherein the image comprises a top plan view of the RAD.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more of the plumb measurement, the tilt measurement, or the azimuth measurement of the RAD comprises the azimuth measurement of the RAD, wherein the image comprises a bottom plan view of the RAD.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising writing, with the one or more processors, the one or more of the plumb measurement, the tilt measurement, or the azimuth measurement of the RAD to the metadata of the image.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the superimposing the measurement line along the image comprises superimposing the measurement line along an edge of the RAD.

15. The method of claim 14, the edge comprising a side edge of the RAD.

16. The method of claim 1, the comparing the reference line and the measurement line comprising determining a measurement angle between the reference line and the measurement line.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the reference line and the measurement line define an acute vertex at a bottom of the RAD.