NETWORK PLANNING TOOL SUPPORT FOR 3D DATA

• US 20160037356A1
• Filed: 07/31/2014
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bathula, Dinesh, Black, Nolan, Cribb, Robert, Oswald, William, Pierson, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 10,412,594 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

A telecommunication network planning method, system, and computer readable medium support accessing point cloud data and a corresponding image of a location. The point cloud data indicates positions of physical objects visible in the image. A network planning function may be performed. The network planning function may include modifying an outside plant asset object visible in the image, obtaining a metric of an outside plant asset object visible in the image, and adding a virtual outside plant asset to a location. The point cloud data may be associated with the image within an interface that depicts the image to facilitate visualization of the outside plant assets in the surrounding environment.

Claims

1. A network planning method, comprising:

accessing an image of a location and point cloud data associated with the image, wherein the point cloud data includes a plurality of n-tuples, each n-tuple associated with a corresponding point in the image and each n-tuple indicating a three dimensional position of an object located at the point; and

performing a network planning function selected from the group consisting of;

identifying existing outside plant assets at the location;

modifying an existing outside plant asset object visible in the image;

obtaining a metric of an outside plant asset object visible in the image; and

adding a virtual outside plant asset to the location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the image includes:

selecting a streetview icon from a two dimensional user interface of a network planning tool; and

generating a streetview user interface including an image of the location and point cloud data associated with the location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the two dimensional user interface depicts a map of an area that includes the location, the method further comprising:

indicating, on the user interface, existing outside plant assets.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning one or more attributes to one or more outside plant assets included in the user interface; and

generating a report filtered in accordance with one or more of the attributes.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein an existing outside plant asset includes an outside plant asset selected from:

a metrocell transmitter, a utility pole, a communication cable, a switch box.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein an existing outside plant asset of a first type and a virtual outside plant asset of the first type are differentiated by a visible characteristic.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the visible characteristic comprises color, wherein the color of the existing outside plant asset differs from the color of the virtual outside plant asset.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein an outside plant asset is associated with a secondary point cloud indicative of a characteristic of the outside plant asset.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the outside plant asset is a metrocell transmitter and wherein the characteristic of the secondary point cloud is a coverage provided by the metrocell transmitter.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing point cloud data associated with the outside plant assets; and

applying the point cloud data to a second image of the location, wherein the second image of the location was created after the point cloud data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining a metric of an outside plant asset includes:

measuring a linear dimension of an outside plant asset;

measuring an area of a surface of an outside plant asset; and

measuring an orientation angle of an outside plant asset.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the point cloud data comprises post-processed point cloud data including a plurality of point cloud objects, each point cloud object representing a physical object depicted in the image.

13. A network planning system, comprising:

a processor; and

computer readable memory including processor executable instructions that, when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

accessing an image of a location and point cloud data associated with the image, wherein the point cloud data includes a plurality of n-tuples, each n-tuple associated with a corresponding point in the image and each n-tuple indicating a three dimensional position of an object located at the point; and

performing a network planning function selected from the group consisting of;

identifying existing outside plant assets at the location;

modifying an existing outside plant asset object visible in the image;

obtaining a metric of an outside plant asset object visible in the image; and

adding a virtual outside plant asset to the location.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein accessing the image includes:

selecting a streetview icon from a two dimensional user interface of a network planning tool wherein the two dimensional user interface depicts a map of an area that includes the location;

generating a streetview user interface including an image of the location and point cloud data associated with the location; and

indicating, on the user interface, existing outside plant assets.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein an existing outside plant asset includes an outside plant asset selected from:

a metrocell transmitter, a utility pole, a communication cable, a switch box.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein an existing outside plant asset of a first type and a virtual outside plant asset of the first type are differentiated by a visible characteristic, wherein the visible characteristic comprises color, wherein the color of the existing outside plant asset differs from the color of the virtual outside plant asset.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein an outside plant asset is associated with a secondary point cloud indicative of a characteristic of the outside plant asset, wherein the outside plant asset is a metrocell transmitter and wherein the characteristic of the secondary point cloud is a coverage provided by the metrocell transmitter.

18. A computer readable memory device including processor executable program instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, comprising:

accessing an image of a location and point cloud data associated with the image, wherein the point cloud data includes a plurality of n-tuples, each n-tuple associated with a corresponding point in the image and each n-tuple indicating a three dimensional position of an object located at the point; and

performing a network planning function selected from the group consisting of;

identifying existing outside plant assets at the location;

modifying an existing outside plant asset object visible in the image;

obtaining a metric of an outside plant asset object visible in the image; and

adding a virtual outside plant asset to the location.

19. The computer readable memory device of claim 18, wherein an existing outside plant asset of a first type and a virtual outside plant asset of the first type are differentiated by a visible characteristic, wherein the visible characteristic comprises color, wherein the color of the existing outside plant asset differs from the color of the virtual outside plant asset.

20. The computer readable memory device of claim 18, wherein an outside plant asset is associated with a secondary point cloud indicative of a characteristic of the outside plant asset, wherein the outside plant asset is a metrocell transmitter and wherein the characteristic of the secondary point cloud is a coverage provided by the metrocell transmitter.