CELL SITE AUDIT AND SURVEY VIA PHOTO STITCHING

• US 20170199646A1
• Filed: 03/27/2017
• Published: 07/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Etak Systems, Llc
• Original Assignee: Etak Systems, Llc
• Inventors: PRIEST, Lee
• Granted Patent: US 10,534,499 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/70 in containers B64U80/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• 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 2207/30184 Infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools

Abstract

Systems and method for performing a cell site audit or survey remotely via a User Interface (UI) include, subsequent to capturing a plurality of photos of a cell site and linking the plurality of photos to one another based on their adjacency at the cell site, displaying the UI to a user remote from the cell site, wherein the plurality of photos cover a cell tower with associated cell site components and an interior of a building at the cell site; receiving navigation commands from the user performing the cell site audit or survey; and updating the displaying based on the navigation commands, wherein the navigation commands include one or more of movement at the cell site and zoom of a current view.

Claims

1. A method for performing a cell site audit or survey remotely via a User Interface (UI), the method comprising:

subsequent to capturing a plurality of photos of a cell site and linking the plurality of photos to one another based on their adjacency at the cell site, displaying the UI to a user remote from the cell site, wherein the plurality of photos cover a cell tower with associated cell site components and an interior of a building at the cell site;

receiving navigation commands from the user performing the cell site audit or survey; and

updating the displaying based on the navigation commands, wherein the navigation commands comprise one or more of movement at the cell site and zoom of a current view.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the capturing the plurality of photos is performed for a cell tower with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) flying about the cell tower.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the linking the plurality of photos is performed one of manually and automatically based on location identifiers associated with each photo.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user performing the cell site audit or survey comprises:

determining a down tilt angle of one or more antennas of the cell site components based on measuring three points comprising two defined by each antenna and one by an associated support bar;

determining plumb of the cell tower and/or the one or more antennas, azimuth of the one or more antennas using a location determination in the photos;

determining dimensions of the cell site components;

determining equipment type and serial number of the cell site components; and

determining connections between the cell site components.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of photos are captured concurrently with developing a three-dimensional (3D) model of the cell site.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating the displaying comprises providing a new photo based on the navigation commands.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the updating the displaying comprises seamlessly panning between the plurality of photos based on the navigation commands.

8. An apparatus adapted to perform a cell site audit or survey remotely via a User Interface (UI), the apparatus comprising:

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

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

subsequent to capture a plurality of photos of a cell site and linkage of the plurality of photos to one another based on their adjacency at the cell site, display the UI to a user remote from the cell site, wherein the plurality of photos cover a cell tower with associated cell site components and an interior of a building at the cell site;

receive navigation commands from the user performing the cell site audit or survey; and

update the display based on the navigation commands, wherein the navigation commands comprise one or more of movement at the cell site and zoom of a current view.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the capture the plurality of photos is performed for a cell tower with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) flying about the cell tower.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the linkage of the plurality of photos is performed one of manually and automatically based on location identifiers associated with each photo.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the user performs the cell site audit or survey to:

determine a down tilt angle of one or more antennas of the cell site components based on measuring three points comprising two defined by each antenna and one by an associated support bar;

determine plumb of the cell tower and/or the one or more antennas, azimuth of the one or more antennas using a location determination in the photos;

determine dimensions of the cell site components;

determine equipment type and serial number of the cell site components; and

determine connections between the cell site components.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of photos are captured concurrently with developing a three-dimensional (3D) model of the cell site.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the update of the display comprises providing a new photo based on the navigation commands.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the update of the display comprises seamlessly panning between the plurality of photos based on the navigation commands.

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

subsequent to capturing a plurality of photos of a cell site and linking the plurality of photos to one another based on their adjacency at the cell site, displaying the UI to a user remote from the cell site, wherein the plurality of photos cover a cell tower with associated cell site components and an interior of a building at the cell site;

receiving navigation commands from the user performing the cell site audit or survey; and

updating the displaying based on the navigation commands, wherein the navigation commands comprise one or more of movement at the cell site and zoom of a current view.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the capturing the plurality of photos is performed for a cell tower with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) flying about the cell tower.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the linking the plurality of photos is performed one of manually and automatically based on location identifiers associated with each photo.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the user performing the cell site audit or survey comprises:

determining a down tilt angle of one or more antennas of the cell site components based on measuring three points comprising two defined by each antenna and one by an associated support bar;

determining plumb of the cell tower and/or the one or more antennas, azimuth of the one or more antennas using a location determination in the photos;

determining dimensions of the cell site components;

determining equipment type and serial number of the cell site components; and

determining connections between the cell site components.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of photos are captured concurrently with developing a three-dimensional (3D) model of the cell site.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the updating the displaying comprises one of providing a new photo based on the navigation commands and seamlessly panning between the plurality of photos based on the navigation commands.