SUPPLEMENTING NETWORK COVERAGE WITH A FLEET OF AUTONOMOUS DRONES
First Claim
1. A method to provide network coverage in a coverage area, the method comprising:
- configuring, by executing an instruction with a processor, a first drone in a fleet of drones with information specifying a size of the coverage area and a target location associated with the coverage area;
when the first drone reaches the target location, monitoring for communication signals with a transceiver of the first drone to determine whether a first coverage zone provided by the first drone and a second coverage zone provided by a second drone in the fleet of drones overlap, wherein the second drone is different from the first drone; and
autonomously adjusting, by executing an instruction with the processor, a position of the first drone to maintain overlapping of the first coverage zone with the coverage area, but to reduce an amount of overlap of the first coverage zone with the second coverage zone.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture (e.g., physical storage media) to supplement network coverage with a fleet of autonomous drones are disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein include configuring a first drone with information specifying a size and a target location associated with the coverage area. Disclosed example methods also include, when the first drone reaches the target location, monitoring for communication signals to determine whether a first coverage zone provided by the first drone and a second coverage zone provided by a second drone in a fleet of drones overlap. Disclosed example methods further include autonomously adjusting a position of the first drone to maintain overlapping of the first coverage zone provided by the first drone with the coverage area, but to reduce an amount of overlap of the first coverage zone with the second coverage zone.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method to provide network coverage in a coverage area, the method comprising:
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configuring, by executing an instruction with a processor, a first drone in a fleet of drones with information specifying a size of the coverage area and a target location associated with the coverage area; when the first drone reaches the target location, monitoring for communication signals with a transceiver of the first drone to determine whether a first coverage zone provided by the first drone and a second coverage zone provided by a second drone in the fleet of drones overlap, wherein the second drone is different from the first drone; and autonomously adjusting, by executing an instruction with the processor, a position of the first drone to maintain overlapping of the first coverage zone with the coverage area, but to reduce an amount of overlap of the first coverage zone with the second coverage zone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause a processor of a first drone to perform operations comprising:
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accessing information specifying a size of a coverage area in which network coverage is to be provided and a target location associated with the coverage area; when the first drone reaches the target location, monitoring for communication signals to determine whether a first coverage zone provided by the first drone and a second coverage zone provided by a second drone in a fleet of drones overlap, wherein the second drone is different from the first drone; and autonomously adjusting a position of the first drone to maintain overlapping of the first coverage zone with the coverage area, but to reduce an amount of overlap of the first coverage zone with the second coverage zone. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A first drone to provide network coverage in a coverage area, the first drone comprising:
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memory including computer readable instructions; and a processor to execute the computer readable instructions to perform operations including; accessing information specifying a size of the coverage area and a target location associated with the coverage area; when the first drone reaches the target location, monitoring for communication signals to determine whether a first coverage zone provided by the first drone and a second coverage zone provided by a second drone in a fleet of drones overlap, wherein the second drone is different from the first drone; and autonomously adjusting a position of the first drone to maintain overlapping of the first coverage zone with the coverage area, but to reduce an amount of overlap of the first coverage zone with the second coverage zone. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification