EXTENDING WIRELESS SIGNAL COVERAGE WITH DRONES

• US 20170302363A1
• Filed: 06/26/2017
• Published: 10/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2015
• 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: Fan, James W., Shaw, Venson, Aaron, Jeffrey A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,056,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18504 Aircraft used as relay or high altitude atmospheric platform
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2606 Arrangements for base station coverage control, e.g. by using relays in tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination

Abstract

Based on electronic communication received from a wireless device or from an access point, it is determined that a wireless signal relay is needed between the wireless device and the access point. In response to the determination, a drone is deployed between the wireless device and the access point to relay wireless signals between the wireless device and the access point. The deployed drone measures a first strength of a first wireless signal received from the wireless device or measures a second strength of a second wireless signal received from the access point. Based on the measurements, it is determined that the wireless device has moved relative to the access point after the drone has been deployed. In response to the determining that the wireless device has moved, the location of the drone is adjusted to maintain the first strength or the second strength above a predetermined level.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a non-transitory memory; and

one or more hardware processors coupled to the non-transitory memory and configured to read instructions from the non-transitory memory to cause the system to perform operations comprising;

determining, based on electronic communication received from a wireless device or from an access point that is configured to provide a wireless service to the wireless device, that a wireless signal relay is needed between the wireless device and the access point;

deploying, in response to the determining that the wireless signal relay is needed, a drone to a location that is between the wireless device and the access point, wherein the drone is configured to relay wireless signals between the wireless device and the access point;

receiving, via the drone that is deployed, measurements of a first strength of a first wireless signal of the wireless signals received from the wireless device or a second strength of a second wireless signal of the wireless signals received from the access point;

determining, based on the received measurements, that the wireless device has moved relative to the access point after the drone has been deployed; and

adjusting, in response to the determining that the wireless device has moved, the location of the drone that is deployed to maintain the first strength or the second strength above a predetermined level.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the drone that is deployed, a power level of a power source powering the drone;

determining, based on the power level and the location of the drone that is deployed, that a remaining amount of the power source is within a predefined threshold above a minimum power amount needed for the drone that is deployed to fly back to a docking station; and

sending a backup drone to the location of the drone that is deployed to facilitate a handoff between the drone that is deployed and the backup drone.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the handoff comprises an electronic handoff.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the handoff comprises a mechanical handoff.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the determining that the wireless signal relay is needed comprises determining that two or more drones are needed to relay the wireless signals between the wireless device and the access point; and

the deploying comprises instructing the drone and one or more additional drones to move to the location and one or more additional locations, respectively, between the wireless device and the access point and form a chain relay between the wireless device and the access point.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is a first wireless device, and wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a request to establish the wireless signal relay between a second wireless device and the access point;

determining, based at least in part on wireless signals received from the first wireless device, the second wireless device, and the access point, a new target location for the drone that is deployed; and

instructing the drone that is deployed to move to the new target location.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

configuring a set of policy rules for drone operation, wherein the set of policy rules specifies;

a first condition under which a deployment of one or more drones is performed automatically;

or

a second condition under which a deployment of one or more drones requires a user authorization.

8. A method, comprising:

determining, based on electronic communication received from a wireless device or from an access point that is configured to provide wireless service to the wireless device, that a wireless signal relay is needed between the wireless device and the access point;

deploying, in response to the determining that the wireless signal relay is needed, a drone to a location that is between the wireless device and the access point, wherein the drone is configured to relay wireless signals between the wireless device and the access point;

receiving, via the drone that is deployed, measurements of a first strength of a first wireless signal received from the wireless device or a second strength of a second wireless signal received from the access point;

determining, based on the received measurements, that the wireless device has moved relative to the access point after the drone has been deployed; and

adjusting, in response to the determining that the wireless device has moved, the location of the drone that is deployed to maintain the first strength or the second strength above a predetermined level.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, from the drone that is deployed, a power level of a power source powering the drone;

determining, based on the power level and the location of the drone that is deployed, that a remaining amount of the power source is within a predefined threshold above a minimum power amount needed for the drone that is deployed to fly back to a docking station; and

sending a backup drone to the location of the drone that is deployed to facilitate a handoff between the drone that is deployed and the backup drone.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

sending instructions to the drone that is deployed and the backup drone to perform an electronic handoff between the drone that is deployed and the backup drone.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

sending instructions to the drone that is deployed and the backup drone to perform a mechanical handoff between the drone that is deployed and the backup drone.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the determining that the wireless signal relay is needed comprises determining that two or more drones are needed to relay the wireless signals between the wireless device and the access point; and

the deploying comprises instructing the drone and one or more additional drones to move to the location and one or more additional locations, respectively, between the wireless device and the access point and form a chain relay between the wireless device and the access point.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the wireless device is a first wireless device, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a request to establish the wireless signal relay between a second wireless device and the access point;

determining, based at least in part on wireless signals received from the first wireless device, the second wireless device, and the access point, a new target location for the drone that is deployed; and

instructing the drone that is deployed to move to the new target location.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

configuring a set of policy rules for drone operation, wherein the set of policy rules specifies;

a first condition under which a deployment of one or more drones is performed automatically;

or

a second condition under which a deployment of one or more drones requires a user authorization.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the set of policy rules further specifies priorities for certain users or certain wireless devices.

16. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

remotely activating or deactivating a signal extender of the drone that is deployed.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon machine-readable instructions executable to cause a machine to perform operations comprising:

determining, based on electronic communication received from a wireless device or from an access point that is configured to provide wireless service to the wireless device, that a wireless signal relay is needed between the wireless device and the access point;

causing, in response to the determining that the wireless signal relay is needed, a deployment of a drone to a location that is between the wireless device and the access point, wherein the drone is configured to relay wireless signals between the wireless device and the access point;

receiving, via the drone that is deployed, measurements of a first strength of a first wireless signal received from the wireless device or a second strength of a second wireless signal received from the access point;

determining, based on the received measurements, that the wireless device has moved relative to the access point after the drone has been deployed; and

communicating, in response to the determining that the wireless device has moved, instructions to the drone that is deployed to adjust the location of the drone that is deployed so as to maintain the first strength or the second strength above a predetermined level.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the drone that is deployed, a power level of a power source powering the drone;

determining, based on the power level and the location of the drone that is deployed, that a remaining amount of the power source is within a predefined threshold above a minimum power amount needed for the drone that is deployed to fly back to a docking station; and

causing a backup drone to be sent to the location of the drone that is deployed to facilitate a handoff between the drone that is deployed and the backup drone, wherein the handoff comprises an electronic handoff or a mechanical handoff without interrupting the wireless service.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein:

the determining that the wireless signal relay is needed comprises determining that two or more drones are needed to relay the wireless signals between the wireless device and the access point; and

the deploying comprises instructing the drone and one or more additional drones to move to the location and one or more additional locations, respectively, between the wireless device and the access point and form a chain relay between the wireless device and the access point.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the wireless device is a first wireless device, and wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a request to establish the wireless signal relay between a second wireless device and the access point;

determining, based at least in part on wireless signals received from the first wireless device, the second wireless device, and the access point, a new target location for the drone that is deployed; and

instructing the drone that is deployed to move to the new target location.