METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING DATA ASSOCIATED WITH WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20180167827A1
• Filed: 12/08/2016
• Published: 06/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2016
• 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: Barnickel, Donald J., Willis, III, Thomas M., Zarsky, Dorothy, Liu, Ken, Barzegar, Farhad, Gerszberg, Irwin, Bogdan, Pamela A. M., Pimm, Brandon, Britz, David M., Henry, Paul Shala, Bennett, Robert, Beattie, JR., James Gordon
• Granted Patent: US 10,264,467 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 10/60 Tethered aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/21 for providing Internet access
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/31 generated by photovoltaics
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/125 Means for positioning
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/246 specially adapted for base stations
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/28 Adaptation for use in or on aircraft, missiles, satellites, or balloons
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/288 Satellite antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/205 providing an omnidirectional coverage turnstile aerials H01Q21/26
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/24 varying the orientation by switching energy from one active radiating element to another, e.g. for beam switching
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 3/2605 Array of radiating elements provided with a feedback control over the element weights, e.g. adaptive arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0413 MIMO systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0417 Feedback systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/28 : using beam steering
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/06 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using simulated traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/242 : taking into account path loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, wirelessly receiving test signals when an unmanned aircraft is at different positions in proximity to a transmission medium where the first group of test signals is transmitted from different locations, determining RF parameters associated with each of the test signals, and generating placement information indicative of a target location for a communication device to be positioned, where the placement information is generated based on the RF parameters. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining, by a processing system of an unmanned aircraft, a first control signal that causes the unmanned aircraft to fly to a first position in proximity to a transmission medium;

wirelessly receiving, by a receiver coupled to the processing system, a first group of test signals when the unmanned aircraft is at the first position, wherein the first group of test signals is transmitted from different locations;

determining, by the processing system, a first radio frequency (RF) parameter associated with each of the first group of test signals;

obtaining, by the processing system, a second control signal that causes the unmanned aircraft to fly to a second position in proximity to the transmission medium;

wirelessly receiving, by the receiver coupled to the processing system, a second group of test signals when the unmanned aircraft is at the second position, wherein the second group of test signals is transmitted from the different locations;

determining, by the processing system, a second RF parameter associated with each of the second group of test signals; and

generating, by the processing system, placement information indicative of a target location for a communication device to be placed along the transmission medium, wherein the placement information is generated based on the first and second RF parameters, and wherein the communication device, when placed along the transmission medium, facilitates transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves propagating along the transmission medium without an electrical return path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second RF parameters comprise received signal strengths.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the different locations are each in proximity to a premises, and wherein the first and second groups of test signals are transmitted by a transmitter of another unmanned aircraft when the another unmanned aircraft flies in proximity to each of the premises.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the placement information comprises an RF receive signal strength map associated with positions along the transmission medium including the first and second positions.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the different locations include base station locations, and wherein the first and second groups of test signals are transmitted by transmitters of base stations.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

capturing line of sight information at the first and second positions, wherein the line of sight information is directed towards each of the different locations from where the first and second groups of test signals are transmitted.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the line of sight information comprises images captured by a camera physically connected with the unmanned aircraft.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining, by the processing system, a third control signal that causes the unmanned aircraft to change altitude at the first position resulting in an adjusted first position;

wirelessly receiving, by the receiver coupled to the processing system, a third group of test signals when the unmanned aircraft is at the adjusted first position, wherein the third group of test signals is transmitted from the different locations; and

determining, by the processing system, a third RF parameter associated with each of the third group of test signals,

wherein the placement information is generated based in part on the third RF parameter.

9-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

wirelessly transmitting, via a transmitter of an unmanned aircraft, a first group of test signals when the unmanned aircraft is at a first position in proximity to a transmission medium, wherein the first group of test signals is transmitted towards different locations;

wirelessly transmitting, via the transmitter, a second group of test signals when the unmanned aircraft is at a second position in proximity to the transmission medium, wherein the second group of test signals is transmitted towards the different locations;

determining a first radio frequency (RF) parameter associated with each of the first group of test signals and a second RF parameter associated with each of the second group of test signals; and

generating placement information indicative of a target location for a communication device to be placed along the transmission medium, wherein the placement information is generated based on the first and second RF parameters, and wherein the communication device, when placed along the transmission medium, facilitates transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves propagating along the transmission medium without an electrical return path.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the first and second RF parameters comprise received signal strengths.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the different locations are each in proximity to a premises.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the placement information comprises an RF receive signal strength map associated with positions along the transmission medium including the first and second positions.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the different locations include base station locations.

21. An unmanned aircraft device, comprising:

a processing system including a processor;

a receiver coupled to the processing system, and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

obtaining a first control signal that causes the unmanned aircraft device to fly to a first position in proximity to a transmission medium;

wirelessly receiving, by the receiver, a first group of test signals when the unmanned aircraft is at the first position, wherein the first group of test signals is transmitted from different locations;

determining a first radio frequency (RF) parameter associated with each of the first group of test signals;

obtaining a second control signal that causes the unmanned aircraft device to fly to a second position in proximity to the transmission medium;

wirelessly receiving, by the receiver, a second group of test signals when the unmanned aircraft is at the second position, wherein the second group of test signals is transmitted from the different locations;

determining a second RF parameter associated with each of the second group of test signals; and

generating placement information indicative of a target location for a communication device to be placed along the transmission medium, wherein the placement information is generated based on the first and second RF parameters, and wherein the communication device, when placed along the transmission medium, facilitates transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves propagating along the transmission medium without an electrical return path.

22. The unmanned aircraft device of claim 21, wherein the transmission medium is a power line.

23. The unmanned aircraft device of claim 21, wherein the communication device, when placed along the transmission medium, that is physically held in position with respect to the transmission medium via a self-latching mechanism of the communication device.

24. The unmanned aircraft device of claim 21, wherein the communication device, when placed along the transmission medium, receives power via an inductive coupling with the transmission medium from current flowing through the transmission medium.

25. The unmanned aircraft device of claim 21, wherein the first and second RF parameters comprise received signal strengths.

26. The unmanned aircraft device of claim 21, wherein the different locations are each in proximity to a premises, and wherein the first and second groups of test signals are transmitted by a transmitter of another unmanned aircraft when the another unmanned aircraft flies in proximity to each of the premises.

27. The unmanned aircraft device of claim 21, wherein the placement information comprises an RF receive signal strength map associated with positions along the transmission medium including the first and second positions.