Unmanned aerial vehicle-based systems and methods associated with cell sites and cell towers
First Claim
1. A method performed at a cell site with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) communicatively coupled to a controller to perform a cell site audit, without requiring a tower climb at the cell site, the method comprising:
- causing the UAV to fly substantially vertically up to cell site components using the controller, wherein flight of the UAV is constrained in a three-dimensional rectangle at the cell site, wherein the three-dimensional rectangle is defined about a cell tower, and wherein the UAV is flown by a single operator without a license based on the three-dimensional rectangle constrained flight;
collecting data associated with the cell site components and the surrounding airspace and environment using the UAV;
transmitting and/or storing the collected data; and
processing the collected data to obtain information for the cell site audit, wherein the processing 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 using the UAV, plumb of the cell tower and/or the one or more antennas, azimuth of the one or more antennas using a location determining device of the UAV, dimensions of the cell site components, equipment type and serial number of the cell site components, connections between the cell site components, a status of a lighting rod and warning light on the cell tower, and Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) coordinates, for the cell site audit.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method performed at a cell site with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) communicatively coupled to a controller to perform a cell site audit, without requiring a tower climb at the cell site, includes causing the UAV to fly substantially vertically up to cell site components using the controller, wherein flight of the UAV is constrained in a three-dimensional rectangle at the cell site; collecting data associated with the cell site components and the surrounding airspace and environment using the UAV; transmitting and/or storing the collected data; and processing the collected data to obtain information for the cell site audit.
34 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method performed at a cell site with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) communicatively coupled to a controller to perform a cell site audit, without requiring a tower climb at the cell site, the method comprising:
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causing the UAV to fly substantially vertically up to cell site components using the controller, wherein flight of the UAV is constrained in a three-dimensional rectangle at the cell site, wherein the three-dimensional rectangle is defined about a cell tower, and wherein the UAV is flown by a single operator without a license based on the three-dimensional rectangle constrained flight; collecting data associated with the cell site components and the surrounding airspace and environment using the UAV; transmitting and/or storing the collected data; and processing the collected data to obtain information for the cell site audit, wherein the processing 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 using the UAV, plumb of the cell tower and/or the one or more antennas, azimuth of the one or more antennas using a location determining device of the UAV, dimensions of the cell site components, equipment type and serial number of the cell site components, connections between the cell site components, a status of a lighting rod and warning light on the cell tower, and Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) coordinates, for the cell site audit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) configured to perform a cell site audit at a cell site, without requiring a tower climb at the cell site, the UAV comprising:
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one or more rotors disposed to a body; a camera associated with the body; wireless interfaces; a processor coupled to the wireless interfaces; and memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to; receive instructions, via the wireless interfaces, related to flight at the cell site, wherein flight of the UAV is constrained in a three-dimensional rectangle at the cell site, wherein the three-dimensional rectangle is defined about a cell tower, and wherein the UAV is flown by a single operator without a license based on the three-dimensional rectangle constrained flight; cause the one or more rotors to operate pursuant to the instructions; operate the camera pursuant to the instructions; and transmit, via the wireless interfaces, or store, in a data store, data from the camera, for performing the cell site audit, wherein the data is processed to obtain information for the cell site audit, wherein the information comprises 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 using the UAV, plumb of the cell tower and/or the one or more antennas, azimuth of the one or more antennas using a location determining device of the UAV, dimensions of the cell site components, equipment type and serial number of the cell site components, connections between the cell site components, a status of a lighting rod and warning light on the cell tower, and Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) coordinates, for the cell site audit. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system configured to perform a cell site audit at a cell site, without requiring a tower climb at the cell site, the system comprising:
a mobile device comprising; mobile device wireless interfaces communicatively coupled to wireless interfaces on an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV); a display; a processor, wherein the mobile device wireless interfaces, the display, and the processor are communicatively coupled to one another; and memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to; cause the UAV to fly substantially vertically up to cell site components through communication to the UAV wireless interfaces, wherein flight of the UAV is constrained in a three-dimensional rectangle at the cell site wherein the three-dimensional rectangle is defined about a cell tower, and wherein the UAV is flown by a single operator without a license based on the three-dimensional rectangle constrained flight; receive data associated with the cell site components from the UAV wireless interfaces; display the received data to the display; and process the received data to obtain information for the cell site audit, wherein the information comprises 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 using the UAV, plumb of the cell tower and/or the one or more antennas, azimuth of the one or more antennas using a location determining device of the UAV, dimensions of the cell site components, equipment type and serial number of the cell site components, connections between the cell site components, a status of a lighting rod and warning light on the cell tower, and Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) coordinates, for the cell site audit.
Specification