Operating unmanned aerial vehicles to maintain or create wireless networks

• US 9,913,102 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2016
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Singh, Baljit, Suthar, Om Prakash
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, David Q
• Application Number:
  US15/205,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20170013413A1
• Time in Patent Office: 606 Days
• Field of Search: 455456, 1 1, 701 3
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 associated with a remote control arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18506 Communications with or from aircraft, i.e. aeronautical mobile service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/02 Arrangements for optimising operational condition
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

Embodiments herein use a real-time system to conduct a line of sight (LOS) survey between radio sites. The system includes a drone controlled by a UAV LOS System (ULS) server to gather information regarding the LOS path between the radio sites. In one embodiment, the ULS server instructs the UAV to travel a LOS path between a first location and a second location, and determine a Fresnel radius at one or more defined locations along the LOS path between the first location and the second location. The ULS server determines a Fresnel zone between the first location and second location based in part on the determined Fresnel radius for each of the defined locations along the LOS path. The ULS server evaluates the Fresnel zone to determine if the LOS path can support a LOS wireless communication link.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

instructing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to travel a line of sight (LOS) path between a first location and a second location;

instructing the UAV to determine a Fresnel radius at one or more defined locations along the LOS path between the first location and the second location;

determining a Fresnel zone between the first location and second location based in part on the determined Fresnel radius for each of the defined locations along the LOS path;

receiving information regarding one or more obstacles detected, by the UAV, within the Fresnel radius at one or more of the defined locations along the LOS path;

generating a three dimensional cylindrical visual representation of the LOS path and Fresnel zone based in part on the received information and the determined Fresnel radius for each of the defined locations; and

evaluating the Fresnel zone to determine if the LOS path can support a LOS wireless communication link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes an image of each detected obstacle and an indication of an amount of penetration of each detected obstacle within the Fresnel radius at the respective locations along the LOS path.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

upon determining the LOS path cannot support the LOS wireless communication link, adjusting parameters of at least one of the first location and the second location; and

instructing the UAV to travel another LOS path between the first location and the second location according to the adjusted parameters.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the adjusted parameters comprise at least one of an adjusted height relative to a height for the first location and an adjusted height relative to a height for the second location.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the determination that the LOS path cannot support the LOS wireless communication link is based on determining that an amount of penetration of an obstacle, detected by the UAV, into the Fresnel zone is above a defined threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

instructing the UAV to determine at least another Fresnel radius at the one or more defined locations along the LOS path between the first location and the second location; and

determining at least another Fresnel zone based in part on the at least another Fresnel radius.

7. A computing system, comprising:

at least one computing processor configured to;

instruct an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to travel a line of sight (LOS) path between a first location and a second location;

instruct the UAV to determine a Fresnel radius at one or more defined locations along the LOS path between the first location and the second location;

determine a Fresnel zone between the first location and second location based in part on the determined Fresnel radius for each of the defined locations along the LOS path;

receive information regarding one or more obstacles detected, by the UAV, within the Fresnel radius at one or more of the defined locations along the LOS path;

generate a three dimensional cylindrical visual representation of the LOS path and Fresnel zone based in part on the received information and the determined Fresnel radius for each of the defined locations; and

evaluate the Fresnel zone to determine if the LOS path can support a LOS wireless communication link.

8. The computing system of claim 7, wherein the information includes an image of each detected obstacle and an indication of an amount of penetration of each detected obstacle within the Fresnel radius at the respective locations along the LOS path.

9. The computing system of claim 7, wherein the at least one computing processor is configured to:

upon determining the LOS path cannot support the LOS wireless communication link, adjust parameters of at least one of the first location and the second location; and

instruct the UAV to travel another LOS path between the first location and the second location according to the adjusted parameters.

10. The computing system of claim 9, wherein the adjusted parameters comprise at least one of an adjusted height relative to a height for the first location and an adjusted height relative to a height for the second location.

11. The computing system of claim 9, wherein the determination that the LOS path cannot support the LOS wireless communication link is based on determining that an amount of penetration of an obstacle, detected by the UAV, into the Fresnel zone is above a defined threshold.

12. The computing system of claim 7, wherein the at least one computing processor is configured to:

instruct the UAV to determine at least another Fresnel radius at the one or more defined locations along the LOS path between the first location and the second location; and

determine at least another Fresnel zone based in part on the at least another Fresnel radius.

13. A communication system, comprising:

an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); and

at least one computing processor configured to;

instruct the UAV to travel a line of sight (LOS) path between a first location and a second location;

instruct the UAV to determine a Fresnel radius at one or more defined locations along the LOS path between the first location and the second location;

determine a Fresnel zone between the first location and second location based in part on the determined Fresnel radius for each of the defined locations along the LOS path;

receive information regarding one or more obstacles detected, by the UAV, within the Fresnel radius at one or more of the defined locations along the LOS path;

generate a three dimensional cylindrical visual representation of the LOS path and Fresnel zone based in part on the received information and the determined Fresnel radius for each of the defined locations; and

evaluate the Fresnel zone to determine if the LOS path can support a LOS wireless communication link.

14. The communication system of claim 13, wherein the information includes an image of each detected obstacle and an indication of an amount of penetration of each detected obstacle within the Fresnel radius at the respective locations along the LOS path.

15. The communication system of claim 13, wherein the at least one computing processor is configured to:

upon determining the LOS path cannot support the LOS wireless communication link, adjust parameters of at least one of the first location and the second location; and

instruct the UAV to travel another LOS path between the first location and the second location according to the adjusted parameters.

16. The communication system of claim 13, wherein the determination that the LOS path cannot support the LOS wireless communication link is based on determining that an amount of penetration of an obstacle, detected by the UAV, into the Fresnel zone is above a defined threshold.

17. The communication system of claim 13, wherein the at least one computing processor is configured to:

instruct the UAV to determine at least another Fresnel radius at the one or more defined locations along the LOS path between the first location and the second location; and

determine at least another Fresnel zone based in part on the at least another Fresnel radius.

18. The communication system of claim 15, wherein the adjusted parameters comprise at least one of an adjusted height relative to a height for the first location and an adjusted height relative to a height for the second location.