Automatic radio site survey using a robot

• US 7,456,596 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2005
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hart, Brian, Goodall, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro; Bentsu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luo; David S
• Application Number:
  US11/208,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20070042716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 455/39, 455/67.11, 455/456.1, 455/422.1, 455/403, 318/568.12, 318/568.11, 318/568.1, 318/567, 318/560
• US Class Current: 318/568.12
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0227 using mechanical sensing means, e.g. for sensing treated area
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/024 in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0242 using non-visible light signals, e.g. IR or UV signals
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0255 using acoustic signals, e.g. ultra-sonic singals sonar systems designed for anti-collision purposes G01S15/93
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0274 using mapping information stored in a memory device navigation using map-matching G01C21/30
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/028 using a RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and carrier medium carrying computer readable code. The apparatus includes a mobile robot arranged in operation to traverse an area, a first transceiver for a wireless network mounted on the robot and arranged in operation to communicate with a second transceiver to effect radio measurement operations for determining at each of a plurality of locations covering the area a measure indicative of the path loss between the first and second transceivers, and a location determining system at least a component of which is mounted on the robot and arranged in operation to determine the location of the first transceiver in the area.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a mobile robot arranged in operation to traverse an area, including traversing a first set of locations covering the area to perform a radio site survey;

a first transceiver for a wireless network mounted on the robot and arranged in operation to communicate with a second transceiver to effect radio measurement operations for determining at each of the first set of locations a measure indicative of the path loss between the first and second transceivers; and

a location determining system at least a component of which is mounted on the robot and arranged in operation to determine the location of the first transceiver at each of the first set of locations in the area.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile robot includes:

a housing infrastructure including a chassis;

a power subsystem arranged in operation to provide the energy to power the robot;

a motive subsystem operative to propel the robot for radio measurement operations;

a control module operative to control the robot to effect radio measurement operations via the first transceiver and the location determining system, the control module coupled to the first transceiver and to the at least a component of the location determining system that is mounted on the robot; and

a sensor subsystem of one or more sensors coupled to the control module and operative in combination with the control module to navigate around a stationary object or obstacle encountered by the robot,

wherein the control module is operative such that the mobile robot operates autonomously to autonomously traverse the first plurality of locations covering the area and to autonomously carry out the radio measurement operations for each of the plurality of locations, and wherein carrying out the radio measurement operations includes determining the locations of the plurality of locations using the location determining system.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein the locations of the first plurality of locations are pre-selected to traverse the area.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein the locations of the first plurality of locations are randomly selected to traverse the area.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the first transceiver includes one or more antennas mounted on the mobile robot at a typical desktop or carrying height mounted on the robot.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the mobile robot includes:

a housing infrastructure including a chassis;

a power subsystem arranged in operation to provide the energy to power the robot;

a motive subsystem operative to propel the robot for radio measurement operations; and

a control module operative to control the robot to effect radio measurement operations via the first transceiver and the location determining system, the control module coupled to the first transceiver and to the at least a component of the location determining system that is mounted on the robot,

wherein the control module is operative such that an operator can remotely control the robot to traverse the first plurality of locations covering the area and carry out the radio measurement operations for each of the first plurality of locations, and wherein carrying out the radio measurement operations includes determining the locations of the first plurality of locations using the location determining system.

7. An apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein the locations of the first plurality of locations are pre-selected to traverse the area.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the first location determining system determines the location by determining at which of the pre-selected locations of the first plurality of locations the first mobile robot is located.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the location determining system is one of the set consisting of:

a system that uses radiolocation using time difference of arrival,

a system that uses radiolocation using difference of arrival of radio signals between the mobile robot and a plurality of known locations,

a system that uses radiolocation using path loss between the mobile robot and a plurality of known locations,

a system that uses time of flight of ultrasound transmissions between the mobile robot and a plurality of known locations, and

a system that uses a relative location determining method that determines the location of the mobile robot relative to a known location.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the wireless network substantially conforms to the IEEE 802.11 standard.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the first and second transceivers are a first wireless station and a second wireless station respectively, each arranged in operation to operate in the wireless network, and wherein one of the first wireless station or the second wireless station is an access point of the wireless network.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the locations of the first set of locations are pre-selected to traverse the area.

13. A method operative in a wireless network, the method comprising:

operating a first mobile robot to traverse an area, including traversing a first plurality of locations covering the area to carry out a radio site survey of the area, wherein the first mobile robot includes;

a first transceiver mounted the first mobile robot, the first transceiver being for the wireless network and arranged in operation to communicate with a second transceiver to effect radio measurement operations for determining at each of the first plurality of locations a measure indicative of the path loss between the first and second transceivers; and

at least a component of a first location determining system that includes the component, the first location determining system further including one or more other components not mounted on the first mobile robot, the first location determining system being arranged in operation to determine the location of the first transceiver in the area; and

carrying out the radio measurement operations, including carrying out one or more of the radio measurement operations at each of the locations of the first plurality,

wherein carrying out the radio site survey includes using the first location determining system to determine the location of each of the first plurality of locations.

14. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the first mobile robot is an autonomous robot that includes:

a housing infrastructure including a chassis;

a power subsystem arranged in operation to provide the energy to power the first mobile robot;

a motive subsystem operative to propel the first mobile robot for radio measurement operations;

a control module operative to control the first mobile robot to effect radio measurement operations via the first transceiver and the first location determining system, the control module coupled to the first transceiver and to the at least a component of the first location determining system that is mounted on the first mobile robot; and

a sensor subsystem of one or more sensors coupled to the control module and operative in combination with the control module to navigate around a stationary object or obstacle encountered by the first mobile robot, and

wherein the carrying out the radio measurement operations for the first plurality of locations includes the first mobile robot autonomously traversing the first plurality of locations covering the area and autonomously carrying out the radio measurement operations for each of the first plurality of locations.

15. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the first mobile robot includes:

a housing infrastructure including a chassis;

a power subsystem arranged in operation to provide the energy to power the first mobile robot;

a motive subsystem operative to propel the first mobile robot for radio measurement operations; and

a control module operative to control the first mobile robot to effect radio measurement operations via the first transceiver and the first location determining system, the control module coupled to the first transceiver and to the at least a component of the first location determining system that is mounted on the first mobile robot,

wherein the carrying out the radio measurement operations for the first plurality of locations includes an operator remotely controlling the first mobile robot to traverse the first plurality of locations covering the area and to carry out the radio measurement operations for each of the first plurality of locations.

16. A method as recited in claim 13, further comprising:

operating a second mobile robot to traverse the area, the second mobile robot including the second transceiver mounted thereon, the second mobile robot further including at least a component of a second location determining system that includes the component and one or more other components not mounted on the second mobile robot, the second location determining system arranged in operation to determine the location of the second transceiver in the area; and

causing the second mobile robot to traverse a second plurality of locations in the area,

such that each radio measurement is between the first transceiver on the first mobile robot at one of the first plurality of locations and the second transceiver on the second robot at one of the second plurality of locations,

wherein the carrying out the radio measurement operations for each of the first plurality of locations further includes using the second location determining system to determine each unknown one of the second plurality of locations at which the second mobile robot is located for the radio measurement operation.

17. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the first location determining system is one of the set consisting of:

a system that uses radiolocation using time difference of arrival,

a system that uses radiolocation using difference of arrival of radio signals between the first mobile robot and a plurality of known locations,

a system that uses radiolocation using path loss between the first mobile robot and a plurality of known locations,

a system that uses time of flight of ultrasound transmissions between the first mobile robot and a plurality of known locations, and

a system that uses a relative location determining method that determines the location of the first mobile robot relative to a known location.

18. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the locations of the first plurality of locations are pre-selected to traverse the area.

19. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the locations of the first plurality of locations are randomly selected to traverse the area.

20. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the first location determining system determines the location by determining at which of the pre-selected locations of the first plurality of locations the first mobile robot is located.

21. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the wireless network substantially conforms to the IEEE 802.11 standard, wherein the first and second transceivers are a first wireless station and a second wireless station respectively, each arranged in operation to operate in the wireless network.

22. A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the first and second transceivers are a first wireless station and a second wireless station respectively, each arranged in operation to operate in the wireless network, and wherein one of the first wireless station or the second wireless station is an access point of the wireless network.

23. An apparatus operative in a wireless network, the apparatus comprising:

a first mobile robot means arranged in operation to traverse an area including traversing a plurality of locations covering the area for carrying out a radio site survey, the first mobile robot means including a first transceiver mounted on the first mobile robot means arranged in operation to communicate with a second transceiver to effect radio measurement operations for determining at each of the plurality of locations a measure indicative of the path loss between the first and second transceivers;

the first mobile robot means further including at least part of means for determining the location at each of the first set of locations of the first transceiver in the area.

24. An apparatus as recited in claim 23, wherein the first mobile robot means includes:

means for housing;

means for providing energy to power the first mobile robot means;

means for propelling the first mobile robot for radio measurement operations;

means for control of the first mobile robot to effect radio measurement operations via the first transceiver and the means for determining the location, the control module coupled to the first transceiver and to the at least a component of the location determining system that is mounted on the first mobile robot; and

a sensor subsystem of one or more sensors coupled to the control module and operative in combination with the control module to navigate around a stationary object or obstacle encountered by the first mobile robot, and

wherein the effecting of the radio measurement operations for the plurality of locations includes the first mobile robot autonomously traversing the set of locations covering the area and autonomously carrying out the radio measurement operations for the plurality of locations.

25. A computer readable medium on which is encoded computer readable code that when executed by one or more processors cause carrying out of a method comprising:

causing a first mobile robot to traverse a first plurality of locations covering an area for carrying out a radio site survey, the first mobile robot including a first transceiver mounted thereon, the first transceiver being for the wireless network and arranged in operation to communicate with a second transceiver to effect radio measurement operations for determining at each of the first plurality a measure indicative of the path loss between the first and second transceivers;

the first mobile robot further including at least a component of a location determining system arranged in operation to determine the location of the first transceiver in each of the first plurality of locations in the area,

wherein the traversing of the first plurality of locations includes;

at each location of the first plurality, carrying out the radio measurement operations, including using the location determining system to determine the location of each of the first plurality of locations.

26. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 25, wherein the first mobile robot is an autonomous robot that includes:

a housing infrastructure including a chassis;

a power subsystem arranged in operation to provide the energy to power the first mobile robot;

a motive subsystem operative to propel the first mobile robot for radio measurement operations;

a control module operative to control the first mobile robot to effect radio measurement operations via the first transceiver and the first location determining system, the control module coupled to the first transceiver and to the at least a component of the first location determining system that is mounted on the first mobile robot; and

a sensor subsystem of one or more sensors coupled to the control module and operative in combination with the control module to navigate around a stationary object or obstacle encountered by the first mobile robot, and

such that the traversing of the first plurality of locations is carried out autonomously by the robot,

wherein the carrying out the radio measurement operations for each of the first plurality of locations includes the first mobile robot autonomously carrying out the radio measurement operations for the first plurality of locations.

27. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 25, wherein the first mobile robot includes:

a housing infrastructure including a chassis;

a power subsystem arranged in operation to provide the energy to power the first mobile robot;

a motive subsystem operative to propel the first mobile robot for radio measurement operations; and

a control module operative to control the first mobile robot to effect radio measurement operations via the first transceiver and the first location determining system, the control module coupled to the first transceiver and to the at least a component of the first location determining system that is mounted on the first mobile robot,

wherein the traversing of the first plurality of locations includes an operator remotely controlling the first mobile robot to traverse the first plurality of locations covering the area and carrying out the radio measurements.

28. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 25, wherein the first location determining system is one of the set consisting of:

a system that uses radiolocation using time difference of arrival,

a system that uses radiolocation using difference of arrival of radio signals between the first mobile robot and a plurality of known locations,

a system that uses radiolocation using path loss between the first mobile robot and a plurality of known locations,

a system that uses time of flight of ultrasound transmissions between the first mobile robot and a plurality of known locations, and

a system that uses a relative location determining method that determines the location of the first mobile robot relative to a known location.

29. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 25, wherein the wireless network substantially conforms to the IEEE 802.11 standard, wherein the first and second transceivers are a first wireless station and a second wireless station respectively, each arranged in operation to operate in the wireless network.

30. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 25, wherein the first and second transceivers are a first wireless station and a second wireless station respectively, each arranged in operation to operate in the wireless network, and wherein one of the first wireless station or the second wireless station is an access point of the wireless network.