Using drones to lift personnel up cell towers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10227134-B2
Application number	US-201615248634-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2016
Priority date	Apr 14, 2015
Publication date	Mar 12, 2019
Grant date	Mar 12, 2019

Abstract

A method for transporting maintenance personnel at a cell tower includes, responsive to a requirement for a tower climb for one or more of a site survey, a site audit, maintenance, and installation at the cell tower, securing a person in a drone, wherein the drone includes flight components at a substantial length from the person allowing the flight components to fly over a top of the cell tower and to place the person directly adjacent to a desired location on the cell tower; flying the drone up the cell tower to locate the person directly adjacent to the desired location; and performing the one or more of a site survey, a site audit, maintenance, and installation at the cell tower.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for transporting maintenance personnel at a cell tower, the method comprising:
responsive to a requirement for a tower climb for one or more of a site survey, a site audit, maintenance, and installation at the cell tower, securing a person in a drone, wherein the drone comprises flight components at a length from the person allowing the flight components to fly over a top of the cell tower and to place the person directly adjacent to a desired location on the cell tower;
flying the drone up the cell tower to locate the person directly adjacent to the desired location;
performing the one or more of a site survey, a site audit, maintenance, and installation at the cell tower; and
connecting to a platform on the cell tower for the person to egress and ingress to the drone, wherein the platform is transported as payload carried by the drone and selectively connected and locked to the cell tower by the person, the platform is for supporting one or more persons for operations on the cell tower.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drone comprises a support structure with a plurality of rotors and support wires or members for the securing, wherein the support wires or members comprise the length.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drone comprises a single set of rotors connected to a motor connected to a base via a support member, wherein the person is secured to the base, and wherein the support member comprises the length.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drone comprises a single person propulsion system.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drone is automatically guided to the desired location based on location identifiers and wherein the desired location is set via a Graphical User Interface or three-dimensional model of the cell tower.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drone is one of manually operated by the person and by remote control via an operator.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
maintaining a second drone for backup.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the length comprises at least 20 feet.

9. A drone for transporting maintenance personnel at a cell tower, the drone comprising:
one or more rotors connected to a structure;
one or more support members connected to the structure, wherein a person is selectively secured to the one or more support members, wherein the one or more support members comprise a length from the person to the one or more rotors allowing the one or more rotors to fly over a top of the cell tower and to place the person directly adjacent to a desired location on the cell tower; and
a connector adapted to connect to a platform on the cell tower for the person to egress and ingress to the drone, wherein the platform is transported as payload carried by the drone and selectively connected and locked to the cell tower by the person, the platform is for supporting one or more persons for operations on the cell tower;
wherein, responsive to a requirement for a tower climb for one or more of a site survey, a site audit, maintenance, and installation at the cell tower, the drone is adapted to fly the person up the cell tower for performance thereof.

10. The drone of claim 9 , wherein the one or more support members comprise support wires or members connected to the structure for the securing, wherein the support wires or members comprise the length.

11. The drone of claim 9 , wherein the one or more rotors comprise a single set of rotors connected to a motor on the structure and the one or more support members comprise a single support member, wherein the person is secured to a base connected to the single support member, and wherein the single support member comprises the length.

12. The drone of claim 9 , wherein the drone comprises a single person propulsion system.

13. The drone of claim 9 , wherein the drone is automatically guided to the desired location based on location identifiers and wherein the desired location is set via a Graphical User Interface or three-dimensional model of the cell tower.

14. The drone of claim 9 , wherein the drone is one of manually operated by the person and by remote control via an operator.

15. The drone of claim 9 , wherein the length comprises at least 20 feet.

Assignees

• Priest Lee
• Etak Systems Llc

Inventors

• Priest Lee

Classifications

• H04W88/08

  Access point devices · CPC title

• B64U2101/60

  for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• H04W16/18

  Network planning tools · CPC title

• B64U2201/202

  using tethers for connecting to ground station · CPC title