Systems and methods for performing a passive intermodulation mitigation audit at a wireless site

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10827363-B2
Application number	US-202016750301-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2020
Priority date	Apr 14, 2015
Publication date	Nov 3, 2020
Grant date	Nov 3, 2020

Abstract

Systems and methods include obtaining data capture at a cell site utilizing any of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), a satellite, a multiple camera apparatus, a telescoping apparatus, and a camera; creating a model of the cell site based on the data capture; processing the model to perform a plurality of measurements; utilizing the plurality of measurements to identify potential Passive Intermodulation (PIM) issues at the cell site; and displaying the identified PIM issues for mitigation thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer readable code stored thereon for programming a processor to perform steps of:
obtaining data capture at a cell site utilizing any of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), a satellite, a multiple camera apparatus, a telescoping apparatus, and a camera;
creating a model of the cell site based on the data capture;
processing the model to perform a plurality of measurements;
utilizing the plurality of measurements to identify potential Passive Intermodulation (PIM) issues at the cell site; and
displaying the identified PIM issues for mitigation thereof,
wherein the cell site is a first cell site, and the steps further include
obtaining data capture for a plurality of cell sites; and
performing the creating, the processing, the utilizing, and the displaying for the plurality of cell sites.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the model is a three dimensional (3D) model of the cell site based on one or more objects of interest associated with the cell site components.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the data capture is based on photos and/or video from the UAV.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the steps further include
ranking the first cell site and the plurality of cell sites based on the PIM issues.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 4 , wherein the mitigation includes physical on-site testing based on the ranking.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the measurements include a plurality of
measurements between existing antennas,
measurements between existing antennas and other equipment installed,
measurements between antennas and adjacent sectors,
centerline confirmation,
measurements of existing pipe mounts,
measurement of existing antenna platform,
vertical measurements above and below installed equipment, and
sector face azimuths or skew angle.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the steps further include
identifying obstacles in front of a cell tower, based on a line of sight view.

8. A method comprising:
obtaining data capture at a cell site utilizing any of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), a satellite, a multiple camera apparatus, a telescoping apparatus, and a camera;
creating a model of the cell site based on the data capture;
processing the model to perform a plurality of measurements;
utilizing the plurality of measurements to identify potential Passive Intermodulation (PIM) issues at the cell site; and
displaying the identified PIM issues for mitigation thereof,
wherein the cell site is a first cell site, and the method further includes
obtaining data capture for a plurality of cell sites; and
performing the creating, the processing, the utilizing, and the displaying for the plurality of cell sites.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the model is a three dimensional (3D) model of the cell site based on one or more objects of interest associated with the cell site components.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the data capture is based on photos and/or video from the UAV.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further includes ranking the first cell site and the plurality of cell sites based on the PIM issues.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the mitigation includes physical on-site testing based on the ranking.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the measurements include a plurality of
measurements between existing antennas,
measurements between existing antennas and other equipment installed,
measurements between antennas and adjacent sectors,
centerline confirmation,
measurements of existing pipe mounts,
measurement of existing antenna platform,
vertical measurements above and below installed equipment, and
sector face azimuths or skew angle.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the method further includes identifying obstacles in front of a cell tower, based on a line of sight view.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer readable code stored thereon for programming a processor to perform steps of:
obtaining data capture at a cell site utilizing any of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), a satellite, a multiple camera apparatus, a telescoping apparatus, and a camera;
creating a model of the cell site based on the data capture;
processing the model to perform a plurality of measurements;
utilizing the plurality of measurements to identify potential Passive Intermodulation (PIM) issues at the cell site; and
displaying the identified PIM issues for mitigation thereof,
wherein the measurements include a plurality of
measurements between existing antennas,
measurements between existing antennas and other equipment installed,
measurements between antennas and adjacent sectors,
centerline confirmation,
measurements of existing pipe mounts,
measurement of existing antenna platform,
vertical measurements above and below installed equipment, and
sector face azimuths or skew angle.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the model is a three dimensional (3D) model of the cell site based on one or more objects of interest associated with the cell site components.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the data capture is based on photos and/or video from the UAV.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the cell site is a first cell site, and the steps further include
obtaining data capture for a plurality of cell sites; and

performing the creating, the processing, the utilizing, and the displaying for the plurality of cell sites.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the steps further include
identifying obstacles in front of a cell tower, based on a line of sight view.

Assignees

• Etak Systems Llc

Inventors

• Terry Charlie
• Perry James
• Priest Lee

Classifications

• H04W16/22

  Traffic simulation tools or models · CPC title

• G06F30/13

  Architectural design, e.g. computer-aided architectural design [CAAD] related to design of buildings, bridges, landscapes, production plants or roads · CPC title

• H04W16/18 Primary

  Network planning tools · CPC title

• G06F2111/18

  using virtual or augmented reality · CPC title