Systems, devices, and methods for generating a dynamic three dimensional communication map

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019043251-A1
Application number	US-201816053971-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 3, 2018
Priority date	Aug 4, 2017
Publication date	Feb 7, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methodologies, systems, and computer-readable media are provided for generating a dynamic 3D communication map. Data is collected from a number of autonomous drones as they navigate through a particular area. The autonomous drones can collect environmental data, location data, signal strength data, signal usability data, etc. and transmit that data back to a computing system. The computing system analyzes the data received from the autonomous drones and generates a dynamic 3D communication map that indicates the signal strength and/or the signal usability of various wireless communication signals as a function of time and other variables.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for generating a dynamic 3D communication map, the system comprising:
a plurality of autonomous drones configured to travel along predetermined routes, each of the plurality of autonomous drones including at least one of:
a location sensor configured to monitor the location and altitude of the autonomous drone and generate location data and altitude data;
an ambient condition sensor configured to monitor ambient conditions, including weather data and geographical and structural features located along the predetermined routes, and generate ambient condition data;
a communication signal sensor configured to monitor the signal strength of one or more wireless communication signal types and generate communication signal strength data; and
a wireless communication device configured to transmit location data, altitude data, ambient condition data, and communication signal strength data; and
a computing system in communication with the plurality of autonomous drones over a communication channel and configured to execute a 3D map generation module to:
dynamically receive location data, altitude data, ambient condition data, and communication signal strength data from the wireless communication devices of the plurality of autonomous drones;
store the location data, altitude data, ambient condition data, and communication signal strength data in a database; and
generate a dynamic 3D communication map indicating the signal strength for each of the one or more wireless communication signal types as a function of the location data, altitude data, and ambient condition data.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication signal sensor is further configured to monitor the usability of the one or more wireless communication signal types and generate wireless communication usability data.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the dynamic 3D communication map indicates the wireless communication usability of the one or more wireless communication signal types based on the wireless communication usability data.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the dynamic 3D communication indicates the signal strength or the wireless communication usability for each of the one or more wireless communication signal types as a function of a communication signal configuration.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the ambient condition data includes at least one of temperature data, humidity data, seasonal data, vegetation growth data, and population density data.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing system is further configured to determine at least one of a high interference area or a high utilization area within the dynamic 3D communication map.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing system is further configured to execute a signal prediction module to generate a predicted signal strength at a particular location, altitude and time based on expected ambient conditions at the particular location, altitude and time.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing system is further configured to execute a signal type recommendation module to generate a wireless communication signal type recommendation indicating which wireless communication signal type may have a strong signal at a particular time and place.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the signal type recommendation module is further configured to transmit the wireless communication signal type recommendation indicating which wireless communication signal type may have a strong signal at a particular time and place to one or more of the plurality of autonomous drones.

10 . A method for generating a dynamic 3D communication map, the method comprising:
monitoring a location and altitude of each of a plurality of autonomous drones configured to travel along predetermined routes and generating location and altitude data using location sensors associated with the plurality of autonomous drones; monitoring ambient conditions, including weather data and geographical and structural features located along the predetermined routes, and generating ambient condition data using ambient condition sensors associated with the plurality of autonomous drones; monitoring a signal strength of one or more wireless communication signal types and generating communication signal strength data using communication signal sensors associated with the plurality of autonomous drones; transmitting the location data, altitude data, ambient condition data, and communication signal strength data from the plurality of autonomous drones to a computing system in communication with the plurality of autonomous drones over a communication channel; storing the location data, altitude data, ambient condition data, and communication signal strength data in a database; and generating a dynamic 3D communication map indicating the signal strength for each of the one or more wireless communication signal types as a function of the location data, altitude data, and ambient condition data.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
monitoring the usability of the one or more wireless communication signal types using the communication signal sensor and generating wireless communication usability data.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the dynamic 3D communication map indicates the wireless communication usability of the one or more wireless communication signal types based on the wireless communication usability data.

13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the ambient condition data includes at least one of temperature data, humidity data, seasonal data, vegetation growth data, or population density data.

14 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining at least one of a high interference area or a high utilization area within the dynamic 3D communication map.

15 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
generating a predicted signal strength at a particular location, altitude and time based on expected ambient conditions at the particular location, altitude and time.

16 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
generating a wireless communication signal type recommendation indicating which wireless communication signal type may have a strong signal at a particular time and place.

17 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
transmitting the wireless communication signal type recommendation indicating which wireless communication signal type may have a strong signal at a particular time and place to one or more of the plurality of autonomous drones.

18 . A non-transitory machine readable medium storing instructions for generating a dynamic 3D communication map, wherein execution of the instructions causes one or more processing devices to: monitor a location and altitude of each of a plurality of autonomous drones configured to travel along predetermined routes and generating location and altitude data using location sensors associated with the plurality of autonomous drones;
monitor ambient conditions, including weather data and geographical and structural features located along the predetermined routes, and generating ambient condition data using ambient condition sensors associated with the plurality of autonomous drones; monitor a signal strength of one or more wireless communication signal types and generating communication signal strength data using communication signal sensors associated with the plurality of autonomous drones; transmit the location data, altitude data, ambient condition data, and communication signal s

Assignees

• Walmart Apollo Llc

Inventors

• Winkle David
• O'Brien John Jeremiah

Classifications

• B64U2201/10

  autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] · CPC title

• B64U2101/35

  for science, e.g. meteorology · CPC title

• H04B17/345

  Interference values ({signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR]} H04B17/336) · CPC title

• H04W4/025

  using location based information parameters · CPC title

• G06T17/05 Primary

  Geographic models · CPC title