Monitoring System for a Cell Tower

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020396422-A1
Application number	US-202017008969-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 1, 2020
Priority date	Apr 14, 2015
Publication date	Dec 17, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods include a monitoring system. The monitoring system includes a camera apparatus and a server. The camera apparatus includes a mounting base adapted to mount to a support beam of a cell tower. The camera apparatus also includes a plurality of sensors including an array of image sensors arranged and adapted to simultaneously capture a combined 360 degree view of at least a portion of the cell tower around the camera apparatus. The server includes a memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to obtain a data from the camera apparatus including a plurality of images of the cell tower including equipment thereon, and display the data from the camera apparatus including the plurality of images of the cell tower including equipment thereon to a user in real time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A monitoring system for monitoring a cell tower, comprising:
a camera apparatus including
a mounting base adapted to mount to a support beam of a cell tower, and
a plurality of sensors including an array of image sensors arranged and adapted to simultaneously capture a combined 360 degree view of at least a portion of the cell tower around the camera apparatus; and
a server including
a network interface and a processor communicatively coupled to one another; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to
obtain a data from the camera apparatus including a plurality of images of the cell tower including equipment thereon, and
display the data from the camera apparatus including the plurality of images of the cell tower including equipment thereon to a user in real time.

2 . The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the camera apparatus is configured to provide a plurality of images that form the combined 360 degree view around the camera apparatus in real time by one of streaming images taken on a regular interval and streaming video from the array of image sensors.

3 . The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors are adapted to monitor weather around the cell tower and the data includes weather related information.

4 . The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors includes one or more RF sensors configured to receive cellular signals, and wherein the memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to monitor the cellular signals of the equipment.

5 . The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the camera apparatus is oriented to capture a 360 degree view of a geographic region around the cell tower and images of the geographic region are provided for at least one of news, traffic, weather, and cell site conditions.

6 . The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors includes infrared sensors configured to capture a 360 degree view of thermographic data around the camera apparatus including thermographic data of the equipment, wherein the data includes the thermographic data, and wherein the memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to compare the thermographic data to a predetermined threshold and issue an alert in response to a temperature within the thermographic data being above the predetermined threshold.

7 . The monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the memory storing the instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to, upon receipt of an instruction from the user,
obtain data from the camera apparatus including a set of images that include the combined 360 degree view of at least the portion of the cell tower, generate a model of at least the portion of the cell tower using the data, and display information from the model within the plurality images displayed in real time.

8 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform the steps of:
obtain a data from a plurality of sensors adapted to simultaneously capture a combined 360 degree view of at least a portion of a cell tower from a camera apparatus mounted on the cell tower, the data including a plurality of images of the cell tower including equipment thereon, and display the data from the camera apparatus including the plurality of images of the cell tower including equipment thereon to a user in real time.

9 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the camera apparatus is configured to provide a plurality of images that form the combined 360 degree view around the camera apparatus in real time by one of streaming images taken on a regular interval and streaming video from the array of image sensors.

10 . The monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of sensors are adapted to monitor weather around the cell tower and the data includes weather related information.

11 . The monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of sensors includes one or more RF sensors configured to receive cellular signals, and wherein the instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to monitor the cellular signals of the equipment.

12 . The monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the camera apparatus is oriented to capture a 360 degree view of a geographic region around the cell tower and images of the geographic region are provided for at least one of news, traffic, weather, and cell site conditions.

13 . The monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of sensors includes infrared sensors configured to capture a 360 degree view of thermographic data around the camera apparatus including thermographic data of the equipment, wherein the data includes the thermographic data, and wherein the instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to compare the thermographic data to a predetermined threshold and issue an alert in response to a temperature within the thermographic data being above the predetermined threshold.

14 . The monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to, upon receipt of an instruction from the user,
obtain data from the camera apparatus including a set of images that include the combined 360 degree view of at least the portion of the cell tower, generate a model of at least the portion of the cell tower using the data, and display information from the model within the plurality images displayed in real time.

15 . A method for monitoring a cell tower, comprising:
obtaining a data from a plurality of sensors adapted to simultaneously capture a combined 360 degree view of at least a portion of a cell tower from a camera apparatus mounted on the cell tower, the data including a plurality of images of the cell tower including equipment thereon, and displaying the data from the camera apparatus including the plurality of images of the cell tower including equipment thereon to a user in real time.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the camera apparatus is configured to provide a plurality of images that form the combined 360 degree view around the camera apparatus in real time by one of streaming images taken on a regular interval and streaming video from the array of image sensors.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of sensors are adapted to monitor weather around the cell tower and the data includes weather related information.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein, wherein the plurality of sensors includes one or more RF sensors configured to receive cellular signals, and wherein the method further comprising monitoring the cellular signals of the equipment.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the camera apparatus is oriented to capture a 360 degree view of a geographic region around the cell tower and images of the geographic region are provided for at least one of news, traffic, weather, and cell site conditions.

20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
obtaining data from the camera apparatus including a set of images that include the combined 360 degree view of at least the portion of the cell tower; generating a model of at least the portion of the cell tower using the data; and
displaying information from the model within the plurality images displayed in real time.

Assignees

• Etak Systems Llc

Inventors

• Terry Charlie
• Perry James
• Priest Lee

Classifications

• H04N23/90

  Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums · CPC title

• H04N23/661

  Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet · CPC title

• H04N23/45

  for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images · CPC title

• H04N23/698

  for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture · CPC title

• H04N23/54

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title