Planning a wireless network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9426674-B2
Application number	US-201414171447-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2014
Priority date	Feb 3, 2014
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

Planning a wireless network is described herein. One method includes navigating a first unmanned mobile vehicle to a location in an environment, navigating a second unmanned mobile vehicle along a route through the environment, capturing, by the second unmanned mobile vehicle while navigating along the route, data associated with a wireless signal emitted by the first unmanned mobile vehicle at the location and locations of the second unmanned mobile vehicle while the second unmanned mobile vehicle is capturing the data associated with the wireless signal, and determining locations to place a number of wireless network access points in the environment based on the captured data.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of planning a wireless network, comprising:
navigating a first plurality of hover-capable unmanned mobile vehicles, wherein each respective one of the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles is navigated to a different location in an environment;
navigating a second plurality of hover-capable unmanned mobile vehicles, wherein each respective one of the second plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles is navigated along a different route through the environment after each of the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles has navigated to its respective location;
capturing, by each respective one of the second plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles while navigating along its respective route and while each of the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles is at its respective location, data associated with a wireless signal emitted by each respective one of the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles at its respective location and locations of the second plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles while the second plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles are capturing the data associated with each respective wireless signal; and
determining locations to place a number of wireless network access points in the environment based on the captured data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes:
navigating one of the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles to an additional location in the environment;
capturing, by each respective one of the second plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles while navigating along its respective route, data associated with a wireless signal emitted by the one of the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles at the additional location; and
determining locations to place the number of wireless network access points in the environment based on the captured data associated with the wireless signal emitted by the one of the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles at the additional location.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes:
placing a wireless radio at each respective location of the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles using the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles; and
manually capturing data associated with a wireless signal emitted by the wireless radio at each respective location.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles autonomously navigate to their respective locations; and
the second plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles autonomously navigate along their respective routes.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes:
determining the locations to place the number of wireless network access points by the second plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles;
transmitting, by the second plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles, the captured data to the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles; and
determining, by the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles, whether to navigate to an additional location in the environment based on the captured data.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes predicting, by the second plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles based on the captured data, performance of the wireless network access points when positioned at the determined locations.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes predicting, based on a wireless signal emitted by a wireless radio positioned at the determined locations, performance of the wireless network access points when positioned at the determined locations.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes placing the number of wireless network access points at the determined locations using the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles and/or the second plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes storing, by the second plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles, the captured data.

10. A method of planning a wireless network, comprising:
navigating a first plurality of hover-capable unmanned mobile vehicles, wherein each respective one of the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles is navigated to a different location in an environment;
navigating a second plurality of hover-capable unmanned mobile vehicles, wherein each respective one of the second plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles is navigated along a different route through the environment after each of the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles has navigated to its respective location;
capturing, by each respective one of the second unmanned mobile vehicles while navigating along its respective route and while each of the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles is at its respective location, data associated with a wireless signal emitted by each respective one of the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles at its respective location;
determining locations to place a number of wireless network access points in the environment based on the captured data;
placing the number of wireless network access points at the determined locations;
navigating an additional unmanned mobile vehicle along an additional route through the environment after the number of wireless network access points are placed at the determined locations; and
capturing, by the additional unmanned mobile vehicle while navigating along the additional route after the number of wireless network access points are placed, data associated with wireless signals emitted by the wireless access points.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method includes:
confirming operation of the wireless network based on the captured data associated with the wireless signals emitted by the wireless access points.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the method includes creating a wireless signal profile for the wireless network based on the captured data associated with the wireless signals emitted by the wireless access points.

13. A system for planning a wireless network, comprising:
a first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles, wherein each respective one of the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles is configured to:
navigate to a different location in an environment; and
emit a wireless signal at its respective location; and

a second plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles, wherein each respective one of the second plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles is configured to:
navigate along a different route through the environment after each of the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles has navigated to its respective location; and
capture, while navigating along its respective route and while each of the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles is at its respective location, data associated with the wireless signals emitted by the first plurality of unmanned vehicles and locations of the second plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles while the second plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles are capturing the data associated with the wireless signals.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles and the second plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles are configured to navigate autonomously.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein:
the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles and the second plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles include a map of the environment;
the first plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles are configured to navigate to their respective locations using the map;
the second plurality of unmanned mobile vehicles are configured to navigate along their respective routes using the map;
the first plurality of unmanned mobil

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Pulleti Uday K
• Gonia Patrick
• Mahasenan Arun Vijayakumari
• Kore Vinayak Sadashiv
• Berezowski Andrew G

Classifications

• H04W16/18 Primary

  Network planning tools · CPC title

• H04W24/02 Primary

  Arrangements for optimising operational condition · CPC title

• G05D1/0246

  using a video camera in combination with image processing means · CPC title

• G05D1/0219

  ensuring the processing of the whole working surface · CPC title

• G05D2107/70

  Industrial sites, e.g. warehouses or factories · CPC title