FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This disclosure relates generally to wireless communication networks and drone device usage and, more particularly, to unmanned aerial vehicle drive testing and mapping of carrier signals.

BACKGROUND

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also referred to as unmanned aerial systems (UASs) or more commonly, drones, may be mobile platforms capable of detecting information, delivering goods, handling objects, and/or performing other actions. UAVs may provide many benefits over manned vehicles, including lower operating costs, fewer dangers of usage and/or travel, and increased accessibility to areas that may be dangerous for normal human travel. Moreover, UAVs may capture specific sensor data (e.g., audio, image, video, and/or other sensor data) at a target location, deliver goods (e.g., packages, medical supplies, food supplies, engineering materials, etc.) to the target location, handle objects (e.g., retrieving objects, operating equipment, repairing equipment, etc.) at the target location, and so forth without the need for a human to perform such actions. UAVs may be preprogrammed to travel a specific route, and therefore not require constant communication between the UAVs and a base or control station controlling and directing the UAVs. However, in certain scenarios it may be beneficial or required to maintain constant contact with the UAVs in order to direct the UAVs in real-time or adjust a previously programmed course. Thus, the actions performed by the UAVs may require maintaining network connectivity, such as connectivity to a cellular network. However, connectivity may be affected by altitude (e.g., how high the UAV is located), which can reduce performance of the UAV. For example, ground objects and/or geographic landforms and effects may cause variations in signal reception from one or more signal transmitting stations compared to at altitude where such objects, landforms, and effects may not affect the signal transmissions.

SUMMARY

Using various embodiments, unmanned aerial vehicle drive testing and mapping of carrier signals may be performed utilizing access points of a cellular network and one or more UAVs travelling along set flight paths and communicating with the access points through a cellular technology signal, such as those signals communicated by base stations (e.g., access points) of the cellular network. Traditionally, cellular networks are optimized for devices connecting at a ground level, such as two meters off the ground where typical cellular devices (e.g., mobile phones) may generally operate. In such cases, ground level objects (e.g., buildings and other manmade objects, trees and other natural obstacles, etc.) and geographic conditions (e.g., landforms including hills, mountains, etc. that may affect signal transmissions) may cause signal interference, and therefore cellular base stations are optimized based on these factors for cellular devices affected by ground level obstacles. However, UAVs travelling at altitude may instead encounter little to no ground level interference from ground level objects and/or may encounter different signal interferences on the cellular network, such as multiple base station signals interfering at altitude.

In order to map the cellular network at altitude for determining signal interferences and/or problem spots in the cellular network, one or more devices may be utilized and instructed to travel set flight paths at one or more altitudes. The devices may be UAVs or any devices operated or to be operated at flight altitude. In this regard, as the devices travel the set flight paths, a specialized sensor or antenna may be included, attached to, on, or embedded within the devices to collect cellular network information. The information may correspond to network connectivity information, signal diagnostics, and/or performance conditions of the cellular network. The information may further include a three-dimensional position, including the altitude of the devices as they collect the cellular network information. The three-dimensional position may be measured from a ground level or may be relative to the location and position of the base stations used to facilitate network connectivity and communication with the aerial-based devices at flight altitudes through a cellular technology signal. In addition, the cellular network information may be transmitted to a processing entity, such as the cellular network carrier or provider, or a third party entity providing processing services to the cellular network carrier.

Using the network connectivity information, signal diagnostics, and/or performance conditions of the cellular network, a cellular network carrier or third party entity may map problem areas, hotspots, or other locations that indicate issues with network connectivity and/or messaging, such as interferences between two or more base stations transmitting the cellular technology signal (e.g., 3G, 4G, 4G LTE, 5G, etc.) for the cellular network. Such areas may indicate that the network should be adjusted or otherwise configured to address the performance issues at altitude. In this regard, the problem areas may be plotted or mapped in a three-dimensional map of the cellular network at multiple altitudes. The map may therefore be used for optimization of the cellular network along altitudes used for directing and navigating one or more UAVs.

In one or more embodiments, a device includes an antenna configured to detect cellular technology signal propagation of a network for a cellular technology signal. The device further includes a non-transitory memory storing instructions comprising at least one flight route for an unmanned aerial vehicle. The device also includes one or more hardware processors configured to execute instructions to cause the device to perform operations including retrieving the instructions from the non-transitory memory during operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle and instructing the unmanned aerial vehicle to operate according to the at least one flight route for the unmanned aerial vehicle. The operations further include detecting, using the antenna, signal performance on the network for the cellular technology signal during operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle on the at least one flight route and communicating the signal performance to at least one processing entity.

In one or more embodiments, a method for unmanned aerial vehicle drive testing and mapping of carrier signals includes determining that an unmanned aerial vehicle is travelling on a flight route at an altitude for determination of network performance of a cellular network; determining, using an antenna, signal diagnostics of the cellular network during travel of the unmanned aerial vehicle on the flight route; and transmitting the signal diagnostics of the cellular network to a service provider.

In one or more embodiments, another method for unmanned aerial vehicle drive testing and mapping of carrier signals includes receiving, from an unmanned aerial vehicle, performance conditions of a cellular network for a cellular network provider for the cellular network, wherein the performance conditions are detected by the unmanned aerial vehicle while traveling a travel route at an altitude for the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel during flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The method may further include determining signal interferences in signal coverage on the cellular network using the performance conditions and plotting the signal interferences in a three-dimensional map of signal coverage of the cellular network.

The scope of the invention is defined by the claims, which are incorporated into this section by reference. A more complete understanding of embodiments of the invention will be afforded to those skilled in the art, as well as a realization of additional advantages thereof, by a consideration of the following detailed description of one or more embodiments. Reference will be made to the appended sheets of drawings that will first be described briefly.

