Motion-controlled device for supporting planning, deployment or operation of a wireless network

Abstract

Systems, methods and apparatuses for a motion-controlled device that is operable to support deployment or operation of a wireless network, are disclosed. one apparatus (motion-controlled device) includes a receiver, a motion controller, and a controller. The receiver is operative to sense wireless communication signals of a wireless network. The motion controller is operative to control a positioning of the motion-controlled device in a plurality of dimensions. The controller is operative to at least facilitate analysis of the sensed wireless communication signals, and provide a control signal to the motion controller, wherein the control signal controls the positioning of the motion-controlled device based at least in part on the sensed wireless communication signals.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A motion-controlled device, comprising:
 a receiver operative to sense wireless communication signals of a wireless network;   a motion controller, operative to control a positioning of the motion-controlled device in a plurality of dimensions;   a controller, the controller operative to:
 at least facilitate analysis of the sensed wireless communication signals; and 
 provide a control signal to the motion controller, wherein the control signal controls the positioning of the motion-controlled device based at least in part on the sensed wireless communication signals. 
   
     
     
         2 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further operative to support communication with an analytics engine. 
     
     
         3 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller operative to provide the control signal to the motion controller comprises the controller being operative to:
 determine a received signal quality parameter at the receiver of a signal received from at least one terminal of the wireless network; and   select the control signal to the motion controller to reposition the motion-controlled device to change the received signal quality parameter of the signal received from the at least one terminal of the wireless network.   
     
     
         4 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 3 , wherein the control signal to the motion controller is selected to reposition the motion-controlled device to change the received signal quality parameter of the signal received from the at least one of terminals of the wireless network, while maintaining a received signal quality parameter of at least one signal received from other terminals of the wireless network relative to a specified threshold. 
     
     
         5 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 2 , wherein motion control of the motion-controlled device is at least partially controlled by the analytics engine. 
     
     
         6 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 1 , wherein motion control of the motion-controlled device is at least partially controlled by an operator. 
     
     
         7 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 2 , wherein sensing of the wireless signals is at least partially controlled by the analytics engine. 
     
     
         8 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 1 , wherein sensing of the wireless signals is at least partially controlled by an operator. 
     
     
         9 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 1 , wherein sensing of the wireless signals is at least partially controlled by a software agent operating on the controller of the motion-controlled device. 
     
     
         10 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 1 , wherein the sensed wireless signals comprise signals transmitted from a first external transceiver to a second external transceiver, wherein the analysis of the sensed wireless communication signals comprises diagnosing a problem condition associated with signals transmitted from the first external transceiver to the second external transceiver. 
     
     
         11 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 1 , wherein the sensed wireless signals comprise signals interfering with communication within the wireless network. 
     
     
         12 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 1 , further comprising a sensor, wherein the sensor is separate from the receiver. 
     
     
         13 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 12 , wherein the sensor comprises an image sensor, and wherein the controller is further operative to:
 facilitate analysis of a wireless device of the wireless network based on at least one image generated by the image sensor;   determine from at least one image generated by the image sensor an approximation of a quantity related to the wireless network;   determine, based on the approximation of the quantity, whether to conduct a direct measurement of the quantity related to the wireless network;   perform the direct measurement of the quantity related to the wireless network; and   select the control signal to the motion controller to reposition the motion-controlled device to change the quantity towards a pre-specified target value.   
     
     
         14 . the motion-controlled device of  claim 1 , further comprising a positioning detection unit operative to determine one or more physical positioning coordinates of the motion-controlled device. 
     
     
         15 . The motion-controlled device the motion-controlled device of  claim 14 , wherein the motion-controlled device is operative to measure a quantity of interest at each of multiple positionings. 
     
     
         16 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 15 , wherein the controller further operative to communicate the measured quantities of interest and corresponding positionings to an analytics engine. 
     
     
         17 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 16 , wherein the analytic engine generates a map of the quantity of interest. 
     
     
         18 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 1 , wherein the motion-controlled device is one of a plurality of motion-controlled devices, wherein each motion-controlled device of the plurality of motion-controlled devices is physically stored at a predetermined location, wherein each point in the wireless network can be navigated to be at least one of the plurality of motion-controlled devices within a predetermined time the motion-controlled device. 
     
     
         19 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 1 , wherein the motion-controlled device is operative to follow a predefined measurement schedule when a problem of the wireless network is detected. 
     
     
         20 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 1 , wherein the motion-controlled device is operative as a relay station within the wireless network. 
     
     
         21 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 1 , further comprising a pointing analysis device operative to detecting a pointing direction of a directional apparatus (antenna) of a wireless device of the wireless network. 
     
     
         22 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 1 , wherein the motion-controlled device is operative to communicate with a wireless device of the wireless network. 
     
     
         23 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 22 , wherein the communication with the wireless device of the wireless network is through a secondary communication channel of the wireless device. 
     
     
         24 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 23 , wherein the communication with the wireless device of the wireless network comprises the motion-controlled device receiving internal state information of the wireless device. 
     
     
         25 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 1 , wherein the controller and the motion controller are further operative to dock the motion-controlled device with a wireless device of the wireless network. 
     
     
         26 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 25 , wherein a least some information is communicated between the motion-controlled device and the wireless device through a mechanical/electrical connection that is established while the motion-controlled device is docked with the wireless device. 
     
     
         27 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 1 , wherein the motion-controlled device is operative to modify or update a wireless device of the wireless network. 
     
     
         28 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 1 , wherein the motion-controlled device is operative to determine desirable placements of to-be-deployed wireless devices of the wireless network. 
     
     
         29 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 1 , wherein the motion-controlled device includes a directional antenna. 
     
     
         30 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 29 , wherein the motion-controlled device is operative to indicate desirable placement of the to-be-deployed wireless device by physically marking the position. 
     
     
         31 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 29 , further comprising controlling a positioning of the directional antenna. 
     
     
         32 . The motion-controlled device of  claim 1 , wherein the motion-controlled device is one of a plurality of motion-controlled devices, and wherein positioning of at least one of the plurality of motion-controlled devices is coordinated by an analytics engine that is communicating with each of the plurality of motion-controlled devices. 
     
     
         33 . A wireless network, comprising:
 a plurality of wireless devices;   one or more motion-controlled devices, wherein each motion-controlled device includes:
 a receiver operative to sense wireless communication signals of at least one of the plurality of wireless devices of the wireless network; 
 a motion controller, operative to control a positioning of the motion-controlled device in a plurality of dimensions; 
 a controller, the controller operative to:
 at least facilitate analysis of the sensed wireless communication signals; and 
 provide a control signal to the motion controller, wherein the control signal controls the positioning of the motion-controlled device based at least in part on the sensed wireless communication signals. 
 
   
     
     
         34 . The wireless network of  claim 33 , further comprising an analytics engine, wherein the analytics engine detects events associated with the wireless network, and instructs the one or more motion-controlled devices to collect event-related information. 
     
     
         35 . The wireless network of  claim 34 , wherein the control signal to the motion control is additionally based at least partially on the detected events. 
     
     
         36 . A method of characterizing a wireless network, comprising:
 sensing by a receiver of a motion-controlled device, wireless communication signals of a wireless network;   controlling, by a motion controller, a positioning of the motion-controlled device in a plurality of dimensions;   analyzing the sensed wireless communication signals; and   providing a control signal to the motion controller, wherein the control signal controls the positioning of the motion-controlled device based at least in part on the sensed wireless communication signals.