Methods and apparatus to collect data from user equipment outside a network

An apparatus comprising:

• a data manager to:
• transmit a first signal to a discovery drone, the first signal to cause the discovery drone to discover user equipment in an environment, the user equipment outside of a first network including a first drone;
• and
• collect one or more values corresponding to the user equipment;
• a utility function determiner to, in response to a trigger event corresponding to the one or more values, determine a first position of the first drone in the environment;
• a navigation dispatcher to transmit a second signal to the first drone, the second signal to cause the first drone to regulate the first position to establish one or more connections between the user equipment and the first network;
• and
• wherein the first signal is to cause the discovery drone to:
• navigate throughout the environment;
• query user equipment in the environment via a discovery signal, the discovery signal including one or more of a request for the one or more values, a first identifier of the data manager, a second identifier of the discovery drone, a third identifier of the user equipment, a fourth identifier of a measurement collection node, a transmission power of the discovery signal, a first position of the data manager, and a second position of the discovery drone in the environment;
• and
• transmit a fourth signal including the one or more values, the second identifier of the discovery drone, and the second position of the discovery drone in the environment to the data manager after disconnecting from the data manager.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for data managing, the data managing means to:
• transmit a first signal to a discovery drone, the first signal to cause the discovery drone to discover user equipment in an environment, the user equipment outside of a first network including a first drone;
• and
• collect one or more values corresponding to the user equipment;
• transmit a second signal via a first communication medium to a sensor node, the second signal to cause the sensor node to obtain the one or more values corresponding to the user equipment and transmit the one or more values, an identifier of the sensor node, and a position of the sensor node in the environment to the data managing means via the first communication medium, the first communication medium having a larger propagation distance than a second communication medium associated with the first network;
• and
• means for utility function determining, the utility function determining means to, in response to a trigger event corresponding to the one or more values, determine a first position of the first drone in the environment;
• and
• means for navigation dispatching, the navigation dispatching means to transmit a third signal to the first drone, the third signal to cause the first drone to regulate the first position to establish one or more connections between the user equipment and the first network.

An apparatus comprising:

• means for data managing, the data managing means to:
• transmit a first signal to a discovery drone, the first signal to cause the discovery drone to discover user equipment in an environment, the user equipment outside of a first network including a first drone;
• and
• collect one or more values corresponding to the user equipment;
• means for utility function determining, the utility function determining means to, in response to a trigger event corresponding to the one or more values, determine a first position of the first drone in the environment;
• means for navigation dispatching, the navigation dispatching means to transmit a second signal to the first drone, the second signal to cause the first drone to regulate the first position to establish one or more connections between the user equipment and the first network;
• and
• wherein the first signal is to cause the discovery drone to:
• navigate throughout the environment;
• query user equipment in the environment via a discovery signal, the discovery signal including one or more of a request for the one or more values, a first identifier of the data managing means, a second identifier of the discovery drone, a third identifier of the user equipment, a fourth identifier of a measurement collection node, a transmission power of the discovery signal, a first position of the data managing means, and a second position of the discovery drone in the environment;
• and
• transmit a fourth signal including the one or more values, the second identifier of the discovery drone, and the second position of the discovery drone in the environment to the data managing means after disconnecting from the data managing means.

A non-transitory computer readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a machine to at least:

• transmit, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a first signal from a data management device to a discovery drone, the first signal to cause the discovery drone to discover user equipment in an environment, the user equipment outside of a first network including a first drone;
• and
• collect, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, one or more values at the data management device, the one or more values corresponding to the user equipment;
• transmit a second signal via a first communication medium from the data management device to a sensor node, the second signal to cause the sensor node to obtain the one or more values corresponding to the user equipment and transmit the one or more values, an identifier of the sensor node, and a position of the sensor node in the environment to the data management device via the first communication medium, the first communication medium having a larger propagation distance than a second communication medium associated with the first network;
• and
• in response to a trigger event corresponding to the one or more values, determine, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a first position of the first drone in the environment;
• and
• transmit, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a third signal to the first drone, the third signal to cause the first drone to regulate the first position to establish one or more connections between the user equipment and the first network.

A non-transitory computer readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a machine to at least:

• transmit, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a first signal from a data management device to a discovery drone, the first signal to cause the discovery drone to discover user equipment in an environment, the user equipment outside of a first network including a first drone;
• and
• collect, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, one or more values at the data management device, the one or more values corresponding to the user equipment;
• in response to a trigger event corresponding to the one or more values, determine, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a first position of the first drone in the environment;
• transmit, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a second signal to the first drone, the second signal to cause the first drone to regulate the first position to establish one or more connections between the user equipment and the first network;
• and
• wherein the first signal is to cause the discovery drone to:
• navigate throughout the environment;
• query user equipment in the environment via a discovery signal, the discovery signal including one or more of a request for the one or more values, a first identifier of the data management device, a second identifier of the discovery drone, a third identifier of the user equipment, a fourth identifier of a measurement collection node, a transmission power of the discovery signal, a first position of the data management device, and a second position of the discovery drone in the environment;
• and
• transmit a fourth signal including the one or more values, the second identifier of the discovery drone, and the second position of the discovery drone in the environment to the data management device after disconnecting from the data management device.

A method comprising:

• transmitting, by executing an instruction with at least one processor, a first signal from a data management device to a discovery drone, the first signal to cause the discovery drone to discover user equipment in an environment, the user equipment outside of a first network including a first drone;
• and
• collecting at the data management device, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, one or more values corresponding to the user equipment;
• in response to a trigger event corresponding to the one or more values, determining, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a first position of the first drone in the environment;
• transmitting, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a second signal to the first drone, the second signal to cause the first drone to regulate the first position to establish one or more connections between the user equipment and the first network;
• and
• wherein the first signal is to cause the discovery drone to:
• navigate throughout the environment;
• query user equipment in the environment via a discovery signal, the discovery signal including one or more of a request for the one or more values, a first identifier of the data management device, a second identifier of the discovery drone, a third identifier of the user equipment, a fourth identifier of a measurement collection node, a transmission power of the discovery signal, a first position of the data management device, and a second position of the discovery drone in the environment;
• and
• transmit a fourth signal including the one or more values, the second identifier of the discovery drone, and the second position of the discovery drone in the environment to the data management device after disconnecting from the data management device.