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US 11,377,233 B1Granted
Systems and methods for performing remote maintenance
AssigneeCharter Communications Operating, LLC
InventorCharles Ivan Cook
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various embodiments provide systems and/or methods for automated maintenance, delivery, retrieval, and/or communications using drones.
Claims16
A remote-controlled aircraft comprising:
- a payload carrier operable to load and carry at least one network device;
- a wireless communication receiver operable to receive instructions that identify a network device location at which an in-place network device is to be exchanged with a replacement network device;
- a processor operable to cause the remote-controlled aircraft to:
- move to a first location and retrieve the replacement network device from the first location using the payload carrier;
- move to the network device location with the replacement network device;
- de-install the in-place network device from a network device docking station at the network device location using the payload carrier;
- install the replacement network device into the network device docking station using the payload carrier;
- and
- carry, via the payload carrier, the in-place network device to a location.
6 more elements
A remote-controlled aircraft comprising:
- a payload carrier operable to carry at least one network device;
- a wireless communication receiver operable to receive instructions that identify a network device fixed location at which the at least one network device is to be installed in a network device docking station, the network device docking station comprising at least one of a power connection configured to provide power to a device installed in the network device docking station and a data connection configured to provide data communications to the device installed in the network device docking station;
- and
- a processor operable to cause the remote-controlled aircraft to:
- move to the network device fixed location;
- and
- install the at least one network device into the network device docking station using the payload carrier to cause the at least one network device to be coupled to one of the power connection and the data connection.
4 more elements
A remote-controlled aircraft comprising:
- a payload carrier operable to carry at least one network device;
- a camera;
- a wireless communication receiver operable to receive instructions that identify a network device location at which the at least one network device is to be installed in a network device docking station;
- and
- a processor operable to cause remote-controlled aircraft to:
- move to the network device location;
- capture, via the camera, an image of the network device docking station;
- analyze the image to identify the network device docking station in the image;
- align the payload carrier with the network device docking station based on the image;
- and
- install the at least one network device into the network device docking station using the payload carrier.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.