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

1. A motion-controlled device, comprising:

a receiver to sense wireless communication signals of a plurality of separate wireless devices of a wireless network;

a motion controller to control a positioning of the motion-controlled device in a plurality of dimensions;

a controller to:

at least facilitate analysis of the sensed wireless communication signals from the plurality of separate wireless devices; 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 analysis of the sensed wireless communication signals from the plurality of separate wireless devices; and wherein:

the sensed wireless communication signals from the plurality of separate wireless devices of the wireless network comprise signals interfering with communication within the wireless network; and

the positioning of the motion-controlled device reduces a sensed signal strength of a first wireless device below a specified threshold and maintains or increases a sensed signal strength of a second wireless device.

2. The motion-controlled device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further to support communication with an analytics engine.

3. The motion-controlled device of claim 2 , wherein motion control of the motion-controlled device is at least partially controlled by the analytics engine.

4. The motion-controlled device of claim 2 , wherein sensing of the wireless communication signals is at least partially controlled by the analytics engine.

5. The motion-controlled device of claim 1 , wherein the controller to provide the control signal to the motion controller comprises the controller 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.

6. The motion-controlled device of claim 5 , 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.

7. The motion-controlled device of claim 1 , wherein motion control of the motion-controlled device is at least partially controlled by an operator.

8. The motion-controlled device of claim 1 , wherein sensing of the wireless communication signals is at least partially controlled by an operator.

9. The motion-controlled device of claim 1 , wherein sensing of the wireless communication 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 communication 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 , further comprising a sensor, wherein the sensor is separate from the receiver.

12. The motion-controlled device of claim 11 , wherein the sensor comprises an image sensor, and wherein the controller is further 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 measureable quantity related to the wireless network;

determine, based on the approximation of the measureable quantity, whether to conduct a direct measurement of the measureable quantity related to the wireless network;

perform the direct measurement of the measureable quantity related to the wireless network; and

select the control signal to the motion controller to reposition the motion-controlled device to change the measureable quantity towards a pre-specified target value.

13. The motion-controlled device of claim 1 , further comprising a positioning detection unit to determine one or more physical positioning coordinates of the motion-controlled device.

14. The motion-controlled device the motion-controlled device of claim 13 , wherein the motion-controlled device is to measure a quantity of interest at each of multiple positionings.

15. The motion-controlled device of claim 14 , wherein the controller is further to communicate the measured quantities of interest and corresponding positionings to an analytics engine.

16. The motion-controlled device of claim 15 , wherein the analytic engine generates a map of the quantity of interest.

17. 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 by at least one of the plurality of motion-controlled devices within a predetermined time.

18. The motion-controlled device of claim 1 , wherein the motion-controlled device is to follow a predefined measurement schedule when a problem of the wireless network is detected.

19. The motion-controlled device of claim 1 , wherein the motion-controlled device is a relay station within the wireless network.

20. The motion-controlled device of claim 1 , further comprising a pointing analysis device to detect a pointing direction of a directional apparatus (antenna) of a wireless device of the wireless network.

21. The motion-controlled device of claim 1 , wherein the motion-controlled device is to communicate with a wireless device of the wireless network.

22. The motion-controlled device of claim 21 , wherein the communication with the wireless device of the wireless network is through a secondary communication channel of the motion-controlled device.

23. The motion-controlled device of claim 22 , wherein the communication with the wireless device of the wireless network comprises the motion-controlled device receiving internal state information of the wireless device.

24. The motion-controlled device of claim 1 , wherein the controller and the motion controller are further to dock the motion-controlled device with a wireless device of the wireless network.

25. The motion-controlled device of claim 24 , wherein at 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.

26. The motion-controlled device of claim 1 , wherein the motion-controlled device is to modify or update a wireless device of the wireless network and wherein to modify or update is selected from an upgrade of firmware, replacement of at least a portion of hardware, connection to a different access point, reorientation, and a reboot of the wireless device.

27. The motion-controlled device of claim 1 , wherein the motion-controlled device is to determine desirable placements of to-be-deployed wireless devices of the wireless network.

28. The motion-controlled device of claim 1 , wherein the motion-controlled device includes a directional antenna.

29. The motion-controlled device of claim 28 , wherein the motion-controlled device is to indicate desirable placement of the to-be-deployed wireless device by physically marking the position.

30. The motion-controlled device of claim 28 , further comprising controlling a positioning of the directional antenna.

31. 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.

32. A wireless network, comprising:

a plurality of separate wireless devices for communication through the wireless network;

one or more motion-controlled devices, wherein each motion-controlled device includes:

a receiver to sense wireless communication signals of the plurality of separate wireless devices of the wireless network;

a motion controller to control a positioning of the motion-controlled device in a plurality of dimensions;

a controller to:

at least facilitate analysis of the sensed wireless communication signals from the plurality of separate wireless devices; 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 analysis of the sensed wireless communication signals from the plurality of separate wireless devices; and wherein:

the sensed wireless communication signals from the plurality of separate wireless devices of the wireless network comprise signals interfering with communication within the wireless network; and

the positioning of the motion-controlled device reduces a sensed signal strength of a first wireless device below a specified threshold and maintains or increases a sensed signal strength of a second wireless device.

33. The wireless network of claim 32 , 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.

34. The wireless network of claim 33 , wherein the control signal to the motion control is additionally based at least partially on the detected events.

35. A method of characterizing a wireless network, comprising:

sensing, by a receiver of a motion-controlled device, wireless communication signals of a plurality of separate wireless devices 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 from the plurality of separate wireless devices; 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 analysis of the sensed wireless communication signals from the plurality of separate wireless devices; and wherein:

the sensed wireless communication signals from the plurality of separate wireless devices of the wireless network comprise signals interfering with communication within the wireless network; and

the positioning of the motion-controlled device reduces a sensed signal strength of a first wireless device below a specified threshold and maintains or increases a sensed signal strength of a second wireless device.