Managing radio-based network infrastructure using unmanned vehicles
Disclosed are various embodiments for using unmanned vehicles to manage radio-based network infrastructure. In one embodiment, an unmanned vehicle is instructed to deliver a radio unit to a location to add coverage to a radio-based network.
1. A system, comprising:
a radio unit;
an unmanned vehicle capable of carrying the radio unit as a payload; and
at least one computing device configured to at least:
instruct the unmanned vehicle to deliver the radio unit to a location; and
instruct the unmanned vehicle to travel to the location and at least one of:
exchange a battery of the radio unit with a replacement battery; or
recharge the battery of the radio unit.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to at least instruct the unmanned vehicle to retrieve the radio unit as the payload.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to at least activate the radio unit to add coverage to a radio-based network.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to at least determine the location based at least in part on a coverage gap of a radio-based network.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the unmanned vehicle comprises an unmanned aerial vehicle.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to at least identify the unmanned vehicle from a plurality of unmanned vehicles further based at least in part on at least one of: a proximity of the unmanned vehicle to the location, a remaining amount of fuel of the unmanned vehicle, an altitude of the unmanned vehicle, an output power of the radio unit, or one or more connectivity requirements for a radio-based network.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to at least instruct the unmanned vehicle to travel to the location and exchange the radio unit with a replacement radio unit.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one computing device is further configured to at least determine to add the radio unit to a radio-based network based at least in part on a coverage of the radio-based network not meeting a quality-of-service (QoS) parameter.
9. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
instructing an unmanned vehicle to deliver a radio unit to a location to add coverage to a radio-based network; and
configuring the unmanned vehicle to deliver the radio unit to the location so as to enable the radio unit to physically connect to a port at the location.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising instructing the unmanned vehicle to retrieve the radio unit as a payload.
11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising activating the radio unit at the location to add the coverage to the radio-based network.
12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising determining the location based at least in part on a remaining amount of fuel of the unmanned vehicle.
13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising instructing the unmanned vehicle to travel to the location and recharge a battery of the radio unit.
14. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising instructing the unmanned vehicle to travel to the location and exchange a battery of the radio unit with a replacement battery.
15. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
instructing an unmanned vehicle to remove a radio unit from a location; and
causing the radio unit to physically disconnect from a port at the location.
16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein the radio unit has been deactivated from a radio-based network.
17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , further comprising instructing the unmanned vehicle to deliver the radio unit to another location.
18. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , further comprising instructing the unmanned vehicle to deliver a different radio unit to the location.
19. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein the port is a network port or a power transfer port.
20. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , further comprising configuring the unmanned vehicle to connect to a power supply port at the location to recharge a battery of the unmanned vehicle.