Unmanned aerial vehicle system for positioning communication terminal and related method

Abstract

The invention provides an unmanned aerial vehicle system for positioning a communication terminal and a related method. The unmanned aerial vehicle system comprises a directional antenna, a positioning base station and an unmanned aerial vehicle. The directional antenna rotates to receive signals in different directions; the signal strength of the positioning base station is higher than that of an operator base station by a threshold value, in the positioning base station, a capturing module continuously changes TAC and Cell ID of broadcast information of the positioning base station, and a signal strength measuring module measures the signal strength of the positioning base station when a communication terminal accesses the positioning base station and a directional antenna rotates. A communication terminal continuously and repeatedly accesses a positioning base station through a capturing module so as to continuously measure and store received signal strength indications in different directions, and a signal strength comparison module obtains the strongest value of the received signal strength indications and determines the direction corresponding to the strongest value as the direction where the communication terminal is located; and the unmanned aerial vehicle carries the positioning base station and the directional antenna and moves in a direction corresponding to the strongest received signal strength indication. Therefore, the unmanned aerial vehicle system can efficiently and quickly position and search the communication terminal.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the patent application with the application date of 2021-12-30, application number 2021116628167, and invention name "UAV system for positioning communication terminals". Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle system and related methods for locating a communication terminal. Background Art

[0003] With the development of drone technology, various types of drones have been widely used in various industries, improving the work efficiency of various industries and saving manpower and material resources.

[0004] In recent years, drones have also developed rapidly in areas such as searching for lost mobile phones and other communication terminals and searching and rescuing missing persons.

[0005] At present, the drone system used for search must have two or more drones, and when the drone system conducts search, it is necessary to use two or more drones to detect the target position at different locations, and then use the principles of triangular geometry to determine the target's position and distance.

[0006] However, this type of drone system requires operating multiple drones at the same time, and the actions of multiple drones need to be coordinated with each other. Therefore, the coordination process is complicated and cumbersome, the operation is difficult, and the cost is relatively high. Summary of the invention

[0007] The present disclosure is completed in view of the above-mentioned state of the prior art, and its purpose is to provide a drone system for locating a communication terminal.

[0008] To this end, the present disclosure provides a drone system for locating a communication terminal, the drone system includes a directional antenna, a positioning base station and a drone, the directional antenna is configured to be able to rotate to receive signals from different directions; the positioning base station includes a capture module, a signal strength measurement module and a signal strength comparison module, the capture module continuously changes the TAC and CellID of the broadcast information of the positioning base station so that the communication terminal continuously and repeatedly accesses the positioning base station; if the communication terminal accesses the positioning base station, the directional antenna rotates and the signal strength measurement module continuously measures the signal strength of the communication terminal and stores the signal strength; the signal strength comparison module obtains the strongest value of the signal strength and determines that the direction corresponding to the strongest signal strength is the direction where the communication terminal is located; the drone is configured to carry the positioning base station and the directional antenna. In this case, the drone system involved in the present disclosure can improve positioning efficiency and reduce costs.

[0009] In addition, in the drone system involved in the present disclosure, optionally, the downtilt angle of the directional antenna is configured as a first preset angle. In this case, the directional antenna can receive signals better.

[0010] In addition, in the drone system of the present disclosure, optionally, the directional antenna lobe horizontal angle is configured to be 30 to 45 degrees. In this case, the directional antenna can receive signals from a farther distance.

[0011] In addition, in the drone system involved in the present disclosure, optionally, the positioning base station further includes a cyclic frequency conversion module, the cyclic frequency conversion module is configured to continuously change the frequency of the broadcast signal of the positioning base station, and the cyclic frequency conversion module automatically stops the frequency conversion after the communication terminal accesses the positioning base station. In this case, communication terminals of different operators can identify and access the positioning base station.

[0012] In addition, in the drone system involved in the present disclosure, optionally, the positioning base station further includes a positioning list, and the positioning list records the unique identification code of the communication terminal being searched. In this case, it is convenient for the subsequent positioning base station to determine whether the accessed communication terminal is the communication terminal that needs to be searched.

[0013] In addition, in the UAV system involved in the present disclosure, optionally, the UAV system further includes a camera group, a customer front-end device, a communication base station and a management platform, and the camera group includes an optical camera and a thermal imaging camera. In this case, when the UAV approaches the communication terminal, the operator can observe the nearby terrain through the camera to determine the final position of the communication terminal.

[0014] In addition, in the drone system involved in the present disclosure, optionally, the communication base station is a private network communication base station or a common base station using an operator network. In this case, when the communication base station is a private network communication base station, the operator can realize communication between the communication base station and the management platform through the private network, which is safe and reliable. When the communication base station is a common base station using an operator network, the communication base station can realize communication between the communication base station and the management platform through the operator core network.

[0015] In addition, in the drone system involved in the present disclosure, optionally, the management platform receives and displays the signal strength information measured by the positioning base station and the image information of the camera group. In this case, it is convenient for the management platform to obtain the direction of the communication terminal and the nearby terrain in real time.

[0016] In addition, in the UAV system involved in the present disclosure, optionally, the management platform is used to configure the frequency, physical cell identification code, tracking area code, public land mobile network and power of the positioning base station; the management platform is configured to be able to enter the positioning list. In this case, it is convenient for the operator to remotely configure the positioning base station through the management platform.

[0017] In addition, in the drone system of the present disclosure, optionally, the management platform is used to configure the video encoding format of the camera group; and the management platform is configured to be able to control the camera angle of the camera group. In this case, it is convenient for the operator to remotely configure the camera group through the management platform.

[0018] According to the present disclosure, there is provided an unmanned aerial vehicle system for positioning communication terminals capable of reducing costs and improving positioning efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be explained in further detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a usage scenario of the drone system for locating a communication terminal involved in the present disclosure is shown.

[0021] Figure 2 A block diagram of a drone system for locating a communication terminal according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0022] Figure 3 A block diagram of a positioning base station of an unmanned aerial vehicle system for positioning a communication terminal involved in the present disclosure is shown.

[0023] Figure 4 A block diagram of another embodiment of the drone system for locating a communication terminal according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0024] Figure 5 A flow chart of a method for searching for a communication terminal involved in the present disclosure is shown.

[0025] Figure 6 A flow chart of a method for dividing a search area in a method for searching for a communication terminal according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0026] Figure 7 A flow chart of a method for determining a search area where a communication terminal is located in a method for searching for a communication terminal involved in the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Hereinafter, the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same symbols are assigned to the same components, and repeated descriptions are omitted. In addition, the accompanying drawings are only schematic diagrams, and the ratio of the dimensions of the components or the shapes of the components may be different from the actual ones.

[0028] The present disclosure relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle system for locating a communication terminal. The unmanned aerial vehicle system for locating a communication terminal involved in the present disclosure may be referred to as an unmanned aerial vehicle system for short.

[0029] Figure 1 FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a use scenario of a drone system 1 for locating a communication terminal 2 according to the present disclosure. Figure 1 As shown, the drone system 1 involved in the present disclosure can be used to locate and search for the communication terminal 2. By locating and searching for the communication terminal 2, the drone system 1 can also locate and search for the user of the communication terminal 2 or the nearby person to be rescued. Therefore, the drone system 1 involved in the present disclosure can be used to search for communication terminals 2 such as lost mobile phones, and can also be used to search for missing trapped persons. The drone system 1 involved in the present disclosure can improve positioning efficiency and reduce costs.

[0030] In some examples, the communication terminal 2 may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer that can use an operator network, a smart watch that can use an operator network, or a portable wifi.

[0031] Figure 2 A block diagram of a drone system 1 for locating a communication terminal 2 according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0032] In this embodiment, if Figure 2 As shown, the drone system 1 may include a directional antenna 10 , a positioning base station 11 and a drone 12 .

[0033] In this embodiment, the directional antenna 10 can rotate so as to receive signals from different directions, which is helpful for the positioning base station 11 to measure the received signal strength indication (RSSI) of the communication terminal 2 in different directions.

[0034] In some examples, the directional antenna 10 may be a narrow beam antenna or a Yagi antenna, so that the signal in the specified direction can be effectively received, that is, the RSSI measured by the positioning base station 11 can correspond to the direction one by one.

[0035] In some examples, the downtilt angle of the directional antenna 10 may be a first preset angle. In some examples, the first preset angle may be 30 degrees or 45 degrees. Thus, the directional antenna 10 can receive signals better.

[0036] In some examples, the horizontal angle of the lobe of the directional antenna 10 may be 30 to 45 degrees, thereby enabling the directional antenna 10 to receive signals at a longer distance.

[0037] Figure 3 A block diagram of a positioning base station 11 of a drone system 1 for positioning a communication terminal 2 according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0038] In this implementation, the positioning base station 11 may include a capturing module 110 , a signal strength measuring module 111 , and a signal strength comparing module 112 .

[0039] In this embodiment, the capture module 110 can continuously change the Tracking Area Code (TAC) and Cell Identity of the broadcast information of the positioning base station 11. Thus, the communication terminal 2 can continuously and repeatedly access the positioning base station 11. Specifically, since the TAC and CellId of the broadcast information of the positioning base station 11 are constantly changing, the communication terminal 2 will continue to believe that the original cell base station has disappeared and needs to re-access a new cell base station. As a result, the communication terminal 2 will continuously and repeatedly access the positioning base station 11. In this case, the positioning base station 11 can capture the communication terminal 2, thereby preventing it from accessing other nearby base stations. Since the positioning base station 11 can measure the RSSI only when the communication terminal 2 accesses the positioning base station 11, it is convenient for the positioning base station 11 to perform multiple RSSI measurements on the communication terminal 2 later.

[0040] In this embodiment, the signal strength measurement module 111 can measure the RSSI of the communication terminal 2 when the communication terminal 2 accesses the positioning base station 11. That is, each time the communication terminal 2 accesses the positioning base station 11, the positioning base station 11 will measure the RSSI.

[0041] In some examples, when the directional antenna 10 rotates, the signal strength measurement module 111 can continuously measure the RSSI of the communication terminal 2 in different directions and store the measured RSSI. For example, the signal strength measurement module 111 measures the RSSI of the communication terminal 2 once for every 5 degrees of rotation of the directional antenna 10 in the horizontal direction. When the directional antenna 10 rotates one circle, the signal strength measurement module 111 will measure 72 RSSIs, and provide the 72 RSSIs to the signal strength comparison module 112 to compare the various RSSIs. Then, the directional antenna 10 rotates in the vertical direction, and the signal strength measurement module 111 measures the RSSI of the communication terminal 2 once for every 5 degrees of rotation. When the directional antenna 10 rotates 90 degrees, the signal strength measurement module 111 will measure 18 RSSIs, and provide the 18 RSSIs to the signal strength comparison module 112 to compare the various RSSIs. This is conducive to the subsequent positioning of the base station 11 to obtain the strongest RSSI.

[0042] In this embodiment, the signal strength comparison module 112 can obtain the strongest value of the measured RSSI by comparing the strengths after the signal strength measurement module 111 measures the RSSI in each direction. Then, the direction corresponding to the strongest RSSI value is determined by the correspondence between RSSI and direction. In this case, since the RSSI in the direction where the communication terminal 2 is located is the strongest, the direction where the communication terminal 2 is located can be determined. For example, the directional antenna 10 rotates horizontally, and the signal strength measurement module 111 can measure 72 RSSIs. The signal strength comparison module 112 can obtain the strongest RSSI among the 72 RSSIs by comparing the strengths, and determine that the direction corresponding to the strongest RSSI is the horizontal direction in the direction where the communication terminal 2 is located. After determining the horizontal direction, the directional antenna 10 rotates vertically in the horizontal direction, and the signal strength measurement module 111 can measure 18 RSSIs. The signal strength comparison module 112 obtains the strongest RSSI among the 18 RSSIs in the same comparison manner, and determines that the direction corresponding to the strongest RSSI is the vertical direction of the direction where the communication terminal 2 is located. Finally, in combination with the determined horizontal and vertical directions, the direction where the communication terminal 2 is located can be determined.

[0043] In some examples, the positioning base station 11 may further include a cyclic frequency conversion module 113. The cyclic frequency conversion module 113 may continuously change the broadcast signal frequency of the positioning base station 11 so that the communication terminal 2 can identify the positioning base station 11 and thus access the positioning base station 11. Specifically, the broadcast signal frequencies used by base stations of different operators are different. The cyclic frequency conversion module 113 may continuously change the frequency of the broadcast signal to imitate the base stations of different operators. In this case, the communication terminals 2 of different operators can all identify and access the positioning base station 11.

[0044] In some examples, after the communication terminal 2 is connected to the positioning base station 11 , the round-robin frequency conversion module 113 will stop changing the frequency. Then, the capture module 110 of the positioning base station 11 will continue to capture the communication terminal 2 .

[0045] In some examples, the TAC of the positioning base station 11 can be configured to be different from the TAC of the operator base station. In addition, in some examples, the positioning base station 11 can be configured with the same frequency as the operator base station or a frequency with a higher priority than the operator base station. The signal strength of the positioning base station 11 can be higher than the signal strength of the operator base station by a threshold value. As a result, it is beneficial to trigger the cell reselection of the communication terminal 2 after the communication terminal 2 accesses the operator base station, so that the communication terminal 2 can access the positioning base station 11.

[0046] In some examples, as described above, the operator base station can be a base station (BTS, Base Transceiver Station) in GSM or CDMA, a base station (NodeB) in WCDMA, an evolved base station (NodeB or eNB or e-NodeB, evolutionary Node B) in LTE, or a base station (gNB) in 5G. That is, the communication terminal 2 that can access the above base stations can access the positioning base station 11.

[0047] In some examples, the drone 12 can be equipped with a directional antenna 10 and a positioning base station 11, so that the positioning base station 11 measures the RSSI of the communication terminal 2 in various directions at different positions. In some examples, the drone 12 can move according to instructions. Thus, the communication terminal 2 can be effectively searched.

[0048] Figure 4 A block diagram of another embodiment of the UAV system for locating the communication terminal 2 according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0049] In some examples, such as Figure 4 As shown, the drone system 1 may also include a camera group 13 , a customer front-end device 14 , a communication base station 15 and a management platform 16 .

[0050] In some examples, the camera group 13 may include an optical camera and a thermal imaging camera. In other examples, the camera group 13 may include 1, 2, or 3 cameras. In some examples, the optical camera may be used to observe the actual terrain when the drone system 1 approaches the communication terminal 2 to search for the communication terminal 2. In some examples, the thermal imaging camera may be used to search for the user of the communication terminal 2 or the nearby person to be rescued when the drone system 1 approaches the communication terminal 2. Thus, the search mission can be completed by the drone system 1.

[0051] In some examples, the information acquired by the positioning base station 11 and the camera group 13 can be transmitted to the customer front-end device 14 by wired transmission. Specifically, the positioning base station 11 and the camera group 13 can have a signal output interface 13a (not shown), and the customer front-end device 15 can have a signal input interface 15a (not shown), and the signal output interface 13a and the signal input interface 15a can be connected through a data transmission line to transmit information. After the customer front-end device 14 acquires the information, it transmits the information to the communication base station 15 by wireless transmission. In addition, in some examples, the customer front-end device 14 can also receive information from the communication base station 15 by wireless transmission, and transmit it to the positioning base station 11 and the camera group 13 by wired transmission. As a result, it is convenient for the positioning base station 11 and the camera group 13 to communicate with the communication base station 15.

[0052] In some examples, one side of the communication base station 15 can communicate with the customer premise equipment 14 by wireless transmission. The other side of the communication base station 15 can communicate with the management platform 16 through the operator core network or private network. In addition, as described above, the customer premise equipment 14 communicates with the positioning base station 11 and the camera group 13 by wired transmission. As a result, a stable communication link can be formed between the positioning base station 11 and the camera group 13, the customer premise equipment 14, the communication base station 15 and the management platform 16. In this case, the positioning base station 11 and the camera group 13 can communicate with the management platform 16. The positioning base station 11 and the camera group 13 can send the RSSI information measured by the positioning base station 11 and the image information of the camera group 13 to the management platform 16. The management platform 16 can send the configuration information and positioning list information of the positioning base station 11 to the positioning base station 11. The positioning list records the unique identification code of the communication terminal 2 that needs to be searched. Specifically, when the communication terminal 2 is a mobile phone, the unique identification code can be the IMSI code of the mobile phone. The management platform 16 can send the configuration information and control information of the camera group 13 to the camera group 13. The configuration information includes video format parameters of the camera group 13. The control information includes the camera angle of the camera group 13.

[0053] In some examples, the communication base station 15 can be mobile, specifically, the communication base station 15 can be configured on a mobile device. For example, the communication base station 15 can be configured on a car. In this case, the communication base station 15 can be transferred to various areas by car. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the communication base station 15 can also be configured on other vehicles. In some examples, the communication base station 15 can be a private network communication base station, whereby the communication base station 15 communicates with the management platform 16 through the private network. In other examples, the communication base station 15 can be a general base station of an operator, whereby the communication base station 15 communicates with the management platform 16 through the operator core network.

[0054] In some examples, the management platform 16 is used to receive and display the RSSI information of the positioning base station 11 and the image information of the camera group 13. Specifically, the management platform 16 can display the RSSI in each direction measured by the positioning base station 11. In some examples, the management platform 16 can display the direction corresponding to the RSSI with the largest intensity. In some examples, the management platform 16 can also display the image captured by the camera group 13 in real time.

[0055] In some examples, the management platform 16 is used to manage and configure the positioning base station 11. The management platform 16 can configure the parameters of the positioning base station 11. Specifically, the operator can configure the frequency, physical cell identifier (PCI), tracking area code (TAC), public land mobile network (PLMN) and power of the positioning base station 11 through the management platform 16, but the examples of the present invention are not limited to this. At the same time, the operator can configure the positioning list of the positioning base station 11 through the management platform 16. For example, when the communication terminal 2 is a mobile phone, the operator can enter the IMSI code of the mobile phone to be searched into the management platform 16 and send it to the positioning base station 11.

[0056] In some examples, when a mobile phone accesses the positioning base station 11, the positioning base station 11 determines whether the IMSI code of the mobile phone is on the positioning list. If the IMSI code of the mobile phone is on the positioning list, it can be determined that the mobile phone is the mobile phone that needs to be searched. Otherwise, the mobile phone is released and is denied access to the positioning base station 11 again.

[0057] In some examples, the management platform 16 may be used to manage and configure the camera group 13. As described above, the management platform 16 may send configuration information and control information of the camera group 13 to the camera group 13. In some examples, the management platform 16 may configure the video format of the camera group 13. The management platform 16 may also control the camera angle of the camera group 13.

[0058] In some examples, the management platform 16 may be an application software running on a networked device. The networked device may be a computer, a mobile phone, and a tablet computer. In other examples, the management platform 16 may be a networked smart device that may have a display screen and control buttons.

[0059] Another aspect of this embodiment relates to a method for searching for a communication terminal 2 .

[0060] Figure 5 A flow chart of a method for searching for a communication terminal 2 according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0061] In this embodiment, a method for searching a communication terminal 2 involved in the present disclosure may include the following steps: dividing a search area (step S1), the management platform enters a positioning list (step S2), determining the search area where the communication terminal 2 is located (step S3), grabbing the communication terminal 2 (step S4), determining the direction of the communication terminal 2 and moving it (step S5), and searching for the communication terminal 2 (step S6).

[0062] In step S1, the search area is divided.

[0063] Figure 6 A flow chart of a method for dividing a search area in a method for searching for a communication terminal 2 according to the present disclosure is shown.

[0064] In this embodiment, if Figure 6 As shown, step S1 includes the following steps.

[0065] In step S10, a first search range is determined. The first search range is the approximate range of the communication terminal 2. Specifically, the first search range can be determined according to the last location of the communication terminal 2. In some examples, when the communication terminal 2 is a mobile phone, the location of the base station that last communicated with the mobile phone can be used as the last location of the communication terminal 2, thereby determining the first search range.

[0066] In step S11, it is determined whether the first search range is larger than the coverage range of the communication base station 15. If the first search range is larger than the coverage range of the communication base station 15, step S12 is performed. Otherwise, step S13 is performed.

[0067] In step S12, the first search range is divided into a second search range, and the second search range is further divided into a third search range. Specifically, the first search range is divided into second search ranges that can be fully covered by multiple communication base stations 15. In some examples, multiple second search ranges may have overlapping areas.

[0068] In some examples, the second search range may be further divided into a plurality of third search ranges that can be completely covered by the drone system 1, and the search range is finally determined to be a plurality of third search ranges. In some examples, the plurality of third search ranges may have overlapping areas.

[0069] As described above, the drone system 1 includes a directional antenna 10, a positioning base station 11 and a drone 12. The range that the drone system 1 can cover is the range that the positioning base station 11 can cover when the drone 12 moves to the maximum range.

[0070] In step S13, it is determined whether the first search range is larger than the maximum search range of the drone system 1. If the first search range is larger than the maximum search range of the drone system 1, then step S14 is implemented. Otherwise, the search range is determined to be the first search range.

[0071] In step S14, the first search range is divided to obtain a fourth search range. Specifically, the first search range is divided into a fourth search range that can be completely covered by multiple drone systems 1. In some examples, the multiple fourth search ranges may have overlapping areas. Then, the search range is determined to be multiple fourth search ranges.

[0072] In step S2, the management platform 16 enters the positioning list. Specifically, the positioning base station 11 may have a positioning list, and the positioning list may record the unique identification code of the communication terminal 2 that needs to be located. For example, when the communication terminal 2 is a mobile phone, the unique identification code may be an IMSI code, and the management platform may remotely enter one or more IMSI codes of the mobile phones that need to be searched into the positioning list of the positioning base station 11.

[0073] In step S3, the search area where the communication terminal 2 is located is determined.

[0074] Figure 7 A flowchart showing a method for searching for a communication terminal 2 and determining a search area where the communication terminal 2 is located according to the present disclosure

[0075] In this embodiment, if Figure 7 As shown, step S3 may include the following steps.

[0076] In step S30, the communication terminal 2 in the search area is searched. Specifically, the cyclic frequency conversion module of the positioning base station 11 continuously changes the frequency of the broadcast signal so that the communication terminal 2 can identify the positioning base station 11 and access the positioning base station. In some examples, as described above, the frequency of the positioning base station 11 can be configured to be the same frequency as the operator base station or a frequency with a higher priority than the operator base station. The signal strength of the positioning base station 11 can also be configured to be a threshold value higher than the signal strength of the operator base station. As a result, it is beneficial for the positioning base station 11 to trigger the cell reselection of the communication terminal 2, so that the communication terminal 2 can access the positioning base station 11.

[0077] In step S31, it is determined whether there is a communication terminal 2 accessing the search area. If there is no communication terminal 2 accessing, step S35 is implemented. Otherwise, step S32 is implemented.

[0078] In step S32, it is determined whether the unique identification code of the communication terminal is on the positioning list of the positioning base station 11. Specifically, after the communication terminal 2 accesses the positioning base station 11, the positioning base station 11 can obtain the unique identification code of the communication terminal 2. Then, the positioning base station 11 compares the unique identification code with all the unique identification codes on the positioning list. If the unique identification code is on the positioning list, it means that the communication terminal 2 is the communication terminal 2 that needs to be searched. Therefore, step S3 is completed. If the unique identification code is not on the positioning list, it means that the communication terminal 2 is not the communication terminal 2 that needs to be located. Therefore, step S34 is implemented.

[0079] In step S34, the communication terminal 2 is released. Specifically, step S32 determines that the accessed communication terminal 2 is not the communication terminal 2 to be searched. Therefore, the communication terminal 2 is released back to the public network so that it can freely access other nearby base stations. Then, the drone 12 continues to search for other communication terminals 2 in the area, that is, step S30 is implemented.

[0080] In step S35, the next area is searched. Specifically, step S31 determines that there is no communication terminal 2 that needs to be located in the current area, so the drone 12 can move to the next area and continue searching for the communication terminal 2 in the new area, that is, implementing step S30.

[0081] In step S4, the communication terminal 2 is captured. Specifically, step S3 determines that there is a communication terminal 2 that needs to be located in the area. And the communication terminal 2 successfully accesses the positioning base station 11. At this time, the positioning base station 11 can configure the communication terminal 2 to transmit a signal with the maximum uplink power. The capture module 110 of the positioning base station 11 can continuously change the TAC and CellId in the broadcast information of the positioning base station 11. In this case, the communication terminal 2 will think that the original cell base station has disappeared and needs to re-access a new cell base station. As a result, the communication terminal 2 can continuously and repeatedly access the positioning base station 11, that is, the positioning base station 11 successfully captures the communication terminal 2.

[0082] In step S5, the direction of the communication terminal 2 is determined and moved. Specifically, the directional antenna 10 can rotate continuously. At the same time, the signal strength measurement module 111 of the positioning base station 11 can continuously measure the RSSI of the communication terminal 2 and store the measured RSSI. Therefore, after the directional antenna 10 rotates one circle, the positioning base station 11 can store a group of RSSI. The signal strength comparison module 112 of the positioning base station 11 can compare the strength of this group of RSSIs, obtain the strongest RSSI, and determine that the direction corresponding to the strongest RSSI is the direction where the communication terminal 2 is located. The drone 12 can move in this direction. During the movement, if the RSSI measured by the signal strength measurement module 111 becomes weak, the drone 12 will stop in place. The positioning base station 11 will repeat the above process to re-determine the direction where the communication terminal 2 is located. The drone 12 moves in the new direction until the RSSI measured by the signal strength measurement module 111 reaches the preset strongest value, and then step S6 is implemented. The preset RSSI strongest value is a fixed empirical value.

[0083] In step S6, the communication terminal 2 is searched. After step S5, the drone 12 has approached the communication terminal 2. At this time, the operator can observe the nearby terrain through the camera group 13 to determine the exact location of the communication terminal 2, and finally search for the communication terminal 2.

[0084] Although the present disclosure is specifically described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments, it is to be understood that the above description does not limit the present disclosure in any form. Those skilled in the art may modify and change the present disclosure as needed without departing from the essential spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and these modifications and changes all fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A drone system for locating a communication terminal, characterized in that: It includes a directional antenna, a positioning base station and a drone; the directional antenna is configured to be able to rotate to receive signals from different directions; the signal strength of the positioning base station is higher than the signal strength of the operator base station by a threshold value and includes a capture module, a signal strength measurement module and a signal strength comparison module, the capture module continuously changes the TAC and CellID of the broadcast information of the positioning base station so that the communication terminal continuously and repeatedly accesses the positioning base station, the signal strength measurement module is configured to enable the communication terminal to continuously and repeatedly access the positioning base station through the capture module when the communication terminal accesses the positioning base station and the directional antenna rotates, thereby continuously measuring the received signal strength indication of the communication terminal in different directions and storing the received signal strength indication, the signal strength comparison module obtains the strongest value of the received signal strength indication and determines that the direction corresponding to the strongest received signal strength indication is the direction where the communication terminal is located; the drone is configured to carry the positioning base station and the directional antenna and move in the direction corresponding to the strongest received signal strength indication.

2. The drone system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The signal strength comparison module obtains the strongest values ​​of the received signal strength indication in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction and determines that the horizontal direction and the vertical direction corresponding to the strongest received signal strength indication are the directions where the communication terminal is located.

3. The drone system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The TAC of the positioning base station is different from the TAC of the operator base station.

4. The drone system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning base station is configured to have the same frequency as the operator base station or a frequency with a higher priority than the operator base station.

5. The drone system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The directional antenna is a narrow beam antenna or a Yagi antenna.

6. The drone system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning base station also includes a cyclic frequency conversion module, which is configured to continuously change the broadcast signal frequency of the positioning base station so that the communication terminal can identify the positioning base station and access the positioning base station, and automatically stop frequency conversion after the communication terminal accesses the positioning base station.

7. The drone system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The downtilt angle of the directional antenna is configured as a first preset angle, and the first preset angle is 30 degrees or 45 degrees.

8. The drone system according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a camera group, a customer front-end device, a communication base station and a management platform, wherein the camera group includes an optical camera and a thermal imaging camera.

9. The drone system according to claim 8, characterized in that: One side of the communication base station communicates with the customer front-end equipment through wireless transmission, and the other side of the communication base station communicates with the management platform through the operator core network or a private network.

10. A method for capturing and determining the direction of a communication terminal, applied to an unmanned aerial vehicle system including a directional antenna, a positioning base station and an unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle carries the positioning base station and the directional antenna, characterized in that: The method includes: when the communication terminal successfully accesses the positioning base station, the capture module of the positioning base station continuously changes the TAC and CellID of the broadcast information of the positioning base station so that the communication terminal continuously and repeatedly accesses the positioning base station, wherein the signal strength of the positioning base station is higher than the signal strength of the operator base station by a threshold value; while the directional antenna continuously rotates to receive signals from different directions, the communication terminal continuously and repeatedly accesses the positioning base station through the capture module so that the signal strength measurement module of the positioning base station continuously measures the received signal strength indication of the communication terminal in the different directions and stores the received signal strength indication; and the signal strength comparison module of the positioning base station obtains the strongest value of the received signal strength indication and determines that the direction corresponding to the strongest received signal strength indication is the direction where the communication terminal is located.

Images