Network Equipment Upgrade via UAV Dispatch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional maintenance methods for network equipment often require on-site visits by technicians, leading to prolonged outages and inefficiencies, especially in remote locations, and may not be suitable for all types of upgrades or issues.
Innovation Solution
A method and system utilizing a monitoring unit connected to network equipment that requests an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to perform upgrades, including diagnostics and physical or wireless interactions, to reduce the need for on-site visits and expedite maintenance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a technician makes a site visit to perform maintenance on network equipment, then the maintenance can be performed, but the outage time increases due to travel time and on-site time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system consisting of a monitoring unit, control node, and delivery vehicle that acts as a mediator between the remote network equipment and the technician. The monitoring unit detects maintenance needs, the control node processes the information and dispatches the delivery vehicle with required modules, enabling maintenance to be performed without requiring the technician to travel to the remote site, thus reducing outage time while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by proactively monitoring network equipment parameters and detecting maintenance needs before they result in complete failures. The monitoring unit continuously assesses equipment status, and when degradation or failure indicators are detected, the system automatically initiates the maintenance process by dispatching the delivery vehicle with necessary replacement modules, reducing the time equipment remains non-operational
2Ease of operation
If remote software upgrading is used, then maintenance can be performed without site visits, but it cannot resolve issues requiring physical reset or hardware intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal maintenance system that can handle multiple types of maintenance tasks through a single integrated platform. The monitoring unit can detect various failure modes, the control node can determine appropriate maintenance strategies, and the delivery vehicle can transport different types of hardware modules. This multi-functional system combines the advantages of remote monitoring with the capability to perform physical interventions, making it adaptable to both software-upgradable issues and hardware-intensive repairs
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary layer between remote monitoring and physical intervention. When software remote maintenance is insufficient, the control node acts as an intermediary that dispatches the delivery vehicle with appropriate hardware modules to the remote equipment location, enabling physical maintenance actions without requiring a technician to travel. This intermediary system bridges the gap between remote capabilities and physical intervention needs
3Reliability
If multiple site visits are required for network equipment installation and configuration, then proper setup can be achieved, but the total time and resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring replacement modules with necessary software and settings before dispatching them via the delivery vehicle. The monitoring unit identifies the specific maintenance needs, the control node selects and pre-configures the appropriate module, and then the delivery vehicle transports it to the remote equipment. This preliminary configuration reduces or eliminates the need for subsequent technician site visits for installation and setup, improving productivity while maintaining configuration quality
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service maintenance where the network equipment can receive automatically dispatched replacement modules without human intervention. The monitoring unit detects failures, the control node automatically orders and dispatches replacement modules via the delivery vehicle, and the equipment can be replaced autonomously at the remote location. This self-service capability eliminates the need for multiple technician site visits while ensuring proper configuration through pre-setup modules
Data Source
AI summary
There are provided mechanisms for upgrading a piece of network equipment. A method is performed by a monitoring unit operatively connectable to the piece of network equipment. The method includes obtaining an indication of a need to upgrade the piece of network equipment. The method includes providing a request towards an unmanned aerial vehicle for the unmanned aerial vehicle to upgrade the piece of network equipment.