SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING FEASIBILITY OF COMMUNICATION SPECTRUM MAXIMIZATION

• US 20070225007A1
• Filed: 03/22/2007
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Broadcast Sciences Corporation
• Original Assignee: First Broadcasting Investment Partners, LLC
• Inventors: Keon, Neil, Kalvenes, Joakim, Unkefer, Ronald, Lawrence, Gary, Rose, Harold, Hieatt, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,613,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/450
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/391 Modelling the propagation channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/00 Network planning, e.g. coverage or traffic planning tools; Network deployment, e.g. resource partitioning or cells structures
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters

Abstract

A computer-based program performs calculations to analyze, vary, test, manage, and/or improve the performance of channels and/or frequencies in the communication spectrum. The program varies parameters of a point of communication, such as the location, transmission power, channel frequency, antenna height, and the like, alone or in combination, to measure, test, and/or evaluate which parameter changes increase the market coverage of a target market or area. In some scenarios, changes to one point of communication cause the regulations governing the broadcast relationship between one or more nearby points of communication to be violated. When this occurs, the program determines which of the parameters, such as the location, transmission power, channel and/or frequency, antenna height, and the like, alone or in combination, of the point of communication interfering with the increased market coverage scenario to vary to overcome the conflict with communications and/or regulatory law. In addition, the program can determine simultaneously which of the parameters of multiple points of communication to vary to overcome the conflict with communications and/or regulatory law. The program outputs multiple solutions with varying degrees of difficulty and varying amounts of performance improvement.

Claims

1. A computerized method of improving the coverage of a target area by a radio transmitter, the method comprising:

creating multiple alternative locations for a radio transmitter;

analyzing potential changes in a signal coverage of a target area associated with the alternative locations, alternative classes, alternative frequencies and/or channels of the radio transmitter;

testing whether the feasibility of the alternative locations, the alternative classes and the alternative frequencies and/or alternative channels; and

scoring the alternative locations, alternative classes and the alternative frequencies and/or alternative channels that are determined to be feasible.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein testing whether the alternative locations, alternative classes, alternative frequencies, and/or alternative channels are feasible comprises:

determining spacings between the radio transmitter and at least one of multiple other radio transmitters, wherein the radio transmitter and the at least one of the multiple other radio transmitters form a broadcast pair;

comparing each spacing with a distance; and

determining the alternative locations, alternative classes, alternative frequencies and/or channels are feasible when the spacings are greater than the distance.

3. The method of claim 2, where the distance is the FCC rule section 73.207 minimum distance.

4. The method of claim 2, when at least one of the spacings is less than the distance, further comprising:

determining if both radio transmitters of the broadcast pair are short-spaced radio transmitters;

when both radio transmitters of the broadcast pair are short-spaced radio transmitters, determining if the broadcast pair meets field strength contour protection requirements; and

determining the alternative location is feasible when the broadcast pair meets the field strength contour protection requirements.

5. The method of claim 4, when both radio transmitters of the broadcast pair are not short-spaced radio transmitters, further comprising:

determining if one of the radio transmitters of the broadcast pair is a short-spaced radio transmitter;

if one of the radio transmitters of the broadcast pair is a short-spaced radio transmitter, determining if the broadcast pair meets the field strength contour protection requirements; and

determining the alternative location is feasible when the broadcast pair meets the field strength contour protection requirements.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the FCC rules section 73.215 comprises qualifications for short-spaced radio transmitters and the field strength contour protection requirements.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein if the alternative locations, alternative classes, alternative frequencies and/or alternative channels of the radio transmitter are infeasible due to interference from the at least one of the multiple other radio transmitters, the method further comprising analyzing one or more alternative locations, alternative channels, alternative frequencies, and alternative classes of the at least one of the multiple other radio transmitters to potentially remove the interference.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining a feasibility of alternative locations for the at least one of the multiple other radio transmitters;

determining the feasibility of alternative channels and/or alternative frequencies for the at least one of the multiple other radio transmitters;

determining the feasibility of alternative classes for the at least one of the multiple other radio transmitters;

determining the feasibility of alternative classes at each alternative location for the at least one of the multiple other radio transmitters;

determining the feasibility of alternative channels and/or alternative frequencies at each alternative location for the at least one of the multiple other radio transmitters;

determining the feasibility of alternative classes at each alternative channel and/or alternative frequency for the at least one of the multiple other radio transmitters;

determining the feasibility of each alternative class and each alternative channel and/or alternative frequency at each alternative location for the at least one of the multiple other radio transmitters;

scoring the alternative locations, the alternative classes, and the alternative channels and/or alternative frequencies of the at least one of the multiple other radio transmitters; and

ranking the alternative locations, the alternative classes, and the alternative channels and/or alternative frequencies of the second radio transmitter based on the scoring of alternative locations, the alternative classes, and the alternative channels and/or alternative frequencies.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein if the alternative locations, the alternative classes, and the alternative channels and/or alternative frequencies of the at least one of the multiple other radio transmitters are infeasible due to interference from one or more additional radio transmitters, the method further comprising analyzing one or more alternative locations, alternative channels, alternative frequencies, and alternative classes, variations of antenna height above average terrain within each alternative class, and variations of transmit power with each alternative class. of the one or more additional radio transmitters to potentially remove the interference from the one or more additional radio transmitters.

10. An apparatus for improving the coverage of a target area by a radio transmitter, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors configured to create multiple alternative locations for a radio transmitter;

one or more processors configured to analyze potential changes in a signal coverage for a target area of associated with the alternative locations alternative classes, alternative frequencies, and/or alternative channels of the radio transmitter;

one or more processors configured to test the feasibility of the alternative locations, the alternative classes, the alternative frequencies and/or alternative channels; and

one or more processors configured to score the alternative locations, alternative classes, alternative frequencies and/or channels that are determined to be feasible.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the radio transmitter is a radio station, an antenna, a repeater, or a translator.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the alternative locations comprise actual and hypothetical locations within a location search area.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the location search area is defined by the original location of the radio transmitter and a radius comprising a minimum separation distance and a user-defined additional distance.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the alternative classes comprise class increases, class decreases, variations of antenna height above average terrain within each alternative class, and variations of transmit power with each alternative class.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the alternative channels comprise an original channel associated with the radio transmitter at an original location increased and decreased by 1, 2, 3, 53, and/or 54 channels.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the alternative locations comprise actual locations and hypothetical locations within a location search area.

17. A computerized method of analyzing a communication transmission, the method comprising:

analyzing potential changes in a communication transmission associated with alternative locations, alternative classes, alternative frequencies and/or channels of a transmitter;

determining the feasibility of the alternative locations, the alternative classes and the alternative frequencies and/or channels; and

scoring the alternative locations, alternative classes and the alternative frequencies and/or channels that are determined to be feasible.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein scoring the alternative locations, the alternative classes, the alternative frequencies and/or alternative channels that are determined to be feasible comprises determining population and/or demographic change in value and project costs.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein scoring the alternative locations, alternative classes, alternative frequencies and/or alternative channels that are determined to be feasible further comprises determining a share, a return on investment, and a probability of success.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein scoring the alternative locations, the alternative classes, the alternative frequencies and/or alternative channels that are determined to be feasible further comprises calculating a financial feasibility score based at least in part on the population and/or demographic change in value, the project costs, the share, the return on investment, and the probability of success.