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Cellular-system signal-strength analyzer

  • US 5,398,276 A
  • Filed: 02/09/1993
  • Issued: 03/14/1995
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1993
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method of measuring and recording a plurality of geographically-located, downlink, cellular-communication-channel signal strengths in a pedestrian area using a signal-strength analyzer incorporated as part of a human-supported backpack with the analyzer having an antenna, a receiver, a controller, a timer, a computer, and a self-contained navigation system using a gun having an integral laser rangefinder and a fluxgate compass operating in a dead-reckoning mode with reference to a target point positioned in or adjacent the pedestrian area under analysis to report the respective geographic positions of a sequence of timed signal-strength measurements as the analyzer is moved throughout the pedestrian area in a straight-line path, in which the method comprises the steps of:

  • a) selecting a straight-line path segment having a starting point and an end point along which the analyzer is to be moved within the pedestrian area under analysis,b) inputting to the controller assigned values which establish an arbitrary or exact geographic position of the starting point,c) positioning the analyzer at the starting point which is at the beginning of the straight-line path segment,d) selecting a distant target point in or adjacent the pedestrian area in the direction of travel along the straight-line path segment which target point is beyond the end point of the straight-line path segment and in alignment with the segment,e) specifying a time interval by which successive and time-based, signal-strength measurements are to be taken by the signal-strength analyzer,f) aiming the gun at the distant target point to take a bearing measurement of the straight-line path segment,g) momentarily activating the gun to take a range measurement from the starting point to the distant target point,h) reporting the range and bearing measurements of the starting point to the backpack controller,i) moving the signal-strength analyzer at a uniform velocity by human-operator pacing along the straight-line path segment immediately upon the reporting of the range and bearing measurements of the starting point to the backpack controller,j) resetting the timer to zero and then starting the timer immediately upon starting movement of the signal-strength analyzer along the straight-line path segment,k) recording the time as timed by the timer required to move the analyzer along the straight-line path segment immediately upon arrival at the end point of the straight-line segment,l) aiming the gun at the distant target point upon arrival at the end point of the straight-line path segment to measure a lesser range to the distant target point,m) computing the distance traveled along the straight-line path segment by subtracting in the computer the range measurement for the end point of the straight-line path segment from the range measurement of the starting point of the straight-line path segment,n) taking cellular system signal-strength measurements using the antenna and receiver at each specified time interval as the signal-strength analyzer is moved at a uniform velocity along the straight-line path segment from the starting point to the end point,o) timestamping each signal strength measurement taken during movement of the signal-strength analyzer from the starting point to the end point of the straight-line path segment to position geographically each such measurement along the straight-line path segment,p) computing upon arrival at the end point the geographic location of each signal-strength measurement taken along the straight-line path segment, using the distance traveled as computed in the computer, the recorded time required to traverse the straight-line path segment, the reported bearing measurement and the specified time interval,q) and placing in the computer memory the geographic location and signal strength of each measurement taken on and along the straight-line path segment.

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