System and method for planning a wireless computer network using network performance contour overlays

• US 7,991,821 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2004
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nanyang Polytechnic
• Original Assignee: Nanyang Polytechnic
• Inventors: Ang, Khoon Wee, Kan, Siew Leong
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yohannes; Tesfay
• Application Number:
  US10/576,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20070061442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,447 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/200
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

The present invention makes use of a database of existing site surveys of a variety of locations and sites producing a plurality of test-bed templates and also a variety of simulation models of actual layouts and sites producing a plurality of simulation templates. The simulation templates and test-bed templates are used to find a best match to a new layout for planning a new wire-less computer network. Data comprising of performance parameters from the templates are used to generate network performance contour overlays that may be superimposed on the new layout.

Claims

1. A wireless network simulation system for simulating wireless network performances for planning a wireless network over a predetermined layout, said system comprising:

a template database that comprises a plurality of test-bed templates produced by using a database of existing and past site surveys of a variety of locations and sites, and a plurality of simulation templates produced by using a variety of simulation models of actual and fictitious layouts;

a template identifier operable to access the template database, wherein the template identifier is adapted to receive search terms and search through the template database for identifying matching templates from the template database based on said search terms, wherein the search terms include design factors relating to the predetermined layout;

a wireless network performance contour overlay generator operable to receive desired performance parameters and process the matching template based on the design factors of the wireless network and create wireless network performance contour overlays from the desired performance parameters extracted from said matching templates; and

a wireless network performance contour overlay superimposer operable to receive said predetermined layout and superimpose each of said wireless network performance contour overlays onto said predetermined layout to produce superimposed layouts;

thereby a suitable superimposed layout is selected for implementation.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a display means for displaying said superimposed layout.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a reproduction means for printing said superimposed layout onto some media means.

4. A method for simulating wireless network performance for planning a wireless network over a predetermined layout, said method comprising the steps:

a. receiving the predetermined layout and search terms, wherein the search terms include design factors relating to the predetermined layout;

b. accessing a template database that comprises a plurality of test-bed templates produced by using a database of existing and past site surveys of a variety of locations and sites and a plurality of simulation templates produced by using a variety of simulation models of actual and fictitious layouts;

c. identifying matching templates from the template database, based on said search terms;

d. creating network performance contour overlays from the performance parameters extracted from said matching templates based on the design factors; and

e. superimposing the network performance contour overlays onto said predetermined layout;

wherein

the step d further comprises;

d1. receiving desired performance parameters;

d2. extracting said desired performance parameters data from said matching templates in said template database; and

d3. generating network performance contour overlays from said desired performance parameters data.

5. The method in accordance with claim 4, after step e, comprising step f:

Assigning a matching template if step e produces no matching template.