System and method for ray tracing using reception surfaces

• US 20040259554A1
• Filed: 04/23/2004
• Published: 12/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Wireless Valley Communications Incorporated (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wireless Valley Communications Incorporated (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rappaport, Theodore S., Skidmore, Roger R.
• Application Number:
  US10/830,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20040259554A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/446
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/20 for indoor coverage or short range network deployment

Abstract

This invention provides a system and method for efficient ray tracing propagation prediction and analysis. Given a site-specific model of a physical environment, the present invention places virtual obstructions known as reception surfaces within the environment. As radio waves are predicted to propagate through the environment and intersect with or encounter reception surfaces, the characteristics of the radio wave are captured and stored relative to the location of the interaction with the reception surface. The radio frequency channel environment at any point within the site-specific model can be derived through analysis of the radio wave characteristics captured at nearby reception surfaces.

Claims

1. A method for performing ray tracing, comprising the steps of:

Providing, in a computer, a computerized model which represents at least one physical environment where at least one communications network is installed or is contemplated to be installed;

Defining a desired spacing or desired resolution of reception surfaces for use in said computerized model, where said defining step may be performed manually by a user or performed automatically by said computer;

Running a ray tracing engine on said computer, whereby said ray tracing engine stores data pertaining to rays that interact with said reception surfaces;

Providing predictions of channel or network performance at one or more locations of interest in said computerized model, where said predictions are performed using data obtained from one or more interactions that one or more rays have with one or more reception surfaces, and where said one or more locations are selected by either (a) a human user or (b) by a computer.

2. A site-specific wireless network prediction, measurement, or control method, comprising the steps of:

Representing, in a computer, a computerized model of at least one physical environment where at least one communications network is installed;

Defining a desired spacing or desired resolution of reception surfaces for use in said computerized model, where said defining step may be performed manually by a user or performed automatically by said computer;

Running a ray tracing engine on said computer, whereby said ray tracing engine stores data pertaining to rays that interact with said reception surfaces;

Providing predictions of channel or network performance at one or more locations of interest in said computerized model, where said predictions are performed using data obtained from one or more interactions that one or more rays have with one or more reception surfaces, and where said one or more locations are selected by either (a) a human user or (b) by a computer; and

Using said predictions provided in said providing step to determine appropriate network control signals sent from a network controller to one or more devices in said at least one physical environment in order to alter the network performance of at least one device operating in said at least one in-building or campus network.