Method and system for using raster images to create a transportable building database for communications network engineering and management
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method for creating, formatting or editing a database for representing a three dimensional physical environment where a wireless communications network will be deployed, comprising the steps of:
- accepting at least one raster image representing a physical environment in which an in-building or campus communications network is or will be deployed;
verifying the sufficiency of said at least one raster image to provide a useful definition of said three dimensional physical environment, said verifying step producing a verified set of data defining said three dimensional physical environment, wherein said verifying the sufficiency step includes scaling said at least one raster image;
notifying a user of results of said verification of sufficiency;
using the resulting verified set of data to generate at least one formatted drawing or a set of formatted data which includes at least one or more objects for use in and being transportable to a communications engineering or network management application; and
rendering a three dimensional view representative of said physical environment using the drawing or set of formatted data having the at least one or more objects.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A Building Database Manipulator to build databases for a variety of physical environments including definitions of buildings, terrain and other site parameters, by scanning in or rapidly editing data. Raster scans may be entered or object files in various formats may be used as input. Detailed information is stored in the drawing database about the object'"'"'s location, radio frequency attenuation, color, and other physical information such as electrical characteristics and intersections of the object with the ground, floors, ceilings, and other objects when objects are formatted in a drawing. The formatting process is strictly two-dimensional in nature, but the resulting drawing is a true three-dimensional environment. The user sees the three-dimensional building structure by altering the views. The resulting database may be used in a variety of modeling applications, but is especially useful for engineering, planning and management tools for in-building or microcell wireless systems. Grouping objects in layers allows for simultaneous conversion of all objects in one layer to have certain predetermined attributes (e.g., converting objects to be made from glass versus cement; converting objects within a layer to have a uniform, smaller or larger, height or width dimension).
160 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method for creating, formatting or editing a database for representing a three dimensional physical environment where a wireless communications network will be deployed, comprising the steps of:
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accepting at least one raster image representing a physical environment in which an in-building or campus communications network is or will be deployed; verifying the sufficiency of said at least one raster image to provide a useful definition of said three dimensional physical environment, said verifying step producing a verified set of data defining said three dimensional physical environment, wherein said verifying the sufficiency step includes scaling said at least one raster image; notifying a user of results of said verification of sufficiency; using the resulting verified set of data to generate at least one formatted drawing or a set of formatted data which includes at least one or more objects for use in and being transportable to a communications engineering or network management application; and rendering a three dimensional view representative of said physical environment using the drawing or set of formatted data having the at least one or more objects. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification