Signal strength prediction based on line of sight analysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11233593-B2
Application number	US-201816216539-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2018
Priority date	Dec 11, 2018
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

Architectures and techniques are presented that can provide point-to-point analysis to generate an improved signal strength prediction (SSP) based on, e.g., earth surface image data processing and analysis to draw conclusions of line of sight (LOS) along the propagation path between a BTS or another AP transmitter and CPE receiver. For example, USGS image data and/or elevation data of locations are identified to correspond to signal propagation between the transmitter and receiver can be analyzed for LOS signal quality at a fixed location, in addition to the statistical model prediction of the RF signal quality. As a result, foliage or terrain that obstructs the LOS can be identified and utilized to improve SSP by eliminating the additional pathloss due to LOS obstructions. Such can provide a significant improvement to SSP results that are conventionally predicted by statistical models rather than a point-to-point analysis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
determining propagation path data representative of signal propagation in a line of sight between an access point device and a target premises;
in response to a determination that an obstruction is situated in the propagation path that obstructs the line of sight, performing a classification procedure comprising classifying the obstruction as one of a group of obstructions comprising: an above-ground object and a portion of land;
in response to examining image data of locations determined to be along the propagation path, determining foliage blocking data representative of whether the obstruction is the above-ground object, wherein the foliage blocking data comprises obstruction density data that indicates a density of the above-ground object, and wherein the above-ground object is classified into one of multiple classifications based on a value of the obstruction density data;
in response to examining elevation data, relating to elevation of land at the locations determined to be along the propagation path, determining terrain blocking data representative of whether the obstruction is the portion of the land; and
based on a result of the classification procedure, the foliage blocking data, and the terrain blocking data, determining a signal strength prediction for the target premises.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the obstruction is determined to be the above-ground object, and wherein the foliage blocking data comprises a foliage depth parameter representative of a non-line of sight characterized as a length of the line of sight that is obstructed by the above-ground object.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the obstruction is determined to be the portion of the land, and wherein the terrain blocking data comprises a terrain depth parameter representative of a non-line of sight characterized as a length of the line of sight that is obstructed by the portion of the land.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the foliage blocking data comprises a type parameter representative of a type of the object.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the operations further comprise determining the type of the object in response to an object recognition procedure performed on the image data by the processor.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein determining the signal strength prediction is based on a type of the object and a frequency of signals to be used to communicate with customer premise equipment at the target premises.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the frequency of signals to be used to communicate with the customer premise equipment at the target premises is determined to be in a wireless communications service spectrum characterized as being at or substantially at a 2.3 gigahertz band.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the locations determined to be along the line of site are within a defined distance from the target premises.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the defined distance is a configurable parameter that is individually configurable for determining the foliage blocking data and determining the terrain blocking data.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise, based on the signal strength prediction, determining whether an installation of customer premises equipment at the target premises is threshold likely to provide a defined quality of service.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise, based on the signal strength prediction and the line of sight data, determining a remedial solution that is determined to increase an accuracy of the signal strength prediction for the target premises.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise, based on the signal strength prediction and the line of sight data, determining a preferred location within the target premises for installation of customer premises equipment.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a device, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
determining signal propagation data representative of a line of sight between an access point device and a target site;
performing a classification procedure comprising determining that an obstruction that obstructs the line of sight is classified as a type from a group of types comprising: an above ground object type and a land mass type;
based on a result of analyzing image data of locations determined to be along the line of sight, determining foliage blocking data representative of whether the obstruction is the above ground object type of the obstruction that is determined to obstruct the line of sight, wherein the foliage blocking data comprises obstruction density data that indicates a density of the above-ground object, and wherein the above-ground object is classified into one of multiple classifications based on a value of the obstruction density data;
analyzing elevation data indicative of an elevation of land at the locations determined to be along the line of sight and determining terrain blocking data representative of whether the obstruction is the land mass type of the obstruction that is determined to obstruct the line of sight; and
determining a signal strength prediction for a signal communicated between the access point device and the target site based on a result of the classification procedure, the foliage blocking data, and the terrain blocking data.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise determining an obstruction distance representative of an amount of the line of sight that is determined to be obstructed by the obstruction.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein determining the signal strength prediction comprises determining the signal strength prediction further based on the obstruction distance.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein determining the line of sight data is in response to a determination that the target site is more than a defined distance from the access point device.

17. A method, comprising:
determining, by a device comprising a processor, propagation path data representative of a line of sight between an access point device and a target premises;
performing, by the device, a classification procedure comprising determining that an obstruction that obstructs the line of sight is one of a group comprising: an above-ground object and a land mass;
based on the image data of locations determined to comprise the line of sight, determining, by the processor, foliage blocking data representative of whether the obstruction is the above-ground object determined to obstruct the line of sight, wherein the foliage blocking data comprises obstruction density data that indicates a density of the above-ground object, and wherein the above-ground object is classified into one of multiple classifications based on a value of the obstruction density data;
based on elevation data of the locations representative of ground elevation, determining, by the processor, terrain blocking data representative of whether the obstruction is the land mass determined to obstruct the line of sight; and
based on a result of the classification procedure, the foliage blocking data, and the terrain blocking data, determining, by the device, a signal strength prediction for the target premises.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp
• At & T Mobility Ii Llc

Inventors

• Wan Zhen
• Wang Xiaoyu
• Raina Ravi
• Alino Eric Antonio
• Li Zhefeng

Classifications

• H04L27/26885

  Adaptation to rapid radio propagation changes, e.g. due to velocity · CPC title

• H04W52/24

  using SIR [Signal to Interference Ratio] or other wireless path parameters · CPC title

• H04W28/0273

  adapting protocols for flow control or congestion control to wireless environment, e.g. adapting transmission control protocol [TCP] (wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation, e.g. wireless application protocol H04W80/00) · CPC title

• H04L41/0618

  based on the physical or logical position · CPC title

• H04B7/082

  selecting best antenna path · CPC title