Signal strength prediction based on line of sight analysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12451983-B2
Application number	US-202418668493-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2024
Priority date	Dec 11, 2018
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

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 line of sight data representative of a propagation path of a signal between an access point device and a target premises;
in response to a determination that an obstruction is situated in the propagation path and obstructing a line of sight, identifying a type or a density of the obstruction; and
determining a signal strength prediction for the target premises based on the type or the density of the obstruction and according to a signal frequency to be used to communicate with a proposed site of an antenna situated at the target premises.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the identifying the type of the obstruction further comprises identifying the type of the obstruction by an object recognition component.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the identifying the density of the obstruction comprises identifying the density of the obstruction to be sparse, light, medium, heavy, or extra heavy, wherein a level of the density of the obstruction increases in an order of sparse, light, medium, heavy and extra heavy.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the obstruction corresponds to foliage obstruction and the sparse density level of the obstruction corresponds to less than twenty percent, the light density level of the obstruction corresponds to a density value between twenty percent and forty percent, the medium density level of the obstruction corresponds to a density value between forty percent and sixty percent, and the heavy density level of the obstruction corresponds to a density value between sixty percent and eighty percent.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein effects of the obstruction on a received signal strength at the antenna situated at the target premises vary according to the signal frequency.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise, in response to the determination that the obstruction is situated, identifying a composition of the obstruction based on the identified type or density of the obstruction.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:
in response to the determination that the obstruction is situated in the propagation path and obstructing the line of sight, performing a classification procedure comprising classifying the obstruction as one of a group of types of obstructions comprising: an above-ground object type indicative of an above-ground object and a portion of land type indicative of a portion of land.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining a first signal strength prediction for the target premises in response to the classification procedure classifying the obstruction as the above-ground object type and determining a second signal strength prediction for the target premises in response to the classification procedure classifying the obstruction as the portion of land type.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining object blocking data representative of the above-ground object situated in the line of sight; or
determining ground blocking data representative of the portion of land situated in the line of sight,
wherein the object blocking data or the ground blocking data comprise a depth parameter representative of a length of the line of sight that is obstructed by the obstruction, and wherein the determining of the first signal strength prediction and the determining of the second signal strength prediction are based on the depth parameter.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the determination that the obstruction is situated in the propagation path is based on a result of examining locations determined to be along the line of sight and within a defined distance from the target premises, and
the defined distance is a configurable parameter that is individually configurable for the determination that the obstruction is situated in the propagation path.

11. The device of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise, based on the first signal strength prediction or the second signal strength prediction, determining whether an installation of the antenna at the target premises is threshold likely to provide a defined quality of service.

12. The device of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise, based on the first signal strength prediction, the second signal strength prediction, and the line of sight data, determining a remedial solution that is determined to improve a signal strength prediction for the target premises according to a defined improvement criterion.

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 line of sight data representative of a propagation path of a signal between an access point device and a target premises;
in response to a determination that an obstruction is situated in the propagation path and obstructing line of sight, identifying a type or a density of the obstruction; and
determining a signal strength prediction for the target premises based on the type or the density of the obstruction and according to a signal frequency to be used to communicate with a proposed site of an antenna situated at the target premises.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the identifying the type of the obstruction further comprises identifying the type of the obstruction by an object recognition component.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise, in response to the determination that the obstruction is situated, identifying a composition and one or more characteristics of the obstruction based on the identified type or density of the obstruction.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein effects of the obstruction on a received signal strength at the proposed site of the antenna vary according to the signal frequency.

17. A method, comprising:
determining, by a device comprising a processor, line of sight data representative of a line of sight between an access point device and a target premises;
in response to a determination that an obstruction exists that obstructs line of sight, identifying, by the device, a type or a density of the obstruction; and
determining, by the device, a signal strength prediction for the target premises based on the type or the density of the obstruction and according to a signal frequency to be used to communicate with a proposed site of an antenna situated at the target premises.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
in response to the obstruction being classified as an above-ground object, determining, by the device, a first signal strength prediction for the target premises; and
in response to the obstruction being classified as a portion of land, determining, by the device, a second signal strength prediction for the target premises that differs from the first signal strength prediction,
wherein effects of the obstruction on the first signal strength prediction or the second signal strength prediction vary according to the signal frequency.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising determining, by the device, an obstruction distance representative of an amount of the line of sight that is determined to be obstructed, wherein the det

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

• H04B17/336

  Signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] · CPC title