# US 11,910,201 B2 · Method and apparatus for qualifying customers and designing a fixed wireless network using mapping data > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,910,201 B2 - Document ID: US11910201B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/258,735 - Filed: 2019-06-27 - Published: 2021-09-16 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2018-07-11 - Assignees: Sail Internet, Inc. - Applicants: Sail Internet, Inc. - Inventors: Georgios Ginis; Amitkumar Mahadevan; Xia (Sharon) Wan; Kevin D. Fisher - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11910201B2 ## CPC - H04W 16/18: Network planning tools - H04W 24/02: Arrangements for optimising operational condition - H04W 88/08: Access point devices - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A customer location is identified that can be served by a base-station in a fixed wireless communication system. Embodiments of the invention generate a viewshed for an antenna of the base-station, compute an area of a rooftop at the customer location that is included in the generated viewshed, and identify the customer location as able to be served, or not, by the base-station, based on the area of the rooftop at the customer location that is included in the generated viewshed. Further, a parcel of land on which to install a fixed wireless communication base-station can be identified. Each candidate base-station parcel of land in a list (“candidate base-station locations”) is evaluated and ranked. An evaluated candidate base-station location having a particular ranking is selected as the location on which to install the base-station. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for identifying a customer location that can be served by a base-station in a fixed wireless communication system, comprising: generating a viewshed for an antenna of the base-station; computing an area of a rooftop at the customer location that is included in the generated viewshed, comprising: receiving rooftop area information for the at least one customer location; identifying a polygon defined by an intersection of the viewshed and rooftop area for the customer location; and computing an area of the polygon; and identifying the customer location as able to be served by the base-station based on the computed area of the polygon. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving two-dimensional coordinates of a location of the base-station; receiving an elevation of the base-station antenna; receiving digital surface model (DSM) data for a geographic area in which the base-station is located; wherein generating the viewshed for the base-station antenna comprises: generating the viewshed for the base-station antenna based on the received two-dimensional coordinates of the location of the base-station, the received elevation of the base-station antenna, and the received DSM data; and providing output containing all points that are visible from base-station antenna. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: receiving a maximum line-of-sight (LOS) distance or range by which to limit generating the viewshed; and wherein generating the viewshed is further based on the received maximum LOS distance, and wherein providing output containing all points that are visible from base-station antenna comprises providing output containing all points that are visible from base-station antenna limited by the maximum LOS distance. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: receiving two-dimensional coordinates of a location, and an elevation, of an antenna at the customer location; and estimating whether a signal can propagate without obstructions between the base-station antenna and the customer location antenna within a first Fresnel zone, based on the received two-dimensional coordinates of the location of the base-station, the received elevation of the base-station antenna, the received DSM data, and the received location and elevation of the customer location antenna. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving information indicative of a radiation pattern of the base-station antenna; and wherein generating the viewshed for the base-station antenna comprises generating the viewshed for the base-station antenna excluding any areas corresponding to where the radiation pattern of the base-station antenna falls below a threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising one of: reducing a size of the computed area of the polygon, and removing dis-contiguous regions of the polygon, prior and to computing an area for the polygon. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the customer location as able to be served by the base-station based on the computed area of the polygon comprises identifying the customer location as able to be served by the base-station when the computed area for the polygon exceeds a first defined threshold. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: identifying the customer location as unable to be served by the base-station when the computed area of the polygon fails to meet a second defined threshold; and identifying the customer location for scheduling an on-site survey to further assess the customer location as able to be served by the base-station when the computed area of the polygon fails to meet the first defined threshold and exceeds the second defined threshold. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein at least one of the first and second defined thresholds are defined based on one of: a distance between the base-station antenna and the rooftop at the customer location, a type of base-station, and a type of proposed communication radio at the customer location. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the customer location as able to be served by the base-station based on the computed area of the polygon further comprises identifying the customer location as able to be served by the base-station based on one or more of: a distance between the base-station antenna and the rooftop at the customer location that is below a defined threshold, a type of base-station, a type of proposed communication radio at the customer location. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: computing a distance between the base-station and the customer location; computing a distance between the base-station and a rooftop of the customer location; providing a compass bearing for aligning the customer location antenna to the base-station antenna; estimating an antenna tilt angle of one or both of the base-station antenna and customer location antenna; estimating an expected received signal strength between the base-station antenna and the customer location antenna; providing an expected transmission speed or expected range of transmission speeds between the base-station antenna and the customer location antenna; and wherein identifying the customer location as able to be served by the base-station based on the computed area of the polygon comprises identifying the customer location as able to be served by the base-station based on one or more of: the computed area of the polygon; the computed distance between the base-station and the customer location; the computed distance between the base-station and a rooftop of the customer location; the compass bearing for aligning the customer location antenna to the base-station antenna; the estimated antenna tilt angle of one or both of the base-station antenna and customer location antenna; the estimated expected received signal strength between the base-station antenna and the customer location antenna; and the expected transmission speed or expected range of transmission speeds between the base-station antenna and the customer location antenna. ### Claim 12 Non-transitory computer readable storage media having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor of a system, the instructions cause the system to perform operations for identifying a customer location that can be served by a base-station in a fixed wireless communication system, comprising: generating a viewshed for an antenna of the base-station; computing an area of a rooftop at the customer location that is included in the generated viewshed, comprising: receiving rooftop area information for the at least one customer location; identifying a polygon defined by an intersection of the viewshed and rooftop area for the customer location; and computing an area of the polygon; and identifying the customer location as able to be served by the base-station based on the area of the polygon. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 12, further comprising: receiving two-dimensional coordinates of a location of the base-station; receiving an elevation of the base-station antenna; receiving digital surface model (DSM) data for a geographic area in which the base-station is located; wherein generating the viewshed for the base-station antenna comprises: generating the viewshed for the base-station antenna based on the received two-dimensional coordinates of the location of the base-station, the received elevation of the base-station antenna, and the received DSM data; and providing output containing all points that are visible from base-station antenna. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 13, further comprising: receiving a maximum line-of-sight (LOS) distance or range by which to limit generating the viewshed; and wherein generating the viewshed is further based on the received maximum LOS distance, and wherein providing output containing all points that are visible from base-station antenna comprises providing output containing all points that are visible from base-station antenna limited by the maximum LOS distance. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 13, further comprising: receiving two-dimensional coordinates of a location, and an elevation, of an antenna at the customer location; and estimating whether a signal can propagate without obstructions between the base-station antenna and the customer location antenna within a first Fresnel zone, based on the received two-dimensional coordinates of the location of the base-station, the received elevation of the base-station antenna, the received DSM data, and the received location and elevation of the customer location antenna. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 13, further comprising receiving information indicative of a radiation pattern of the base-station antenna; and wherein generating the viewshed for the base-station antenna comprises generating the viewshed for the base-station antenna excluding any areas corresponding to where the radiation pattern of the base-station antenna falls below a threshold. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 12, wherein identifying the customer location as able to be served by the base-station based on the computed area of the polygon comprises identifying the customer location as able to be served by the base-station when the computed area of the polygon exceeds a first defined threshold, and further comprising: identifying the customer location as unable to be served by the base-station when the computed area of the polygon fails to meet a second defined threshold; and identifying the customer location for scheduling an on-site survey to further assess the customer location as able to be served by the base-station when the computed area of the polygon fails to meet the first defined threshold and exceeds the second defined threshold. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 11, further comprising: computing a distance between the base-station and the customer location; computing a distance between the base-station and a rooftop of the customer location; providing a compass bearing for aligning the customer location antenna to the base-station antenna; estimating an antenna tilt angle of one or both of the base-station antenna and customer location antenna; estimating an expected received signal strength between the base-station antenna and the customer location antenna; providing an expected transmission speed or expected range of transmission speeds between the base-station antenna and the customer location antenna; and wherein identifying the customer location as able to be served by the base-station based on the computed area of the polygon comprises identifying the customer location as able to be served by the base-station based on one or more of: the computed area of the polygon; the computed distance between the base-station and the customer location; the computed distance between the base-station and a rooftop of the customer location; the compass bearing for aligning the customer location antenna to the base-station antenna; the estimated antenna tilt angle of one or both of the base-station antenna and customer location antenna; the estimated expected received signal strength between the base-station antenna and the customer location antenna; and the expected transmission speed or expected range of transmission speeds between the base-station antenna and the customer location antenna.