Methods and apparatus for determining and/or using propagation loss between a transmitter and a receiver based on terrain and clutter data

A system comprising:

• memory;
• and
• one or more processors, said one or more processors controlling the system to perform the following operations:
• determining a radio frequency free space path loss for a first radio frequency propagation path extending from a first endpoint to a second endpoint, said first endpoint having a first endpoint height with respect to a reference point;
• determining a radio frequency clutter loss for a first portion of the first radio frequency propagation path, said first portion of the first radio frequency propagation path extending from the first endpoint to a first horizon point, the first horizon point being located at the top of a clutter object along the first radio frequency propagation path, said first horizon point having a first horizon point height with respect to the reference point, said first horizon point height being higher than said first endpoint height;
• determining a third radio frequency propagation loss for a second portion of the first radio frequency propagation path, said third radio frequency propagation loss including:
• (i) a loss from radio frequency propagation diffraction, or (ii) a loss from radio frequency propagation tropo-scattering, said second portion of the first radio frequency propagation path extending from the first horizon point to the second endpoint;
• generating a total radio frequency propagation path loss for the first radio frequency propagation path based on the radio frequency free space path loss, the radio frequency clutter loss, and the third radio frequency propagation loss;
• and
• making a spectrum usage decision based on the generated total radio frequency propagation path loss for the first radio frequency propagation path.

A non-transitory computer readable medium including a first set of computer executable instructions which when executed by a processor of a system cause the system to perform the steps of:

• determining a radio frequency free space path loss for a first radio frequency propagation path extending from a first endpoint to a second endpoint, said first endpoint having a first endpoint height with respect to a reference point;
• determining a radio frequency clutter loss for a first portion of the first radio frequency propagation path, said first portion of the first radio frequency propagation path extending from the first endpoint to a first horizon point, the first horizon point being located at the top of a clutter object along the first radio frequency propagation path, said first horizon point having a first horizon point height with respect to the reference point, said first horizon point height being higher than said first endpoint height;
• determining a third radio frequency propagation loss for a second portion of the first radio frequency propagation path, said third radio frequency propagation loss including:
• (i) a loss from radio frequency propagation diffraction, or (ii) a loss from radio frequency propagation tropo-scattering, said second portion of the first radio frequency propagation path extending from the first horizon point to the second endpoint;
• generating a total radio frequency propagation path loss for the first radio frequency propagation path based on the radio frequency free space path loss, the radio frequency clutter loss, and the third radio frequency propagation loss;
• and
• making a spectrum usage decision based on the generated total radio frequency propagation path loss for the first radio frequency propagation path.