# US 2008/0189082 A1 · Automated microwave network planner > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2008/0189082 A1 - Document ID: US20080189082A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/026,459 - Filed: 2008-02-05 - Published: 2008-08-07 - Earliest claimed: 2007-02-05 - Assignees: Telecom Transport Management Inc. - Inventors: Alan Denis MacDonald; Philip Godrick Wystan Woods - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080189082A1 ## CPC - H04W 16/18: Network planning tools - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A microwave network planner tool (40). The network planner tool (40) allows a user to set parameters for a network design, and to assign weighted values to multiple components of the design of the network. Weighting may be biased to proximity and/or site factors. Executing the tool provides an optimized network designed to constraints defined by the user. For example, if the designer wishes to reduce network cost, the designer may set constraints to the number of links allowed, and may increase the weighting on a selection of preferred location (e.g., a tower with favorable lease conditions). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method of designing a network including a plurality of wirelessly linked sites, comprising: receiving information about network design constraints of the network, including fiber hub information about a fiber hub, the fiber hub information including a location; accessing site information about a plurality of sites near the location; receiving assigned preferences to factors associated with the plurality of sites; creating a score for each of the plurality of sites based upon the assigned preferences; and creating a network of linked sites utilizing the scores for the plurality of sites. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the network design constraints further comprises: the number of links for the fiber hub; the number of tiers for the network; and the number of links at each tier of the network. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the factors associated with the plurality of sites includes, for each site, the cost of operating the site. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the factors associated with the plurality of sites includes, for each site, possible revenue associated with the site. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the factors associated with the plurality of sites includes, for each site, the proximity of the site to the fiber hub. ### Claim 6 A computer-implemented method of designing a microwave network including a plurality of wirelessly linked sites, comprising: receiving fiber hub information about a fiber hub for the network, the fiber hub information including: a location of the fiber hub; frequency, distance, and capacity requirements for forming a link the fiber hub; a number of links for the fiber hub; a number of tiers for the network; a number of links at each tier of the network; and frequency, distance, and capacity requirements for forming a link with a respective site at each of the tiers; accessing site information about a plurality of sites near the location; for the fiber hub: (a) creating a working set of sites from the site information by evaluating the sites to determine if they meet the frequency, distance, and capacity requirements of the fiber hub; (b) receiving assigned preferences to factors associated with the plurality of sites; (c) creating a score for each of the plurality of sites in the working set based upon the assigned preferences; (d) in an iterative process selected in order based upon the score of each of the sites in the working set, evaluating a site for forming a link with the fiber hub based upon meeting location requirements based upon at least one of (1) topography between the fiber hub and the site and (2) blockage or interference between the fiber hub and the site; (e) if the location requirements are met, committing a link between the site and the fiber hub; and (f) repeating acts (d) and (e) until the number of committed links equals the number of links for the fiber hub. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein each site used in a committed link with the fiber hub comprises a hub site, and further comprising: for each hub site: (a) creating a second working set of sites from the site information by evaluating the sites to determine if they meet the frequency, distance, and capacity requirements of the tier, the second working set eliminating hub sites; (b) receiving assigned preferences to factors associated with the plurality of sites; (c) creating a score for each of the plurality of sites in the second working set based upon the assigned preferences; (d) in an iterative process selected in order based upon the score of each of the sites in the second working set, evaluating a site for forming a link with the hub site based upon meeting location requirements based upon at least one of (1) topography between the hub site and the site and (2) blockage or interference between the hub site and the site; (e) if the location requirements are met, committing a link between the site and the fiber hub; and (f) repeating acts (d) and (e) until the number of committed links equals the number of links for the tier. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the factors associated with the plurality of sites includes, for each site, the cost of operating the site. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the factors associated with the plurality of sites includes, for each site, possible revenue associated with the site. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the factors associated with the plurality of sites includes, for each site, the proximity of the site to the fiber hub. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein meeting location requirements based upon topography between the fiber hub and the site comprises evaluating line of site between the fiber hub and the site. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein evaluating line of sight between the fiber hub and the site comprises: accessing geographical information regarding topography between the fiber hub and the site; projecting a hypothetical tree height between the fiber hub and the site and spaced upward from the topography; and determining whether a line of sight between antenna positions for the fiber hub and the site extends above the hypothetical tree height. ### Claim 13 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein meeting location requirements based upon blockage between the fiber hub and the site comprises evaluating whether one or more sites are between the fiber hub and the site. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein evaluating whether one or more sites are between the fiber hub and the site comprises projecting a wedge having a defined angle from the fiber hub toward the site, with the site centered in the wedge, and evaluating if a site is located within the wedge and between the site and the fiber hub. ### Claim 15 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein meeting location requirements based upon interference between the fiber hub and the site comprises evaluating whether one or more sites are within a particular distance from the site. ### Claim 16 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the factors associated with the plurality of sites includes only, for each site, the proximity of the site to the fiber hub.