# US 2014/0195176 A1 · Deriving broadband communication system service area for signal leakage detection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0195176 A1 - Document ID: US20140195176A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/735,555 - Filed: 2013-01-07 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-07 - Assignees: ComSonics, Inc. - Applicants: Comsonics, Inc. - Inventors: Raymond Gregory Jones; Dennis A. Zimmerman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195176A1 ## CPC - H04B 17/318: Received signal strength - G01R 29/0814: {Field measurements related to measuring influence on or from apparatus, components or humans (EMC, EMI and similar testing in general G01R31/001), e.g. in ESD, EMI, EMC, EMP testing, measuring radiation leakage; detecting presence of micro- or radiowave emitters; dosimetry; testing shielding; measurements related to lightning} - H04B 17/27: for locating or positioning the transmitter - H04W 16/18: Network planning tools - H04W 24/08: Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic - H04B: TRANSMISSION - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract An improved, adaptive and uniformly applicable estimation of the percentage or fraction of a broadband communication system (BCS) plant that is monitored for signal egress during a given period of time is provided by generating and collecting polygons along all possible routes traversed by DOS service vehicles within a service area, preferably by comparison with a roadway map, to define the service area with improved accuracy. The number of polygons generated and collected is then limited by the number of polygons in which DCS service vehicles have been reported in a given period of time or inspection interval. The limited number of polygons is then divided by the number of polygons generated and collected to determine a fraction or percentage of the BCS system which has been monitored during the given time period and can be used in a computation of a cumulative leakage index (CLI) value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of calculating an estimated figure of merit reflecting the shielding integrity condition of a BCS plant, said method comprising steps of generating and collecting polygons corresponding to locations of a broadband communication system (BCS) egress signal detector that is movable throughout a service area, limiting a number of polygons generated and collected in said generating and collecting step to locations of said BCS egress signal receiver during a given period of time, dividing a number of locations determined in said limiting step by a number of locations determined in said generating and collecting step to determine a value, and dividing a measurement of egress signal strength by said value. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said BCS egress signal receiver is installed within a BCS service vehicle. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said BCS signal receiver is moved along roadways in the BCS service area. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said generating and collecting step is performed until polygons are collected for all possible routes within the BCS service area. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method as recited in claim 4, wherein said all possible routes are determined from a roadway or street map of said service area of said BCS system/ ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method as recited in claim 4, including the further step of deletion of polygons that are not reported in said limiting step over a period of time longer than said given period of time if a corresponding portion of the BCS plant can be monitored from the location of another polygon. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1 including a further step of deleting or marking of polygons adjacent to sources of egress signals that are not part of the BCS system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said polygons generated and collected in said generating and collecting step do not overlap. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said polygons generated and collected in said generating and collecting step are contiguous squares. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method as recited in claim 1 including a further step of summing of squares of said measured field strength of detected leaks a locations of polygons identified in said limiting step to form a sum as a measurement of detected egress signal strength wherein said step of dividing a measurement of egress signal strength by said value results in a computation of a cumulative leakage index. ### Claim 11 Apparatus for calculating the fraction or percentage of a broadband communication system (BCS) plant which is monitored for signal egress over a given period of time, said apparatus comprising a global positioning system receiver, a BCS signal egress receiver, and one or more computers configured to perform functions of: generating and collecting polygons corresponding to locations of a broadband communication system (BCS) egress signal detector that is movable throughout a service area, limiting a number of polygons generated and collected in said generating and collecting step to locations of said BCS egress signal receiver during a given period of time, and dividing a number of locations determined in said limiting step by a number of locations determined in said generating and collecting step to determine a value. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein said BCS egress signal receiver is installed within a BCS service vehicle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein said BCS signal receiver is moved along roadways in the BCS service area. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said generating and collecting operation is performed until polygons are collected for all possible routes within the BCS service area. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein said all possible routes are determined from a roadway or street map of said service area of said BCS system. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein said one or more computers is configured to perform a further operation of deletion of polygons that are not reported in said limiting step over a period of time longer than said given period of time if a corresponding portion of the BCS plant can be monitored from the location of another polygon. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The Apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein said one or more computers is configured to perform a further operation of deleting or marking of polygons adjacent to sources of egress signals that are not part of the BCS system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said polygons generated and collected in said generating and collecting operation do not overlap. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said polygons generated and collected in said generating and collecting operation are contiguous squares. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The apparatus as recited in claim 11 wherein said one or more computers are configured to perform a further operation of summing of squares of said measured field strength of detected leaks a locations of polygons identified in said limiting step top form a sum as a measurement of detected egress signal strength wherein said step of dividing a measurement of egress signal strength by said value results in a computation of a cumulative leakage index.