US 7,246,045 B1Granted

System and method for efficiently visualizing and comparing communication network system performance

AssigneeWireless Valley Communication, Inc.

InventorsTheodore Rappaport, Roger Skidmore, Brian Gold

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A method for visualizing and efficiently making comparisons of communication system performance utilizing predicted performance, measured performance, or other performance data sets is described. A system permits visualizing the comparisons of system performance data in three-dimensions using fluctuating elevation, shape, and/or color within a three-dimensional computer drawing database consisting of one or more multi-level buildings, terrain, flora, and additional static and dynamic obstacles (e.g., automobiles, people, filing cabinets, etc.). The method enables a design engineer to visually compare the performance of wireless communication systems as a three-dimensional region of fluctuating elevation, color, or other aesthetic characteristics with fully selectable display parameters, overlaid with the three-dimensional site-specific computer model for which the design was carried out.

Claims49

Dependent claims

A method for designing, managing, optimizing or maintaining a communications network or communications networks, comprising the steps of:

providing
(A) a computerized model which represents a physical environment in which a communications network may be installed, said computerized model providing a display of at least a portion of said physical environment,
(B) performance attributes for a plurality of system components which may be used in said physical environment, and
one or more of
(C) one or more prediction models which use the computerized model and the performance attributes of specific components of said plurality of system components to predict performance characteristics of said communications network, and
(D) actual performance measurements taken from said physical environment at one or more locations during one or more measurement runs;
selecting specific components from said plurality of system components for use in said communications network;
and
displaying a computer representation of said physical environment using said computerized model, said computer representation showing locations of specific components selected in said selecting step within said physical environment and performance information for one or more locations within said physical environment, said performance information being any one or more of the following:
(A) showing a comparison of actual performance measurements to predicted performance values,
(B) showing a comparison of actual performance measurements taken during two or more measurement runs, and
(C) showing a comparison of at least two different predictions made with at least two different simulations.

9 more elements

A computerized system for designing, managing, maintaining, or optimizing a communications network or communications networks comprising:

a computer including
(A) a computerized model which represents a physical environment in which a communications network may be installed, said computerized model providing a display of at least a portion of said physical environment,
(B) performance attributes for a plurality of system components which may be used in said physical environment, and
one or more of:
(C) one or more prediction models which use the computerized model and the performance attributes of specific components of said plurality of components to predict performance characteristics of said communications network, and
(D) actual performance measurements taken from said physical environment at one or more locations during one or more measurement runs;
a selector for selecting specific components from said plurality of system components for use in said communications network;
and
a display for displaying a computer representation of said physical environment using said computerized model, said computer representation showing locations of specific components selected in said selecting step within said physical environment and performance information for one or more locations within said physical environment, said performance information being any one or more of the following:
(A) showing a comparison of actual performance measurements to predicted performance values,
(B) showing a comparison of actual performance measurements taken during two or more measurement runs, and
(C) showing a comparison of at least two different predictions made with at least two different simulations.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.