# US 7,613,464 B2 · Systems and methods for scoring communication spectrum maximization

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 7,613,464 B2
- Document ID: US7613464B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/690,022
- Filed: 2007-03-22
- Published: 2007-09-27
- Granted: 2009-11-03
- Earliest claimed: 2006-03-23
- Assignees: Media Technology Ventures, LLC
- Inventors: Ronald A. Unkefer; Gary Marlin Lawrence; William Roland Hieatt, III; Harold A. Rose; Neil Jennings Keon; Joakim Kalvenes
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7613464B2

## CPC

- H04W 16/18: Network planning tools
- H04B 17/391: Modelling the propagation channel
- H04W 16/00: Network planning, e.g. coverage or traffic planning tools; Network deployment, e.g. resource partitioning or cells structures
- H04B 7/10: Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity
- H04W 24/00: Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
- H04W 28/18: Negotiating wireless communication parameters
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- H04B: TRANSMISSION

## Abstract

A computer-based program performs calculations to analyze, vary, test, manage, and/or improve the performance of channels and/or frequencies in the communication spectrum. The program varies parameters of a point of communication, such as the location, transmission power, channel frequency, antenna height, and the like, alone or in combination, to measure, test, and/or evaluate which parameter changes increase the market coverage of a target market or area. In some scenarios, changes to one point of communication cause the regulations governing the broadcast relationship between one or more nearby points of communication to be violated. When this occurs, the program determines which of the parameters, such as the location, transmission power, channel and/or frequency, antenna height, and the like, alone or in combination, of the point of communication interfering with the increased market coverage scenario to vary to overcome the conflict with communications and/or regulatory law. In addition, the program can determine simultaneously which of the parameters of multiple points of communication to vary to overcome the conflict with communications and/or regulatory law. The program outputs multiple solutions with varying degrees of difficulty and varying amounts of performance improvement.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for improving the coverage of a target area by a radio transmitter, the method comprising:
one or more processors configured to create multiple potential alternative locations for a radio transmitter;
one or more processors configured to analyze potential alternative locations, alternative classes alternative frequencies and/or alternative channels associated with a radio transmitter;
one or more processors configured to test whether the alternative locations, alternative classes, alternative frequencies and/or alternative channels or combinations thereof are feasible; and
one or more processors configured to score the alternative locations, alternative classes, alternative frequencies and/or alternative channels, wherein the scoring generates a numerical score that represents potential population and/or demographic coverage within a target area and potential implementation costs;
wherein the numerical score comprises a net present value (NPVk) of a radio transmitter j having the alternative locations, alternative classes, alternative frequencies and/or alternative channels of a scenario k, wherein
NPV
k
=
(
∏
j
⁢
P
j
,
⁢
k
Success
)
⁢
(
V
k
-
∑
j
⁢
⁢
C
j
,
⁢
k
-
C
k
Extract
)
(
1
+
r
)
n
C
j
,
k
=
C
j
,
k
Pops
+
C
j
,
k
NewTX
comprises a cost attributed to the radio transmitter j for the scenario k and comprises a cost due to a change in population and/or demographic coverage for the radio transmitter j and a cost of a new transmission facility for the radio transmitter j in the scenario k,
C
k
Extract
=
∑
j
⁢
s
j
Extract
(
V
k
-
∑
i
⁢
C
i
,
k
)
comprises a cost due to negotiations in the scenario k,
pj,kSuccess comprises a probability of success for change to the radio transmitter j in the scenario k,
R comprises a return on investment, and
Vj comprises a base value of the radio transmitter j.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein
C
j
,
k
Pops
=
{
α
j
⁢
Δ
j
,
k
Pops
if
⁢
⁢
Δ
j
,
k
Pops
<
0
0
otherwise
comprises the cost due to the change in population and/or demographic coverage for radio transmitter j and comprises a difference between existing coverage and new coverage after radio transmitter j modification, and
Δ
j
,
k
Pops
=
Pops
⁡
(
F
50
,
50
⁡
(
ERP
j
,
HAAT
j
,
FS
)
,
x
j
,
y
j
)
-
Pops
⁡
(
F
⁢
50
,
⁢
50
⁢
(
ERP
⁢
j
⁢
New
,
HAAT
⁢
j
⁢
New
,
FS
)
,
x
⁢
j
⁢
New
,
y
⁢
j
⁢
New
)
comprises the change in covered population and/or demographics for station j in scenario k.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein
ERPJ comprises a transmission power for the radio transmitter j,
ERPjnew comprises a new transmission power for the radio transmitter j in the scenario k,
FS comprise a field strength in dBu defining a field strength contour using F50,50,
HAATj comprises a height above average terrain for the radio transmitter j
HAATj,kNew comprises a new height above average terrain for the radio transmitter j in the scenario k,
αj comprises a marginal value per population and/or demographic covered for the radio transmitter j, and
Δj,kPops comprises a change in covered population and/or demographic for the radio transmitter j in the scenario k.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein
C
j
,
k
NewTX
=
{
C
Antenna
+
C
Extend
m
x
j
,
k
New
,
y
j
,
k
New
if
⁢
⁢
H
x
j
,
k
New
,
y
j
,
k
New
New
-
H
x
j
,
k
New
,
y
j
,
k
New
Old
<
δ
C
Antenna
+
C
Construct
m
x
j
,
k
New
,
y
j
,
k
New
otherwise
depends on equipment, height of a current tower, a number of new radio transmitters sharing the current tower, wherein a cost of extension comprises:
C
j
,
k
Extend
=
FC
Extend
+
VC
Extend
⁡
(
H
x
j
,
k
New
,
y
j
,
k
New
New
-
H
x
j
,
k
New
,
y
j
,
k
New
Old
)
and a cost of new construction comprises:
C
j
,
k
Construct
=
FC
Construct
+
VC
Construct
⁢
H
x
j
,
k
New
,
y
j
,
k
New
New

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein
CJ,k comprises a cost attributed to the radio transmitter j for the scenario k,
Cj,kNewTX comprises a cost of a new transmission facility for the radio transmitter j for scenario k,
FCAntenna comprises a cost of an antenna,
FCConstruct comprises a fixed cost to construct a new tower,
VCtConstruc comprises a variable cost per meter to construct the new tower,
FCExtend comprises a fixed cost to extend an existing tower, and
VCExtend is the variable cost per meter to existing tower.