Cell engineering tool and methods

Abstract

A cell engineering tool (10) evaluates wireless communications channels within and around architectural structures, such as buildings, in order to determine communications transfer characteristics, including the RMS signal power level and the complex-valued frequency-domain transfer function H(f) of the communications channel. In architecture, the CET (10) comprises a user interface (12) and an analysis engine (14) communicating with the user interface (12). The analysis engine (14) has a plurality of propagation models (16), which may be run concurrently for validation, if desired. Using the user interface (12), which is preferably a graphics mechanism, the user (18) inputs a floor plan, wall material parameters (conductivity, permittivity), and the location of a transmitter (53) and receiver (54) within the floor plan. The analysis engine (14) analyzes the input parameters and uses one or more of the propagation models (16) in order to derive a CET output. The propagation models (16) include an analytical model (26), a ray tracing model (27), and a statistical model (28). The analytical model (26) and the ray tracing model (27) are utilized to derive the transfer function H(f) and their respective results can be compared with each other for validation. Further, the statistical model (28) may be used to generate a rapid approximation of the RMS signal power loss or level.