Techniques for expeditiously predicting electromagnetic wave propagation

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for optimizing the prediction of RF propagation. A three-dimensional environment, such as a building, is modeled as a plurality of two-dimensional cross-sectional areas including a plurality of surfaces. Each surface is associated with a reflection coefficient and a transmission coefficient. A reference transmitter location and a plurality of reference receiver locations are selected. For each reference receiver location, RF propagation paths are determined with respect to the reference transmitter location. The reference transmitter location and the reference receiver locations represent propagation path endpoints. A plurality of parallel planes are used to partition the three-dimensional environment into a plurality of intervals. The RF reflective surfaces and propagation paths within each interval are projected into a cross-sectional area. A plurality of line segments are positioned in the cross-sectional area to form a plurality of triangular areas.