Method and apparatus for modeling the propagation of wireless signals in buildings

Techniques for predicting RF signal propagation in indoor environments are disclosed. A typical technique comprises six distinct phases. In one phase, the mean wall separation, d, of one floor of a building is estimated. In a second phase, a reflection coefficient, s, is estimated for the floor in general. In a third phase, a number of trial RF propagation measurements are made to gather empirical data about the RF propagation characteristics of the floor. In the fourth phase, the mean wall separation, d, the reflection coefficient, s, and the trial RF propagation measurements are fit, using well-known techniques, into a wireless propagation model, such asP(r) = P02πD πξ2re-r/ξ, where P(r) is the measured or predicted power at a distance, r, from the transmitter, and ξ is the parameter that is fit to the empirical data. In the fifth phase the wireless propagation model is used to predict the RF signal strength throughout the floor from a base station at a given location, and in the six phase one or more base stations are installed in the building based on the results predicted by the wireless propagation model. The fifth and sixth phases can be thereafter repeated for other building with sufficiently similar characteristics.