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 as
##EQU1##
where P(r) is the measured or predicted power at a distance, r, from the
transmitter,
##EQU2##
and .xi. 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.