Granted Patent B2

US 12,744,606 · App. 18/785,503 · Granted Sep 22, 2026

Inventors: Saúl A. Torrico (Bethesda, MD); Rauf Hafeez (Cary, NC)

Assignee: Charter Communications Operating, LLC

H04B17/347H04B17/391H04W16/18

Abstract

Claims (66)

1 . A method comprising:

determining, by a computing system, a radio frequency free space path loss for a first radio frequency propagation path extending from a first endpoint to a second endpoint, said first endpoint having a first endpoint height with respect to a reference point;

determining, by the computing system, a radio frequency clutter loss for a first portion of the first radio frequency propagation path, said first portion of the first radio frequency propagation path extending from the first endpoint to a first horizon point, the first horizon point being located at the top of a clutter object along the first radio frequency propagation path, said first horizon point having a first horizon point height with respect to the reference point, said first horizon point height being higher than said first endpoint height;

determining, by the computing system, a third radio frequency propagation loss for a second portion of the first radio frequency propagation path, said third radio frequency propagation loss including: (i) a loss from radio frequency propagation diffraction, or (ii) a loss from radio frequency propagation tropo-scattering, said second portion of the first radio frequency propagation path extending from the first horizon point to the second endpoint;

generating, by the computing system, a total radio frequency propagation path loss for the first radio frequency propagation path based on the radio frequency free space path loss, the radio frequency clutter loss, and the third radio frequency propagation loss; and

making, by the computing system, a spectrum usage decision based on the generated total radio frequency propagation path loss for the first radio frequency propagation path.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the radio frequency clutter loss for the first portion of the first radio frequency propagation path is determined based on an International Telecommunication Union-Recommendation (ITU-R) P.2108 model or an ITU-R P.452 model.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the third radio frequency propagation loss is determined based on an Irregular Terrain Model propagation loss model.

4 . The method of claim 1 ,

wherein a first wireless network entity is located at the first endpoint, said first endpoint height being the height of an antenna of the first wireless network entity; and

wherein a second wireless network entity is located at the second endpoint, said second endpoint's height being the height of an antenna of the second wireless network entity.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein said making a spectrum usage decision based on the generated total radio frequency propagation path loss for the first radio frequency propagation path includes: determining that the first wireless network entity is authorized to utilize spectrum to communicate with a third wireless network entity in response to determining that a predicted amount of spectrum interference that will occur at the second endpoint from radio frequency transmissions emanating from the first endpoint is below a first threshold level of interference.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein said making a spectrum usage decision based on the generated total radio frequency propagation path loss for the first radio frequency propagation path includes: determining that the first wireless network entity is authorized to utilize spectrum to communicate with a third wireless network entity in response to determining that a predicted amount of spectrum interference that will occur at the first endpoint from radio frequency transmissions emanating from the second endpoint is below a first threshold level of interference.

7 . The method of claim 4 ,

wherein said determining a third radio frequency propagation loss for a second portion of the first radio frequency propagation path includes utilizing terrain information and clutter information for one or more additional points along the second portion of the first radio frequency propagation path.

8 . The method of claim 7 ,

wherein the one or more additional points along the second portion of the first radio frequency propagation path includes a plurality of additional points;

wherein the terrain information includes terrain height information with respect to the reference point for points on the first radio frequency propagation path; and

wherein the clutter information includes clutter height information with respect to the terrain on which the clutter is located for points on the first radio frequency propagation path.

9 . The method of claim 8 ,

wherein the height of a point on the propagation path is determined by adding the clutter height corresponding to the point to the terrain height at the point.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining, by the computing system, from the plurality of additional points along the second portion of the first radio frequency propagation path a set of critical points from the plurality of additional points; and

utilizing, by the computing system, point height information for one or more or all of the critical points from the set of critical points to determine the third radio frequency propagation path loss.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said making a spectrum usage decision based on the generated total radio frequency propagation path loss for the first radio frequency propagation path includes:

determining a predicted amount of spectrum interference for a range of spectrum frequencies that will occur at the second endpoint from radio frequency transmissions emanating from the first endpoint based on the total radio frequency propagation path loss; and

determining whether or not a wireless network entity located at the first endpoint is authorized to communicate using the range of spectrum frequencies based on the predicted amount of spectrum interference.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said making a spectrum usage decision based on the generated total radio frequency propagation path loss for the first radio frequency propagation path includes:

determining a predicted amount of spectrum interference for a range of spectrum frequencies that will occur at the first endpoint from radio frequency transmissions emanating from the second endpoint based on the total radio frequency propagation path loss; and

determining whether or not a wireless network entity located at the second endpoint is authorized to communicate using the range of spectrum frequencies based on the predicted amount of spectrum interference.

13 . A system comprising:

memory; and

one or more processors, said one or more processors controlling the system to perform the following operations:

determining a radio frequency free space path loss for a first radio frequency propagation path extending from a first endpoint to a second endpoint, said first endpoint having a first endpoint height with respect to a reference point;

determining a radio frequency clutter loss for a first portion of the first radio frequency propagation path, said first portion of the first radio frequency propagation path extending from the first endpoint to a first horizon point, the first horizon point being located at the top of a clutter object along the first radio frequency propagation path, said first horizon point having a first horizon point height with respect to the reference point, said first horizon point height being higher than said first endpoint height;

determining a third radio frequency propagation loss for a second portion of the first radio frequency propagation path, said third radio frequency propagation loss including: (i) a loss from radio frequency propagation diffraction, or (ii) a loss from radio frequency propagation tropo-scattering, said second portion of the first radio frequency propagation path extending from the first horizon point to the second endpoint;

generating a total radio frequency propagation path loss for the first radio frequency propagation path based on the radio frequency free space path loss, the radio frequency clutter loss, and the third radio frequency propagation loss; and

making a spectrum usage decision based on the generated total radio frequency propagation path loss for the first radio frequency propagation path.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the third radio frequency propagation loss is determined based on an Irregular Terrain Model propagation loss model.

15 . The system of claim 13 ,

wherein a first wireless network entity is located at the first endpoint, said first endpoint height being the height of an antenna of the first wireless network entity; and

wherein a second wireless network entity is located at the second endpoint, said second endpoint's height being the height of an antenna of the second wireless network entity.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein said making a spectrum usage decision based on the generated total radio frequency propagation path loss for the first radio frequency propagation path includes: determining that the first wireless network entity is authorized to utilize spectrum to communicate with a third wireless network entity in response to determining that a predicted amount of spectrum interference that will occur at the second endpoint from radio frequency transmissions emanating from the first endpoint is below a first threshold level of interference.

17 . The system of claim 15 , wherein said making a spectrum usage decision based on the generated total radio frequency propagation path loss for the first radio frequency propagation path includes: determining that the first wireless network entity is authorized to utilize spectrum to communicate with a third wireless network entity in response to determining that a predicted amount of spectrum interference that will occur at the first endpoint from radio frequency transmissions emanating from the second endpoint is below a first threshold level of interference.

18 . The system of claim 15 , wherein said determining a third radio frequency propagation loss for a second portion of the first radio frequency propagation path includes utilizing terrain information and clutter information for one or more additional points along the second portion of the first radio frequency propagation path.

19 . The system of claim 18 ,

wherein the one or more additional points along the second portion of the first radio frequency propagation path includes a plurality of additional points;

wherein the terrain information includes terrain height information with respect to the reference point for points on the first radio frequency propagation path; and

wherein the clutter information includes clutter height information with respect to the terrain on which the clutter is located for points on the first radio frequency propagation path.

20 . The system of claim 19 ,

wherein the height of a point on the propagation path is determined by adding the clutter height corresponding to the point to the terrain height at the point.

21 . The system of claim 20 , wherein said one or more processors further control the system to perform the following operations:

determining, by the computing system, from the plurality of additional points along the second portion of the first radio frequency propagation path a set of critical points from the plurality of additional points; and

utilizing, by the computing system, point height information for one or more or all of the critical points from the set of critical points to determine the third radio frequency propagation path loss.

22 . The system of claim 13 , wherein said making a spectrum usage decision based on the generated total radio frequency propagation path loss for the first radio frequency propagation path includes:

determining a predicted amount of spectrum interference for a range of spectrum frequencies that will occur at the second endpoint from radio frequency transmissions emanating from the first endpoint based on the total radio frequency propagation path loss; and

determining whether or not a wireless network entity located at the first endpoint is authorized to communicate using the range of spectrum frequencies based on the predicted amount of spectrum interference.

23 . The system of claim 13 , wherein said making a spectrum usage decision based on the generated total radio frequency propagation path loss for the first radio frequency propagation path includes:

determining a predicted amount of spectrum interference for a range of spectrum frequencies that will occur at the first endpoint from radio frequency transmissions emanating from the second endpoint based on the total radio frequency propagation path loss; and

determining whether or not a wireless network entity located at the second endpoint is authorized to communicate using the range of spectrum frequencies based on the predicted amount of spectrum interference.

24 . A non-transitory computer readable medium including a first set of computer executable instructions which when executed by a processor of a system cause the system to perform the steps of:

determining a radio frequency free space path loss for a first radio frequency propagation path extending from a first endpoint to a second endpoint, said first endpoint having a first endpoint height with respect to a reference point;

determining a radio frequency clutter loss for a first portion of the first radio frequency propagation path, said first portion of the first radio frequency propagation path extending from the first endpoint to a first horizon point, the first horizon point being located at the top of a clutter object along the first radio frequency propagation path, said first horizon point having a first horizon point height with respect to the reference point, said first horizon point height being higher than said first endpoint height;

determining a third radio frequency propagation loss for a second portion of the first radio frequency propagation path, said third radio frequency propagation loss including: (i) a loss from radio frequency propagation diffraction, or (ii) a loss from radio frequency propagation tropo-scattering, said second portion of the first radio frequency propagation path extending from the first horizon point to the second endpoint;

generating a total radio frequency propagation path loss for the first radio frequency propagation path based on the radio frequency free space path loss, the radio frequency clutter loss, and the third radio frequency propagation loss; and

making a spectrum usage decision based on the generated total radio frequency propagation path loss for the first radio frequency propagation path.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (14)