Inverse Ray Tracing for Radio Propagation Path Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ray tracing algorithms require a large number of rays to ensure accurate radio propagation modeling, which is computationally expensive and inefficient, especially in dynamic environments, leading to increased costs and potential loss of accuracy.
Innovation Solution
The use of inverse ray tracing (IRT) algorithms that emit a small number of rays from an observation point, recursively generate reflected surfaces, and verify valid paths using specular reflections to determine signal strength and interference, allowing for efficient and accurate radio propagation analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the number of rays is increased to ensure accurate radio propagation characterization, then measurement precision is improved, but computational cost and running time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional ray tracing approach by emitting rays from observation points (receivers) toward transmitters rather than emitting rays from transmitters in all directions. This inverse approach allows accurate radio propagation characterization with fewer rays because the ray paths are directly targeted toward specific observation points, eliminating the need to dispatch millions of rays in all directions and reducing computational time significantly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and focuses only on the necessary ray paths that connect transmitters to specific observation points, rather than computing all possible ray paths in the environment. By identifying and computing only the relevant propagation paths needed for characterization at observation points, the method reduces the number of rays required while maintaining measurement precision.
2Measurement precision
If the number of rays is increased to ensure sufficient coverage of the environment, then measurement precision is improved, but memory usage and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
By inverting the ray emission direction to start from observation points rather than transmitters, the method efficiently covers the environment with fewer rays. Each ray is purposefully directed toward a specific observation point, ensuring sufficient coverage without the need to dispatch excessive rays, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining coverage accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by computing only the necessary subset of ray paths that are needed for characterizing radio propagation at observation points, rather than computing all possible paths. This selective approach ensures sufficient coverage with reduced computational effort and lower power consumption.
3Measurement precision
If conventional ray tracing is used to characterize dynamic environments, then measurement precision is maintained, but loss of time increases due to repeated computations
Solution Approach 1:
The inverted ray tracing approach enables more efficient handling of dynamic environments by directly computing propagation paths to observation points of interest. When environmental changes occur, the method can quickly recompute only the affected ray paths toward specific observation points rather than re-running full conventional ray tracing, thus maintaining accuracy while reducing update time for dynamic scenarios.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
IRT algorithms provide accurate radio propagation modeling with reduced computational resources, enabling dynamic environment adaptation and improved network performance by optimizing signal coverage and interference management.
Implementation Method 1
a ray tracing algorithm may be used in computations of radio propagation. Conventionally, as part of such a ray tracing algorithm millions of rays are dispatched/emitted from a given transmitter/antenna in all directions
Implementation Method 2
The implementation of inverse ray tracing, which involves emitting a small number of rays from an observation point, recursively generating reflected surfaces, and verifying valid paths to determine signal strength and interference
Data Source
AI summary
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, identifying a first location of an antenna, causing a first ray to be emitted from a second location that is different from the first location, generating reflected surfaces from surfaces that the first ray reflects from, generating a reflected first location of the first location using the surfaces that the first ray reflects from, identifying, based on the reflected first location, potential locations along the surfaces that the first ray reflects from using the reflected surfaces, and verifying, based on the potential locations, that the first ray traverses a valid path between the first location and the second location. Other embodiments are disclosed.