Mesh Network Planning Using Filtered Line-of-Sight Paths
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network planning tools struggle to efficiently design high-speed mesh-based communication systems that can deliver upload and download speeds of several Gigabits per second, particularly in complex geographic areas with varying infrastructure sites and line-of-sight challenges.
Innovation Solution
A simulated network planning tool that identifies candidate sites and theoretical line-of-sight paths, eliminates a percentage of paths based on threshold conditions, and generates a network plan using a network planning engine, incorporating metrics and user inputs to optimize the network design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If theoretical line-of-sight paths are identified between all candidate sites, then network coverage is improved, but calculation complexity and processing time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary subset of line-of-sight paths by eliminating paths that do not meet threshold conditions (distance thresholds, interference thresholds, existing infrastructure proximity). This reduces the computational burden from evaluating all possible paths to only evaluating promising candidate paths, thereby resolving the contradiction between comprehensive coverage and calculation complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary filtering of candidate sites and paths before detailed network planning. By pre-identifying and eliminating unlikely paths based on simple geometric and environmental criteria, the system prepares a reduced set of candidates for more sophisticated analysis, reducing overall computational complexity while maintaining solution quality.
2Reliability
If a comprehensive network plan is generated considering all sites and paths, then network reliability is improved, but planning time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and eliminates a given percentage of theoretical paths that are unlikely to be used, based on pre-established threshold conditions. This reduces the input size for the network planning engine, allowing comprehensive planning to be performed in less time while maintaining the quality of the final network plan.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by considering only a subset of all possible paths—specifically those that meet certain threshold criteria—rather than exhaustively analyzing every possible path. This partial analysis approach achieves sufficient network planning quality without the excessive time cost of complete enumeration.
3Productivity
If threshold conditions are applied to eliminate paths, then processing efficiency is improved, but network coverage may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts threshold parameters (distance thresholds, interference thresholds, path elimination percentages) to balance processing efficiency and network coverage. By optimizing these parameters, the system achieves high processing efficiency while maintaining sufficient network coverage through the retained paths.
Data Source
AI summary
A computing platform is configured to: (i) identify theoretical line-of-sight (LOS) paths between and among reference points for a set of candidate sites based on an assumption that each reference point of a candidate site has an LOS path to any reference points of neighboring candidate sites that meet one or more threshold conditions; (ii) eliminate a given percentage of the theoretical LOS paths between the candidate sites, which results in a set of candidate LOS paths; (iii) input the set of candidate sites and the set of candidate LOS paths into a network planning engine, which produces a simulated network plan based on at least (a) the set of candidate sites, (b) the set of candidate LOS paths, and (c) a set of requirements for the network plan; and (iv) derive a set of metrics for the simulated network plan.