Wireless Connectivity Heatmaps Using Multi-Path Reflection Modeling

The patent segments the computational workload by separating direct path calculations from multi-path reflection calculations. The system first computes direct line-of-sight paths, then separately computes reflected paths using image theory to create virtual access points. This segmentation allows the complex multi-path modeling to be broken into manageable computational steps that can be executed efficiently on network controllers.

The patent introduces image theory as an intermediary computational approach. Instead of directly calculating complex reflected RF paths, the system creates virtual access points (images) that represent reflected paths. This intermediary representation simplifies the computational model while maintaining accuracy, allowing standard path loss models to be applied to virtual paths rather than developing complex reflection physics models.

The patent changes key computational parameters by using image theory to transform complex reflection calculations into simpler virtual path calculations. By modifying the computational approach from direct physics-based reflection modeling to virtual access point methodology, the system achieves faster computation that can run on standard network controller hardware without requiring cloud-based computational resources.

The patent creates copies of access points in the form of virtual images to represent reflected paths. These virtual access point copies allow the system to model multi-path propagation using standard path loss calculations applied to virtual locations, rather than implementing complex reflection physics. This copying approach enables rapid computation on existing hardware platforms.