A simplified analytical Urban Propagation Model (UPM) for use in CJSMPT

RF propagation models such as TIREM and Hata used in spectrum management tools do not consider the impact of urban environments such as buildings and roads for the prediction of the propagation loss. Under the development of the Coalition Joint Spectrum Management Planning Tool (CJSMPT), US Army Communications Electronics Research Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) took the initiative for quantifying the existing urban propagation models, both empirical and analytical, and developing a simplified urban propagation model for use in CJSMPT. The emphasis on this model was to have a minimal time and computational complexity and use data that represents the actual urban environment. The traditional empirical models developed from a set of measurements conducted in metropolitan cities between the base and mobile stations do not provide the expected accuracy since they do not consider the characteristics of the areas of interest. In addition, these empirical models do not address the propagation scenario from mobile to mobile stations. The analytical models determine the path loss as result of field reduction due to free space, multiple diffraction over passed building rows, and diffraction of the rooftop to a mobile station. However, these analytical models involve substantial amount of complexity due to the calculations of diffraction associated with multiple rows of buildings. To meet the needs for fast assessment of interference and deconfliction analysis in CJSMPT, a simplified analytical model was developed for addressing different propagation scenarios when the base station antenna is above, below and near the average rooftop level. This simplified analytical model uses as input parameters, data which is extracted from the Urban Technical Planner (UTP) developed by the US Army Topographic Engineering Center (TEC). The UTP data provides data of key aspects of the urban environment, including buildings, roads, water bodies, and vertical obstructions. The model uses the average input parameters calculated along a propagation path.