THE OPTIMIZATION AND APPLICATION OF THE W.C.Y.

LEE N PROPAGATION MODEL I THE 1900 MHz FREQUENCY BAND

Greg Evans, Bob Joslin, Lin Vinson, Bill Foose
TEC CELLULAR, Inc.
7619 Emerald Drive West Melbourne, FL 32904 USA (407) 952-8300 Voice (407) 725-5062 FAX

www.tecc.com

Abstract In this paper we will explore the optimization and application of W.C.Y. Lees RF propagation model at 1900 MHz. Lees model has been used successfully throughout the cellular industry for macro-cellular propagation analysis with great success. Using Lees model at 1900 MHz would be reasonable if the same degree of accuracy could be achieved as that of cellular frequencies. We maintain that this accuracy can be achieved, as evident by our application and optimization of the Lee model at 1900 MHz.

environments. An optimized model can accurately predict signal strengths with standard deviations of 6-10 dB.
To optimize the model, data was collected from over 40 test sites with a variety of terrain and environmental conditions. Several distinct environments were encountered and characterized. The terrain in these areas varied from coastal plains to rugged landscape. By comparing the average standard deviations from these different terrain and environmental conditions, the error and the robustness of the Lee model (at 1900 MHz) can be evaluated.
11. The Lee Model

I.

Introduction

The Lee model is a terrain based, statistical propagation tool that predicts RF signal log-normal fading characteristics over distance. The predicted signal strength value for an area is the average signal strength representative of the region. The Lee model allows a user entered rate of signal decay over distance from an intercept reference point, typically 1 km or 1 mile. The rate at which the RF signal decays over distance is referred to as the slope. The intercept is the mean signal strength (for reference conditions) at a distance from the transmitter from which the models predictions are considered to be valid. Signal predictions at a distance less than the intercept reference point are not considered valid since the radio signal is affected by factors other than terrain. The accuracy of signal predictions can be compared with measured signal strength data collected using specialized RF signal measurement equipment. The difference between the actual and predicted signal strengths can be analyzed to evaluate the accuracy of the model. The metric used for determining the accuracy of the model is the standard deviation of the delta distribution (where delta refers to the difference between the measured and predicted signal strength). The standard deviation of the delta distribution can be minimized by the application of linear regression methods. The output of the linear regression analysis can result in optimized slope and intercept values. By performing multiple tests of this nature for various environment types, and grouping the results appropriately, average propagation parameters can be derived for each of the encountered

The Lee propagation model is used to predict signal strength over an area. The inputs to the model are the cells ERP, antenna height, and the slope and intercept values. The range of slope and intercept will be calculated assuming uniform antenna heights and ERPs per morphological type (referenced to standard conditions). TEC CELLULARS implementation of Lees model can be simplified to that shown in (1).

where: RSL - Received signal level, the mean signal level (in dBm) received at the distance R from the transmitter. PI - The signal strength expected for reference conditions hbREF, &REF, and hmREFI* a - The slope, the rate of decay in signal strength (in dB/decade). R - The distance (in miles) from the transmitter. The reference distance (in miles). RREF The height (in feet) of the base transmit antenna. hb The reference height (in feet) of the base transmit hbREF antenna. plx - The transmit ERP (in Watts). PtXREF- The reference transmit ERP (in Watts). hm - The height (in feet) of the mobile receive antenna. hmREF - The reference height (in feet) of the mobile receive antenna.

0-7803-3659-3/97 $10.00 1 997 IEEE 0

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111. Methodology

Measured data is collected over routes in unique morphological areas. The measured data estimates the local mean signal strength when sufficient averaging is used to eliminate fast fading while maintaining the slow fading characteristics. The RF data collection is accomplished by collecting and averaging at least 50 samples over a 40 wavelength interval (Lees sampling criteria). Local means are then averaged over a local area, also referred to as a terrain bin. The intent of the data collection is to characterize the propagation in different areas for comparison, and ultimately correction of predicted signal strength. 1. Morphology Classification To properly characterize the propagation characteristics of an environmental type, some criteria of classifying distinct areas must be determined. The test region is divided into distinct areas so that the measured data collected in one area can be analyzed and compared to data collected in other like areas. Separating the data by environment type is crucial to the application of measured data to the Lee model since the slope and intercept are dependent on environmental conditions. The first step is to classify the test regions into morphological areas. The different morphological types can be identified from a variety of sources including census databases, satellite imagery, building databases, and market visits. Four morphological area types are defined (refer to Table 1). Table 1: Definition of Morphological Area Types
Morphological Type Dense Urban Area Description The central business district consisting of many very closely grouped concrete, glass, and steel reinforced high rise buildings. The height of the buildings in this area type typically exceeds 12 stories and contains structures such as financial institutions, corporate offices, government offices, and residential facilities. A business and residential district consisting of manv closely grouped concrete and reinforced steel medium and high rise buildings. Buildings in the area range from 4 to 15 stories and contain structures such as high rise office buildings, hotels, apartment buildings and warehouses. A decentralized business district mixed with residential and consisting of closely grouped 2 to 5 story, block, brick, corrugated steel, or frame structures such as corporate parks, restaurants, apartment buildings, strip malls, and homes in residential communities. A small residential and business population amongst open terrain, heavy foliage and small man-made structures.

III

Terrain Classification

Terrain Standard Deviation Range (feet)

Rolline Hills

51 to 100

II

The deviation of the terrain has a direct impact on the accuracy of the predicted signal. The more the terrain deviates in an area, the higher the required terrain resolution. The terrain grid resolution is selected to sufficiently represent topography changes. Terrain resolution is typically chosen to ensure less than a 20% change in elevation over a bin.
TEC CELLULAR has implemented Lees model in its RF propagation tool, W!mq,~@. throughout the model Used optimization process, WIZAw@ takes the measured local means and determines the local area mean for each bin in the terrain grid. Where more than one local mean lies inside of a bin, the local means are averaged to derive the local area mean for that bin. As many local means per bin as possible are desired. However, based on the collection route taken, there are cases where the number of local means that fall inside of a particular bin is limited.

Urban

Suburban

Rural

As the terrain resolution becomes finer, the maximum number of local means per bin decreases. Consider the foilowing example. A terrain resolution of 18 bins by 24 bins per 7 % minute map corresponds to approximately a 500-meter square bin (depending on your location with respect to the equator). Using the Pythagorean theorem, the diagonal of this square will measure approximately 707 meters. Assume that only one road is driven through this bin and that the road runs through in a diagonal manner. Also assume that averaging measurements every 10 meters would meet the 50 samples / 40 wavelengths criteria. These conditions would result in approximately 70 local means of measured data for this bin. This number is more than sufficient to determine the local area mean for the bin, provided the terrain does not vary drastically across the bin. As the terrain variations increase a finer bin resolution becomes necessary. The source of the terrain becomes the limiting factor. Terrain resolutions were chosen to allow the maximum number of local means per local area mean while still maintaining less than a 20% elevation variation.

The second step is to organize each area into terrain classifications. A detailed terrain analysis, using a three arc second United States Geographical Survey (USGS) terrain

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2. Defining drive routes The planning of the drive routes for model optimization is a very important consideration. The objective in defining drive routes is to provide selective data that characterizes specific morphological propagation characteristics. There are two fundamental considerations in drive route selection. Data collected within 1 mile is not used in the optimization process and drive route direction, radial and perpendicular, must be balanced. The Lee model uses an intercept as the valid starting point of predicted signal strength. Within one mile of the test site the collected RF measurement data will be highly dependent on the immediate environment, including man made structures, vegetation, and terrain. Signal statistics within a mile have been shown to follow a Rician distribution (single strong component with weaker specular components)." This data is not used in the optimization of the propagation model. Drive routes must be chosen in order to maximize the number of valid points used in the comparison of predicted versus measured signal strengths. The effects of wave-guiding phenomena must be weighed in the drive route selection process. Radial routes have a tendency to favor a gradual rate of signal decay, while crossing routes have the opposite effect. Sufficient crossing routes should be driven along with radial routes, otherwise data must be filtered during the model optimization process.

Fig. 1: Test Site in Urban Area

3 Test site selection .

Test sites should be selected to complement the available drive route options. The placement of the test site can have a dramatic impact on the number of usable comparison points. The following simplified example will depict this point.

Fig. 2: Test Site at Periphery of Urban Area

IV. Results After collecting and processing the empirical data from over forty test sites in the south eastern United States, we have come to the conclusion that the Lee Model, when optimized through the integration of measured data, will provide accurate predictions of signal strength in the 1900 MHz band. To demonstrate our findings, we have chosen two test locations out of the many that were tested for presentation in this paper. These two examples of our findings will demonstrate the range ( to 10 dB) of standard deviations 6 found between measured and predicted signal levels.

In the first illustration (Fig. 1) a test site is placed in the middle of an urban area. The urban area is depicted as shaded polygons. For this example, assume that the urban area is represented by 9 sq. km and that the terrain resolution used results in 500 m square bins. These assumptions result in an urban area that is represented by 36 bins. If the bins within a 1 km radius of the test site are excluded from the total number of bins used in optimizing the model, 1 bins would be 6 excluded. The yield from this site's placement would be 56%.
In placing the test site at the periphery of the urban area (Fig. 2), the same drive routes can be driven, yet only 8 bins would be eliminated from the same 36 bin total in the previous example, resulting in a yield of 78%. As mentioned previously, this is a simplified example. An urban area would typically have terrain bins of approximately 125 meters. If this were the case, the number of comparison bins in the previous example would be increased by a factor of 16.
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O r first example is for a flat suburban environment in coastal u Florida. As we will show, this environment provided us with the most accurate predictions of all the environments encountered.
Fig. 3 shows a graphical representation of the linear relationship between signal level (in dBm) and the log of the distance (in miles) from the transmitter. The linear relationship consists of the slope and the one-mile intercept (the y-intercept in Fig. 3. This figure shows three separate ) sets of data: predicted RSL, measured RSL, and the delta

between the two. Each point on the graph represents the data for one terrain bin. For every measured point on the graph, there is a corresponding predicted point and therefore a resulting delta point. The goal of our linear regression analysis is to determine the slope and intercept that will minimize the error in our predictions, or referring to Fig. 3, result in a best fit line to the delta distribution which has a slope of zero and a y-intercept of zero.
"1

Fig. 4: Delta Scatter after Model Optimization

Fig. 3: Delta Scatter before Model Optimization

Performing the linear regression analysis on our flat suburban site for the first time, the predictions made using default assumptions for the slope and one mile intercept were quite conservative, thereby underestimating the received signal levels. This is evident in Fig. 3 from the number of the delta points that lie above zero (the delta is calculated by subtracting the predicted RSL from the measured RSL). Fig. 4 shows the final comparison between measured and predicted data for the flat suburban site after the slope and intercept have been optimized through the use of an iterative linear regression process. Note that the predicted data points have shifted and now follow the measured values more closely. Also note that our goal of finding the parameters which would result in a delta distribution having a mean of zero has been achieved. The propagation parameters used for the predictions shown in this graph have indeed been optimized for the flat suburban environment. The resulting accuracy of the optimized Lee model for this site can now be calculated from the statistics of the delta distribution. Fig. 5 shows a plot of the delta distributions both before and after the model parameters were optimized. Note that before the model was optimized, the predictions were 3.3 dB lower than the measurements, on the average. After optimizing the model parameters, the predictions corresponded with the measurements, on the average. The standard deviation of the optimized delta distribution of 5.9 dB represents the model's accuracy. It can be claimed, with a 68% confidence factor, that the model's predictions are within k 5.9 dB of the actual field measurements.

Fig. 5: Delta Histograms before and after Model Optimization

The second type of environment chosen to demonstrate the results is that of a hilly suburban area in northwest Florida. In this area the terrain varied significantly throughout the test area. As a result, a significant decrease in the accuracy of the predictions w s noticed. a Fig. 6 shows the scatter of the measured, predicted and delta distributions from this hilly suburban environment with the Lee model using default slope and intercept parameters. Unlike the previous example, the default parameters seem to be close to representing the actual conditions of the environment. After performing the linear regression analysis, an optimized set of propagation parameters is derived. The new parameters are then used in the model resulting in the predicted, measured, and delta distributions shown in Fig. 7. Note the large scatter of the delta values about the mean of zero. This scatter represents a large standard deviation between the measured and predicted. The actual error, as shown in Fig. 8, is calculated to be 9.4 dB.

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Table 3: Southeastern U.S. Rugged

(dB/decade) Intercept Sigma

-7 1.29 10.74

-68.56

75.01

. ..
. *
0

Referenced to a distance of one mile. transmit ERP of 50 dBm. base station transmit antenna height of 150 feet, A d mobile receive antenna height of 6 feet.

0.1

02

0.3

0.4
Lo*DI.tul"

0.5

Qd

0.7

Od

OB

hw . 1

.Mrwnd m P n d M d A

Fig. 6: Delta Scatter before Model Optimization

Table 4: Southeastern U.S. Coastal Plains

SloDe

Rural
40.02

I
I

Suburban
38.37

I
I

Urban NIA

I
7.23
M
0

I
NIA

-zo
4

! " I

Table 5: Mississippi River Valley

I
Slope Intercept Sigma

Rural
38.12

I I

Suburban
36.49

Urban NIA

Fig. 7: Delta Scatter after Model Optimization

*Referencedto a distance of one mile, transmit ERP of 50 dBm, base station transmit antenna height of 150 feet, and mobile receive antenna height of 6 feet.

V. Conclusion

As we have shown, our results support our hypothesis that the Lee model can be used in the 1900 MHz band to achieve a standard deviation between measurements and predictions ranging from 6-10 dB. These results are comparable with those achieved in the application of the Lee model in the cellular frequency band.
Fig. 8: Delta Histograms before and after Model Optimization
VI. Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Ericsson Radio Systems U.S. for their contribution to this research.
W.C.Y. Lee, "Mobile Cellular TelecommunicationsSystems". McGrawHill, 1989, ISBN 0-07-037030-3. ii W.C.Y. Lee, "Mobile CommunicationsDesign Fundamentals", Howard A. S ~ S1986, ISBN 0-672-22305-8. ,

The difference between the results obtained from the two examples shown in this paper is to be expected when one considers the types of environmentsthat are represented. The two examples shown represent the lower and upper limits resulting from the over forty sites tested. Tables 3 through 5 show a summary of the results for each environment encountered in our testing.

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