Telecommunication Modeling by Integration of
Geophysical and Geospatial Information
Jeong Woo Kim, Dong-Cheon Lee, Jae-Hong Yom
Dept. of Geoinformation Engineering
Sejong University
Seoul, Korea
{jwkim, dclee, jhyom}@sejong.ac.kr
Abstract - Both geophysical and geospatial data provide
important information in the establishment of the optimal
telecommunication systems especially in the mobile
telecommunication environment. The objective of this study is to
utilize geophysical properties and geospatial information in the
analysis of the telecommunication environment through point-to-
point wave propagation modeling. Geophysical properties
associated with wave propagation parameters of the Earth
surface were analyzed based on land classification using fused
imagery of Landsat ETM+ and Ikonos images. Three-
dimensional geospatial information was obtained by processing
stereo aerial images. The results show that the accurate
geospatial information and geophysical property of the surface
improve the prediction of receiving power of the receivers located
near corners of the buildings where diffractions occur. The wave
propagation model developed from accurate telecommunication
environment could be applied to cell planning.
Keywords - image fusion; land cover classification; wave
propagation modeling, GIS.
I. INTRODUCTION
The aim of this research is to improve telecommunication
efficiency through the analysis of wave propagation
characteristics. This study involves the following research
fields: Geo-surface classification using various parameters that
influence wave propagation, 3-D reconstruction of topography
and buildings, and Wave propagation model to improve the
model accuracy by integrating geophysical properties and
geospatial information.
Conventional land cover classification was enhanced by
fusing Ikonos and Landsat ETM+ images with parameters
which have been analyzed as being influential to the
electromagnetic wave. The 3-D topographic information was
extracted from aerial images and digital vector maps. GIS
technology was implemented to integrate the geo-surface
classification data with the 3-D geometric information. This
was then used as input data to the wave propagation model to
analyze telecommunication environment. Telecommunication
modeling was based on the point-to-point wave propagation
that utilizes ray tracing and uniform theory of diffraction
(UTD). The modeling takes diffraction on the corner of
buildings, and energy loss due to multiple reflection and
transmission into account. Characteristics of the path loss and
effect of the delay profile were be analyzed.
0-7803-8742-2/04/$20.00 (c) 2004 IEEE
Jeong-Ki Pack
Dept. of Radio Science and Engineering
Chungnam National University
Daejeon, Korea
jkpack@cnu.ac.kr
II. IMAGE FUSION AND CLASSIFICATION
A. Imge Fusion by Resolution Merging
Motivation of the image fusion is to provide high resolution
multi-spectral imagery for better image classification. The
spectral information in each band of the image forms spectral
signature patterns that are basis of classification. Therefore,
classification requires both unique and sufficient spectral
information. Unique information can be achieved by
preventing mixed pixel problem using high spatial resolution
imagery while sufficient information can be provided by using
more spectral bands. Image fusion concerns improvement of
both spatial and spectral resolutions. Spatial resolution of the
image was increased by resolution merging [1, 2].
Brovey transformation, basically arithmetic combination
with band rationing, was used for fusion of Landsat ETM+ and
Ikonos images. The advantages of using Brovey transformation
are: (a) Providing high contrast imagery especially in shadows,
water and urban areas, (b) More than three bands can be
applied. It normalizes the multi-spectral bands and multiplies
the result by any other higher resolution image to add intensity
components to the image. The Brovey transformation
expressed as:
B'k(i,j)= [Bk(i,j)∙f(i,j)]/ ΣBk(i,j), (1)
where B’k(i,j) is fused image, f(i,j) is high resolution image, and
k denotes the bands. Therefore, high resolution multi-spectral
imagery, that has 1m spatial resolution with 11 bands (7 bands
from ETM+ and 4 bands from Ikonos image) was generated.
Fig. 1 shows results of the progressive resolution merging.
30m 15m 4m 1m
Figure 1. Results of image fusion.
B. Image Classification
Image classification was performed with the fused image.
Hybrid method, i.e., combination of unsupervised and
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supervised classifications, was implemented. Unsupervised will be a pair of conjugate points. Theoretically, for a vertical
classification with ISODATA (iterative self-organizing data aerial imagery, the similarity of the conjugate points will be
analysis technique) was performed then supervised maximum at the ground surface. However, the maximum
classification with maximum likelihood classifier was similarity occurs at the rooftop of the building due to the
followed. The spectral signature information resulted from occlusion in the urban areas. The similarity evaluation is
unsupervised classification was utilized in supervised usually carried out by area based image matching technique [5,
classification instead of using manually selected training data 6]. In this research the cross correlation image matching
sets. In the study area, eight classes were identified including method was applied. To apply the cross correlation method to
water, forest area, road, built-up area, etc. Fig. 2 shows results building height reconstruction, the reference template is taken
of classification. at a point on the vertical guideline.
The center pixel of the search window is located at the back
projected point of the stereopair image and set as a few pixels
larger than the rows and columns of the reference template.
The maximum cross correlation coefficient is then chosen as to
represent the similarity at this height. Fig. 4 explains 3D
building reconstruction scheme. Fig. 5 shows overlay of
reconstruction and classification results to provide geometric
and qualitative information about the Earth surface.

. Extract contour lines from vector geodata

(a) Classification (b) Class boundary map Create DEM from contour data

Figure 2. Results of classification.

Extract building footprints from vector
geodata
III. 3-D RECONSTRUCTION OF EARTH SURFACE
Select initial x,y point from the building
The vertical line locus method was initially developed to footprint vector and approximate Z value
automatically generate DEM [3, 4]. In Fig. 3, the bottom point from DEM

of the building B, is shown as point BL and point BR of the

left photo and the right photo respectively. If an estimated Back project from the selected point to the
point E moves along the vertical line BT, coinciding with the image pair and determine corresponding
image points
edge of the building, its loci will appear as BL-TL and BR-TR
on the stereopair images. These lines will be in radial direction
from the nadir points NL and NR. Evaluate similarity of these two image points Increase Z
value

PL
Compare and retain Z value and coefficient
PR
index of maximum similarity
Yes
NL
NR
BL Within vertical guideline search
TL BR
TR
window ?
Left
Photo
Right
Photo No
Top point T
Z value with the maximum similarity is the
Estimated Building
point Height building height
Terrain E Building

surface

B
Bottom point Figure 4. Scheme of reconstructing building height from aerial imagery and
digital vector map.

Figure 3. Image matching with vertical line locus.

The back projection computes the image coordinates using

the collinearity equations;

r11 ( Xp − X 0 ) + r12 (Yp − Y0 ) + r13 ( Zp − Z 0 ) (2)

x = xp − f
r31 ( Xp − X 0 ) + r32 (Yp − Y0 ) + r33 ( Zp − Z 0 )

r21 ( Xp − X 0 ) + r22 (Yp − Y0 ) + r23 ( Zp − Z 0 )

y = yp − f
r31 ( Xp − X 0 ) + r32 (Yp − Y0 ) + r33 ( Zp − Z 0 ) . (3)
Each point along the vertical guideline will have a point in Figure 5. Integration of classification result and reconstructed buildings.
the image space of both the stereropair images, and these points

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 IV. GEOPHYSICL PROPERTY OF THE EARTH SURFACE where φ and L denote angle and travel distance of the ray,
Accurate wave propagation modeling has to consider both respectively. The estimation of energy reflected and/or
topographic and geophysical properties of the Earth surface. transmitted from surface of the objects requires reflection and
Geophysical property of the Earth surface characterizes transmission coefficients. These coefficients are determined
interaction between electromagnetic wave and the surface [7]. by angular frequency, wavelength, incident angle of the ray,
The most significant electromagnetic parameters include and dielectricity. Diffraction of the wave occurs at the corner
conductivity, permeability, specific attenuation, and of buildings and causes shadow region. The diffraction field is
permittivity. Table 1 shows an example of those parameters estimated by considering incident and diffraction angle,
corresponding to land cover classes, and Fig. 6 depicts distance between receiving station and point of diffraction,
visualization of the electromagnetic parameter database distance between transmitting station and point of diffraction,
(EPDB) for utilizing GIS. and reflection and diffraction coefficients. Delay profile at a
TABLE 1. Example of the electromagnetic parameters specific receiving station resulted from multiple path was
obtained by computing travel time and noncoherent addition
Conduct. Permea. Spc. Atten. Permit.
Class of each ray [10, 11].
(σ) Re Im η μ γ ε0 ε1 Point-to-point wave propagation model, that takes not only
wave property (i.e., reflection, transmission, diffraction) but
Built-up 0.0233 1 0 0 0 0 4.0 4.0
geospatial (i.e., topography of the Earth surface) and
Vegetated 0.0675 1 0 0 0 0 8.7 3.5 geophysical information (i.e., electromagnetic parameters) into
Forest 0.1500 1 0 0.2 0 0.6 1.0 1.0 account, was developed for analysis telecommunication
modeling.
Water 0.0122 1 0 0 0 0 74.1 5.0
B. Experimental Results
Fig. 7 shows GUI of the simulation program. 3-D
reconstructed buildings and terrain, and geophysical properties
are the input of the program. Simulations were performed for
PCS (1842~1869 MHz) and Cellular (824~849MHz) phones.
Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 represent pass loss and delay profiles,
respectively. The results show that the wave strength is weak
behind buildings, and delay occurs in building areas.

Figure 7. Simulation program GUI for Telecommunication modeling

Figure 6. Electromagnetic parameters over land cover classification.

V. WAVE PROPAGATION MODELING AND RESULTS

A. Wave Propagation Modeling

Wave propagation modeling in this study was implemented
with a point-to-point modeling method. Path loss of the wave
at the receiving station was estimated by applying ray tracing
method that takes diffraction at the corner of the buildings into
account. If following condition is satisfied then the antenna
receives the wave travels from transmitter [8, 9]:
R(recept) ≤ 0.5φL, (4) Figure 8. Pass loss profile [dB]

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Figure 9. Delay profile [μs]
Fig. 10(a) and Fig. 10(b) depict path loss comparison
between simulations and field measurements for PCS and
Cellular phones, respectively. Therefore, results from path loss
simulation did not exceed 5dB both PCS and Cellular bands.
(a) Comparison between simulation and experiment for PCS band.
(b) Comparison between simulation and experiment for Cellular band.
Figure 10. Simulation results of pass loss property for PCS and Cellular bands
VI. CONCLUDING REMARKS
• More realistic telecommunication modeling was
developed by integrating geospatial and geophysical
factors that affect wave propagation property.
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• Diffraction at the corner of the buildings was
accurately modeled based on UTD.
• The model could be utilized for cell planning of mobile
telecommunication such as determination of optimal
antenna locations.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This study was supported by the Korea Science and
Engineering Foundation (Grant No. R01-2001-00073-0).
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