20 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON BROADCASTING, VOL 43, NO.

1, MARCH 1997

THEORETICAL COMPUTATION OF THE COVERAGE PROBABILITY OF A DIGITAL

TV TRANSMITTER IN AN ANALOGUE TV NETWORK USING A STOCHASTIC
APPROACH

Hatem MOKHTARI
TDF-C2R (Broadcasting and Radiocommunications Research Center)
1, rue Marconi
57070 Metz, FRANCE
Phone : +33 387 20 75 61
e-mail : hmokhtari@c2r.tdf.fr

Abstract In this paper, a digital TV

transmitter is assumed to share a co-
In this paper, a theoretical channel frequency band with six analogue
computation method for a digital TV TV transmitters. For the sake of simplicity,
transmitter coverage probability is the considered hybrid TV network is
proposed. The computation make use of supposed to have a regular network
the assumption that the studied digital TV configuration which allows the use of the
transmitter is sharing a co-channel well-known honey comb geometrical
frequency band with six surrounding structure. Rather than using a deterministic
analogue TV transmitters whose arriving computation method for the determination
signals are considered as co-channel of digital TV coverage, a more accurate
uncorrelated interferers. Coverage approach based on the statistical
probability expressions have been derived description of both wanted and interfering
considering the digital TV signal as the powers is proposed. Indeed, the
wanted power and the remaining analogue multidimensional phenomenon can be
TV signals as co-channel interferers. After simplified into a two dimensional
several Monte Carlo sirnulation-based equivalent problem. Thus, assuming a log-
comparisons the utilized theoretical normal shadowing of each individual
approach has shown to be in good interfering analogue power [ 11, a single and
agreement, with a much less important equivalent probability density function
computation time. (PDF) for the interfering apportionment
can be calculated [2] using an exact
1. Introduction formulation. Accordingly, a two-by-two
procedure, for the computation of the
The introduction of digital equivalent mean and variance of the
terrestrial TV will have to take into account corresponding equivalent Gaussian PDF of
the existing analogue networks, especially the set of six interferers, can easily be used
in the co-channel situations. Subsequently, provided that each statistical parameter is
there is a need in developing a assumed to be known by means of
comprehensive planning method dedicated propagation models (mean value) and
to the future hybrid TV broadcasting measurements (standard deviation).
network (i.e digital TV and analogue TV Regardless to terrain information
services). By evidence, this would lead to a considerations, especially in the VHF and
reliable deployment of digital TV networks UHF studied bands, the ITU-R 370
bearing in mind the superimposed propagation model has been used only for
constraints of the existing traditional TV testing. However, one could use any other
networks, namely protection ratios and home-made propagation model provided
transmitting powers. that its reliability, with comparison to
measurements, is proved in these two
Publisher Item Identifier S 0018-9316(97)02607-3. frequency bands.

0018-9316/97$10.00 0 1997 IEEE


The key-feature of our method is
the fact of using a double analytical
integration instead of computing seven
inter-dependent multiple integrals which
require the use of numerical time-
consuming integrations. The idea has been
previously used [3] in view of reducing the
complexity of the problem which obviously
leads to a less important computation time.
This method is indeed an easy-to-use and
versatile procedure especially when the
equivalent Gaussian PDF is analytically
given [2]. Afterwards, coverage probability
for digital TV transmission is computed by
integration taking account of the minimum
required power for digital TV reception
and the co-channel protection ratio.
2. Theory
In their theoretical investigation,
Schwartz and Yeh [2] have showed that a
set of N log-normal variates can be
represented accurately by a single log-
normal variate. The authors have also
derived the correspondent mean and
variance exprcssions for the equivalent
Gaussian PDF. This idea is simply applied
in this paper where the six uncorrelated
analogue TV signals are represented by a
single random signal whose PDF is
calculated using their analytical results.
The honey comb structure in figure 1
illustrates the positioning of each digital
and analogue TV transmitters.
Figure 1 : Geometrical Configuration of the Hybrid TV Network
8
... Analogue TV transmitter
Dipital TV transmitter
21
Although digital TV and analogue TV are
supposed to follow a log-normal
shadowing variability law, the statistical
parameters (namely, mean and variance)
are different. Indeed, digital TV standard
deviation is less than analogue TV signal
one [4]. In addition, digital TV coverage
requirements approach 90 % (for signal
abrupt failure reasons) which is not
necessarily the case of analogue TV
receiving conditions. That is the reason
why we need to model accurately the
coverage probability, unlike the ITU-R
methods [5] whose accuracy tends to be
limited for higher probability values.
Before computing the coverage
probability (or outage probability), it is of
great interest to focus the efforts on the
equivalent PDF statistical parameters for
the set of six interferers. According to the
procedure given by Schwartz and Yeh, i.e
achieving the computation of mean and
variance using a two-by-two procedure, we
have computed the Gaussian PDF
statistical parameters for the interference
part. However, the wanted signal PDF
remains log-normal (or Gaussian in dBm)
which leads to the use of the integral below
~31:
Where the variables in (1) are expressed in
dBm which leads to the use of Gaussian
PDF instead of log-normal PDF and R is
nothing but the co-channel protection ratio.
The minimum required received power is
noted So and is also expressed in dBm.
Consequently, the PDFs in (1) are given as
follows :
= I , one could easily
and, with htequrv,
write
22
where the statistical parameters in (3),
namely m, and are calculated by
means of the abovementioned procedure
[2] (i.e two-by-two calculations). The
analytical computation of the integrals in
(1) is detailed in the appendix.
Accordingly, equation (1) could be recasted
in an extended form given as follows :
where the constants in (4) are also given in
appendix.
3. Results
As it has been previously pointed
out, the aim is to propose a calculation
method whose accuracy and computation
time are optimized. This means that our
method ought to be compared to Monte
Carlo simulations which is considered as a
reference method despite its very important
time-consuming aspect. Only for the sake
of evaluating the reliability of our
analytical method, we have taken as an
example a set of six uncorrelated
interferers accounting for the analogue TV
apportionment, and a unique value for the
digital TV part. Results for received
powers at 40 km from the digital TV
transmitter are reported in table 1 given
below :
Table 1 I Individual co-channel mean
values for the 6 interferers in dBm
These six signals are supposed to be
statistically independent with equal
standard deviations of 9.5 dB in the UHF
band. Which yields, using the Schwartz
and Yeh procedure, m,=-62.1 dBm and
0,= 5.2 dB. In our simulations we have
taken R = 0 dB and So= - 100 dBm.
It is well known that the coverage area
depends on the transmitting parameters
(ERP, antenna heights, polarization,
frequency, etc.). All of these considerations
are neglected since we suppose that, a
priori, one should have calculated the
received powers from both wanted and
unwanted contributions. The above
mentioned mean values for analogue TV
are supposed to be computed by means of
any propagation model. In our case we
have used the ITU-R 370 Recommendation
[6] for a smooth terrain (Le for Ah = 50 m)
at a given point within the digital TV
transmitter coverage area. This propagation
model has given a mean value for the
digital TV (wanted) power of m, = -46.14
dBm at 40 km (with 8 = (Ox,OM)= 90’)
from the digital TV transmitter with a
standard deviation Os = 6.0 dB as it has
been measured recently according to ITU-R
Contributions [6].
ATV4
ATV5 A M ATV6
Figure 2 : Geometrical Representation of the Coverage Probrhilq
Cnlsulation Point
Digital TV Transmitter
0 Analogue TV Transmitters
Preliminarily, a comparison
between the studied theoretical
investigation and the Monte Carlo
procedure is in fact of great interest. It
means that the accuracy of this method
have to be estimated using the whole six
 23

interferers. Figure 3 given below shows the

cumulative distribution hnction -time
(probability that the sum of the six
interferers is less than the power on the m,,m,and
absicssa axis) using both Monte Carlo
(taken as a reference) and the above m3
described theoretical method of Schwartz Computed
and Yeh. Probability 98.60 % 98.68 %
with Monte
Carlo
Figure 3 :Cumulative Distribution Function Computed
Using the Theoretical Method Compared to Probability
Monte Carlo Procedure with 97.63 % 97.78 %
Schwartz &
Yeh

4 T(Monte
Carlo)/T(Theor
Y)
137 172

2
r;
We also compared graphically the
coverage probability for the hybrid TV
network computed by the two methods of
interest. Figure 4 illustrates the variations
of this probability with the distance. Thus,
Since our method is intended to starting from 40 km along the Y axis to 66
improve the computation time compared to km allows the computation, for each point,
Monte Carlo procedure, two different of the coverage probability taking account
configurations have been considered. First of interferences.
we consider only the nearest three
Figure 4 : Comparison of Monte Carlo and Theoretical
interferers according to figure 1 and in a
Model for Coverage Probability Calculation
second step we introduce the three
remaining far contributions, which
obviously increases the computation time
especially with the Monte Carlo method.
Noting that one could add the farest
contributions one-by-one in view of
studying the run-time variation law and any
eventual non-linear considerations when
the number of transmitters is getting
higher. Table 2 below reports the results
for a distance of 40 km from the digital TV
transmitter on the Y axis as mentioned According to the results obtained in figure
above. 4, comparisons have yield an average error
of 3.1 1 % between the Monte Carlo
method, considered as a reference, and our
theoretical method. These comparisons
24

concerned the 11 points within the 40 to 66
km range with a step of 2 kilometers.
Indeed, the Monte Carlo method, because
of its very important computation time, has
restricted our sampling which lead us to
consider only few points for the sake of
comparing the accuracy of our method.
4. Conclusion
Components ' I , Bell Syst. Tech. J., 61, pp.
1441-1462, 1982.
[3] K. W. Sowerby, A. C. Williamson, "
Outage Probability Calculations for a
Mobile Radio System Having two Log-
Normal Interferers ", Electronics Letters,
Vol. 23, No. 25, pp, 1345-1346, 3rd Dec.
1987.

As a preliminary work on planning [4] DOC,ITU-R TG 11-3WK5, 'I OFDM

aspects concerning the deployment of
digital TV transmitters within the existing
analogue TV networks, the obtained results
with an analytical computation method
Digital Television Location Variation
Statistics ' I , October 1994.
[ 5 ] ITU-R Report 945-2, Method for the
I'

showed few discrepancies when compared Assessment of Multiple Interference "

to the Monte Carlo simulations, which is
well recognized as a reference method. Appendix
Also, for further studies dealing with
multiple interferences, especially in the Computation of Coverage
case of digital single frequency networks
(SFN) such as DAB for example, this Probability
method can easily be implemented since
the multidimensional phenomenon can be Starting with the expression given
treated as a two dimensional problem above by equation (1) one could simply
(including the wanted received power). recast it in the following :
Furthermore, especially for TV reception in
general, the calculation of good reception
areas can be improved by taking into
account the receiving antenna pattern,
which is not considered in our where the inner integral, say F( S ), can be
investigation. This could be included in calculated as follows :
link-budget calculation and precisely for
received mean power values.

Moreover, it seems that there is no

limitation concerning the number of Using the probability function given by :
interferers except that the previously
described two-by-two procedure will have
to be repeated systematically each time it is
(A3)
necessary depending obviously on the 2
number of preponderant interferers.
one could write the coverage probability as
References

[ l ] W. C. Y. Lee, Mobile Communications

Engineering, McGraw-Hill, 1982.

[2] S. C. Schwartz, and Y. S. Yeh, On the

Distribution Function and Moments of which comprises two terms, one depending
Power Sums with Log-Normal on the apportionment of interference and
 25

the other remaining one is completely

independent on interference. Subsequently,
we can easily find the following expression
and

where the constants and fbnctions in (A5)

are given by : The coverage probability in (A5)is
then quite manageable and one could easily
use this result for coverage prediction using
a stochastic approach taking account of the
required minimum power and the CO-
channel protection ratio.