Radio Propagation Prediction Method Using Point Cloud Data Based on Hybrid of Ray-Tracing and Effective Roughness Model in Urban Environments

Abstract

This paper proposes a radio propagation prediction method that uses point cloud data based on a hybrid of the ray-tracing (RT) method and an effective roughness (ER) model in urban environments for the fifth generation mobile communications system using high frequency bands. The proposed prediction method incorporates propagation characteristics that consider diffuse scattering from surface irregularities. The validity of the proposed method is confirmed by comparisons of measurement and prediction results gained from the proposed method and a conventional RT method based on power delay and angular profiles. From predictions based on the power delay and angular profiles, we find that the proposed method, assuming the roughness of σ_h = 1 mm, accurately predicts the propagation characteristics in the 20 GHz band for urban line-of-sight environments. The prediction error for the delay spread is 2.1 ns to 9.7 ns in an urban environment.