An efficient ray-tracing method for radiopropagation based on the modified BSP algorithm

Abstract

A new and efficient ray-tracing method based on a combination of image theory and the binary space partitioning (BSP) algorithm is presented. The efficiency of the method allows a full three-dimensional implementation of the Geometrical Optics and the Uniform Theory of Diffraction (GO/UTD). The optimization of ray-tracing makes it possible to take into account a great number of rays: reflected, diffracted and multiple combinations of these effects. This degree of precision in the calculation of the signal levels permits an accurate estimation not only of the signal mean level but also its statistics. The main feature of the method is the possibility of analyzing the radio channel in general enclosed spaces, including indoor, outdoor and mixed indoor/urban environments.