Abstract: The RF propagation of a wireless system is normalized to remove the directionality, orientation and gain characteristics of the antennae deployed in the system to allow for enhanced growth management of a wireless system. RF propagation data for a wireless system is gathered by any collection method. For example, drive test of the cellular system can be performed to receive and measure the signal strength throughout the system to determine the receive power of signals from cell sites in the system. Other methods such as uplink collection, E911 data can be used. After measurements of the system are collected, the data is post-processed to remove the effective gain achieved by each antenna associated with each of the signals to normalize the signals to a conceptual antenna having an isotropic radiation pattern. A database of the antenna gain and deployment patterns of the actual antennae in the system is used to normalize the data.

Abstract: The RF propagation of a wireless system is normalized to remove the directionality, orientation and gain characteristics of the antennae deployed in the system to allow for enhanced growth management of a wireless system. RF propagation data for a wireless system is gathered by any collection method. For example, drive test of the cellular system can be performed to receive and measure the signal strength throughout the system to determine the receive power of signals from cell sites in the system. Other methods such as uplink collection, E911 data can be used. After measurements of the system are collected, the data is post-processed to remove the effective gain achieved by each antenna associated with each of the signals to normalize the signals to a conceptual antenna having an isotropic radiation pattern. A database of the antenna gain and deployment patterns of the actual antennae in the system is used to normalize the data.