Patent ID: 6950665

Claim:
A method for characterizing interference in a cellular wireless network, the method comprising: sampling composite signals received at a plurality of ground-level locations that are within the intended coverage zone of the cellular wireless network, and recording the received composite signals as a first set of composite signals; correlating each composite signal within said first set of composite signals with a predetermined waveform signal to identify a first set of correlation peaks therein; generating data representing relative power level and time-of-arrival for each correlation peak within said first set of correlation peaks, and adding said data to a database; sampling composite signals received at a plurality of above-ground-level locations that are within the intended coverage zone of the cellular wireless network, and recording the received composite signals as a second set of composite signals; correlating each composite signal within said second set of composite signals with said predetermined waveform signal to identify a second set of correlation peaks therein; and generating data representing relative power level and time-of-arrival for each correlation peak within said second set of correlation peaks, and adding said data to a database; wherein time of arrival for each correlation peak within said first set of correlation peaks and time of arrival for each correlation peak within said second set of correlation peaks are derived from a plurality of synchronous time reference signals.