Derivation of antenna pattern shaping criteria for urban base stations using ray tracing

A novel method for the derivation of the optimum base station (BS) antenna radiation pattern in urban microcellular systems or wireless systems in general is presented. The multipath radio channel is sounded with a ray-tracing (RT) tool; then the BS antenna pattern is optimized in order to minimize channel dispersion and maximize field strength in the selected service area. The procedure can be performed for the different classes of microcellular BS sites, allowing the derivation of useful criteria for the shaping of the corresponding antenna patterns. The aim of the paper is to demonstrate the possibility of using the RT in combination with an optimization procedure to derive interesting antenna design indications.