Multipath impulse response modelling for indoor channel using TD-BEM

Indoor radio networks operating in the millimetre-wave frequency range may offer large information transport capacity and more sharply defined cell boundaries. The main features of the propagation in an indoor radio environment are multipath, due to reflection or diffraction from the walls and surrounding objects, and shadowing of the direct or line-of-sight propagation path by intervening obstacles. This paper presents a prediction technique for the multipath impulse response inside a confined cell/room with high resolution. The technique is based on a deterministic model developed using the Time-Domain Boundary Element Method (TD-BEM). Given the complete specifications of the structural environment (room size and shape, wall and furnishing materials), the discussed model can predict the impulse responses, the multipath spread and the frequency-selective characteristics of wireless indoor channels. Both modelled and measured results are given for a 37.2-GHz wireless system operating in two different environments, demonstrating the model´s ability to predict adequate results.