On-Site Permittivity Estimation at 60 GHz through Reflecting Surface Identification in the Point Cloud

Accurate site-specific radio propagation simulations provide an important basis for cellular coverage analysis. The quality of these simulations relies on the accuracy of environmental description and electrical properties of constituent materials. This paper presents a novel method of on-site permittivity estimation. The method utilizes an accurate geometrical database of the environment for identifying flat and smooth surfaces producing reflections. The method exploits a limited number of on-site channel sounding to extract reflected multipaths and compare them with ray tracing based on the environmental database. The permittivity of the identified reflecting surfaces is estimated by solving an inverse reflection problem. The method was experimentally tested with limited radio channel measurements at 60 GHz in a large empty office room. The identified reflecting surfaces are classified according to their mean permittivity estimates, showing their consistency with physical material evidence and the permittivity database in the International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Recommendation (ITU-R P.2040-1). The estimated permittivity values are visualized as a 3-D map, giving an intuitive understanding of materials constituting the environment. This paper demonstrates on-site permittivity estimation and material classification without the need for isolated measurements of composite materials in an anechoic chamber or in situ measurements of built environments.