Date: Wednesday, April 25, 11 AM
Place: Room 118, ECE Building
Speaker: Dr. Nathan Blaunstein

ABSTRACT: In this talk, an approach for predicting channel key 
parameters, such as the path loss, signal power distribution in the 
space, angle-of-arrival, and time delay domains is presented. Unified 
stochastic approach of radio propagation in the urban and
sub-urban environments is used while taking into account specific maps 
of each built-up terrain consisting of crossing straight streets 
combined with arrays of buildings randomly distributed at the rough 
terrain.  The proposed stochastic approach is based on the prediction of 
statistical characteristics of the terrain, such as buildings density, 
overlay profile and orientation with respect to the terminal antennas, 
as well as
the solutions of stochastic equations based on Green's function expansion,
geometrical-optics approximation and effects of multiple reflection,
scattering and diffraction from obstructions surrounding both terminal
antennas.  Comparisons with several numerous experiments carried out in 
urban areas in Europe are presented with the main purpose of predicting 
the operational characteristics of adaptive antennas
generally used in modern wireless networks beyond 3G.  Some general 
solutions for overcoming the difficulties of channel parameter 
prediction are proposed for various scenarios of radio communications 
that can occur in urban cases.

BIO: Nathan Blaunstein received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in 
radiophysics and electronics from Tomsk University, Tomsk, Russia, in 1972
and 1976, respectively, and the Ph.D. and D.Sc. and Professor degrees in 
radiophysics and electronics from Institute of Geomagnetism, Ionosphere, 
and Radiowave Propagation (IZMIR), Academy of Science USSR, Moscow, 
Russia, in 1985 and 1991, respectively. From 1979 to 1984, he was an 
Engineer, a Lecturer, and then, from 1984 to 1992, a Senior Scientist, 
an Associate Professor and a Professor of Moldavian University, Beltsy, 
Moldova, former USSR. Since 1993 he was a Senior Scientist of the 
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a Visiting 
Professor in the Wireless Cellular Communication Program at the 
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel, and then, from 
2001, he is a Professor of the Department of Communication Systems 
Engineering.
Research interests include problems of optical and radio wave 
propagation, diffraction and scattering in various media (sub-soil 
medium, terrestrial environments, troposphere and ionosphere) for 
purpose of optical and radiolocation, aircraft, mobile-satellite and 
terrestrial communications.